The Sleeping Beauty

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 150, 22 December 1938, Page 22 (Supplement)

The Sleeping Beauty

Winifred Tennant

KNOW you a storied lady lost in sleep, With living blossoms in.her braided hair? The unremembered years her secrets keep; She has a rendezvous with silence there.

The dawns pass over her; she,does not stir; Across her muted lips the sunbeams dance, And birds .fly in to flirt theirwings for her And droning bees who would disturb her trance.

She is so still, the very mice creep out To hold their councils 'death her oaken bed; They have no fear of her, no pang of doubt; She could not heed them less if she were dead.

They do not know when the enchantment fell Or if to-morrow she will slumber yet; So brief their time no news have they to tell; So full their days, small creatures soon forget

Nor do they know that past her lattice bars Each night she goes in little lonely, shoon To walk the meadows of the fallen, stars, The alabaster stairways of the moon.

on. to it, and mingled impartially with calendars and bridge pencils, needlecases, postcards, and fancy clothes pegs. Alice Is famous for the quantity of friends she remembers at this season, and I was wondering whether I was reserved for a calendar —I had -four already —when Alice made another suggestion. ' , "Eve. dear, have you thought of handkerchiefs? 1 always believe in giving something that will be a frequent reminder of the giver " "But Td hate Robert to think of me whenever he blew his nose," I protested. Alice is dense sometimes. "Or a bathing suit?" "Too expensive, dear." . '] "Oh, no, there are some in the shops only about ten shillings, I've seen them." "But, Alice, those aren't- whole suits. I mean, they're only half, I mean—well—Robert—seaside bylaws " "Oh," said Alice, "I understand" , I knew she didn't. Willy never bathes; anyway, he's her husband, but Koberjfe—no, a bathing suit wouldn't do. " ,' "Soap?" said Alice hopefully. "Suggestive, dear." ' "What about a safety razor. Now Willy "But Robert shaves quite successfully already, Alice." ' . "You're sure?" Really, Alice was doing all she could to help. Such a kind, encouraging tone. "Oh, yes," I hastened to, say. "I know, because when he " Alice looked at me with her greenish eyes for the second's silence, then, "JiM what I noticed about Willy the first time he kissed me. I think, Eve dear, that you might risk giving him braces After all, they look so . pretty in that shiny paper. I^e seen some sweet ones, simply covered with robins, you can get them all colours and stripes, the braces I mean. 1 think men should go in for more colour, dont you. Now I'm giving Willy a blue spotted tie »