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    The Mistress of the Manse
    The Mistress of the Manse
    The Mistress of the Manse
    Ebook169 pages1 hour

    The Mistress of the Manse

    By J. G. (Josiah Gilbert) Holland

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    Read preview
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArchive Classics
    Release dateNov 27, 2013
    The Mistress of the Manse

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      Book preview

      The Mistress of the Manse - J. G. (Josiah Gilbert) Holland

      The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Mistress of the Manse, by J. G. Holland

      This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

      Title: The Mistress of the Manse

      Author: J. G. Holland

      Release Date: July 29, 2004 [EBook #13052]

      Language: English

      *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MISTRESS OF THE MANSE ***

      Produced by Al Haines

      THE MISTRESS OF THE MANSE

      BY

      J. G. HOLLAND

      NEW YORK

      SCRIBNER, ARMSTRONG & CO

      1874

      Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1874, by

      SCRIBNER, ARMSTRONG & CO.,

      In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.

      JOHN V. TROW & SON,

      PRINTERS AND BOOKBINDERS,

      205-213 East 12th St.,

      NEW YORK.

      CONTENTS.

      PRELUDE LOVE'S EXPERIMENTS LOVE'S PHILOSOPHIES LOVE'S CONSUMMATIONS

      LOVE'S EXPERIMENTS.

      I.

        A fluttering bevy left the gate

        With hurried steps, and sped away;

        And then a coach with drooping freight,

        Wrapped in its film of dusty gray,

        Stopped; and the pastor and his mate

        Stepped forth, and passed the waiting door,

        And closed it on the gazing street.

        Oh Philip! She could say no more.

        "Oh Mildred! You're at home, my sweet,—

        The old life closed: the new before!"

        Dinah, the mistress! And the maid,

        Grown motherly with household care

        And loving service, and arrayed

        In homely neatness, took the pair

        Of small gloved hands held out, and paid

        Her low obeisance; then—this way!

        And when she brought her forth at last,

        To him who grudged the long delay,

        He found the soil of travel cast,

        And Mildred fresh and fair as May.

      II

        This is our little Manse, he said.

        "Now look with both your curious eyes

        Around, above and overhead,

        And seeing all things, realize

        That they are ours, and we are wed!

        "Walk through these freshly garnished rooms—

        These halls of oak and tinted pearl—

        And mark the cups of clover-blooms,

        Cut fresh, to greet the stranger-girl,

        By those whose kindliness illumes

        The house beyond the grace of flowers!

        They greet you, mantled by my name,

        And rain their tenderness in showers,—

        Responding to the double claim

        Of love no longer mine, but ours.

        "This is our parlor, plain and sweet:

        Your hands shall make it half divine.

        That wide, old-fashioned window-seat

        Beneath your touch shall grow a shrine;

        And every nooklet and retreat,

        And every barren ledge and shelf,

        Shall wear a charm beyond the boon

        Of treasure-bearing drift, or delf,

        Or dreams that flutter from the moon;

        For it shall blossom with yourself.

        "This is my study: here, alone,

        Prayerful to Him whom I adore,

        And gathering speech to make him known,

        Your far, quick footsteps on the floor,

        Your breezy robe, your cheerful tone,

        As through our pretty home you speed

        The busy ministries of life,

        Will stir me swifter than my creed,

        And be more musical, dear wife,

        Than sweep of harp, or pipe of reed.

        "Here is our fairy banquet hall!

        See how it opens to the East,

        And looks through elms! The board is small,

        But what it bears shall be a feast

        At morn, and noon, and evenfall.

        "There will you sit in girlish grace,

        And catch, the sunrise in your hair;

        And looking at you, from my place,

        I shall behold more sweet and fair

        The morning in your smiling face.

        "And guests shall come, and guests shall go,

        And break with us our daily bread;

        And sometime—sometime—do you know?

        I hope that—dearest, lift your head;

        And let me speak it, soft and low!

        "The grass is sweeter than the ground:

        Can love be better than its flowers?

        Oh sometime—sometime—in the round

        Of coming years, this board of ours

        I hope may blossom and abound

        With shining curls, and laughing eyes,

        And pleasant jests and merry words,

        And questions full of life's surprise,

        And light and music, when the birds

        Have left us to our gloomy skies.

        "Now mount with me the old oak stair!

        This is your chamber—pink and blue!

        They asked the color of your hair,

        And draped and fitted all for you,

        My fine brunette, with tasteful care.

        "The linen is as white as snow;

        The flowers are set on every sconce;

        And e'en the cushioned pin-heads show

        Your formal welcome, for the nonce,

        To the sweet home their hands bestow.

        "Declining to the river's marge,

        See, from this window, how the turf

        Runs with a thousand flowers in charge

        To meet the silver feet of surf

        That fly from every passing barge!

        "Along that reach of liquid light

        Flies Commerce with her countless keels;

        There the chained Titan in his might

        Turns slowly round the groaning wheels

        That drag her burdens, day and night.

        "And now the red sun flings his kiss

        Across its waves from finger-tips

        That pause, and grudgingly dismiss

        The one he loves to closer lips,

        And Moonlight's quiet hour of bliss.

        "And here comes Dinah with the steam

        Of evening cups and evening food,

        And coal-red berries quenched with cream,

        And ministry of homely good

        That proves, my dear, we do not dream."

      III.

        He heard the long-drawn organ-peal

        Within his chapel call to prayer;

        And, answering with ready zeal,

        He breathed o'er Mildred's weary chair

        These words, and sealed them with a seal:

        "Only an hour: but comfort take;—

        This home and I are wholly yours;

        And many bosoms fondly ache

        To tell you, that while life endures,

        You shall be cherished for my sake.

        "So throw your heart's door open wide,

        And take in mine as well as me;

        Let no poor creature be denied

        The grace of tender courtesy

        And kindness from the pastor's bride."

      IV.

        The moon came up the summer sky:

        Oh happy moon! the lady said;

        "Men love thee for thyself, but I

        Am loved because my life is wed

        To one whose message, pure and high,

        Has spread the world's evangel far,

        And thrown such radiance through the dark

        That men behold him as a star,

        And in his gracious coming mark

        How beautiful his footsteps are.

        "Oh Moon! dost thou take all thy

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