BOOKS AND AUTHORS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 122, 15 February 1908, Page 13

BOOKS AND AUTHORS.

' . VERSES NEW AND OLD,

TO, THE ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION. Cinito those -..voyagers of an.earlier day;- . - Who. westward sailed, across .unventuied seas, Seeking, tho,golden-shored,Hcsperides, : i Steer, new/fare.rs" of,.the /unknown way. .

No Eldorado lures them, now; yet they . . ; Hear the same call, and in" their spirit stirs ■ 'The ,firo/that,kindled those old :venturers,- . /■ The Toice .that - none who Jiear caii - disobey. ■ ; ; Whero. ali.. have.- failed' their trackless ' march' mav gain > The lone and.silent dreamlands of; the role; /,.' Yet\whcthbr;,those, they• jvin,or' ; find.no goal,; Honour bo .-.theirs 1.Wh0,; in the farthest ■ main'••.'Tho.'flld- flag ; of 'their . country.,fli-st, unfurled, .'And. : .charted :ithe last "sea-way, /of j the; world. , • ' I—E. S. Lysagjit, in the\ "Spectator;" '.

PL VVHM6 BULBS ) Setting.m.v bulbs arow, - ''. ;*■ -. Vi-Xn.'colil ,earth, under thoigrasses, . Till the> frost and,, the-snow Are gone. and : the' .Winter passes. Sadden a footfall li^ht, ! .: ..^Sudden,a bird-call ringing.; -. ... . gold and ,in.'.ivhite ; v. _•"j----';::-'.^^,;'{";.Shall7ris0. with.a' cound of,.winging.) ■■■i: '■• Airy, and dehcatu all, . ;All go troohing. and. dancing . AtSj>ring's call and footfall, ' ' • " ./Airily' dancing, advancing., '-- u'J •' In the dark of the year, Turning the earth so chilly, I look (o the day of cheer, : Primroso and daffodilly. ''.j :;>^VT^^liing l -,the(soaß^and i ;th!e i ;clay^^■"; , .:.'. •,'lithink'of the poor.sad people■.■■■■; , ' "■.'y' Hiding;their dead away, ; . .churchyard; under, the steeple. ; . All poor women and men, ■ j • :' . ' .? Broken-hearted and, weeping,. ' ■ Tllbir dead thev call on m vain, > ■■; .'J-,Quietly/, smiling 'a'mll'slcbping.j.: .. Friends,'now. listen and hear, : . Give over ..crying; and grieving, .... ... There shall come a dav and a vear the dead shall.be ; as'the .living-.: -■ There shall come a call, a footfall, ; , ;, golden" trumpots/blowing ' ' r "'Shall stir the dcad with their call, ■ .'i.-.'/ Bid' them be-nsing and going. Then m the daffodil weather .Lover shall run to lover; Friends.all trooping together; . . - ■ ' 'Death and . Winter be over. . • , laying my.;b«lbs in;the:.dark, ; Visions have I of hereafter. : / to lip, breast.to breast, hark! No-'more weeping, but laughter! . ' " ' '. -r-'Tall Mall Gazette."

NAY. :i;VT'-vßy.-Life's bright river, . ■ : - The livelong day, •I ; ■: Xovo sighs "For ever!"' t But Life ones "Nayl" ' ' /• ' ;By.Death's dark river'-"-. 1 . A . • •;. -At close of day, Grief- sobs- "For- ever !" But Death cries "Nay!"■.-■;< . ; 1 "—Elizabeth Gibson/in "By Many Streams."

' . .THE SINGER'S HEART. , > jiThe/fire'.that .filled-my.'heart. of.foldr,, ; Gave lustre while it burned; • - , -.-vNowvonly 'ashes grey' and cold j-VK-f/Are- in'/its/silence -urned;.;'- ; -[■: '-\Ah'!. better..was the furious flame,-.-V-'. , • /s' ;The 'splendour with, the. .smart:; 1.-, never- cared for. ■: the'. singer's' : fame, , But, .oh! .for • the-singer's heart , < Once more—i * ' ...w.The burning, fulgent heart!;.

Ko love,-no:hate; no hope, no fear, . ■ • ■No anguish' and irio mirth; ." " ." V ' ';.j.."/, : ;Thus:''life; extends,from year to year,' ~' .: A flat of.sullen dearth • '•• ,o. blood'creopcth.cold,and .tamo, . VLife'sithought;plays, nonew.part, ' I'never! cared fori the singerfs. fame, ■ -But; oh! for the singer's heart •' ' • : Ouce more— . . The. bleeding' passionate, heart.! ■ To-day, across our fathers', graves The astonished years reveal \ . •i ! v "".The' remnant of that' desperate host, •'-, ■. Which cleansed our East:witli steel. ' = >• - Hail and .farewell !-. We greet you here, : - With tears that none will scorn— • v- • 0 keepers of the house of old,. • , Or over wo were horn! 1 One service moro we dare, to -ask.-rV - Pray for us, heroes, pray, ■■■"' ■ -That when' Fate .lays on' us our: Task, - • M- Weido not shame .the day.. c-: 'i; —Eudyard Kipling [This poem was' written -to'commemorate • tho .'gathering ,of.; Indian. Mutiny . .veterans. on - Dccomber .23 last:]' . • • ■.