To M. C. N.
Thou hast no wealth, nor any pride of power,
Thy life is offered on affection’s altar.
Small sacrifices claim thee, hour by hour,
Yet on the tedious path thou dost not falter.
To the unknowing, well thy days might seem
Circled by solitude and tireless duty,
Yet is thy soul made radiant by a dream
Of delicate and rainbow-coloured beauty.
Never a flower trembles in the wind,
Never a sunset lingers on the sea,
But something of its fragrance joins thy mind,
Some sparkle of its light remains with thee.
Thus when thy spirit enters on its rest,
Thy lips shall say, “I too have known the best!”