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THE HIGH TIDE ON THE COAST OF LINCOLNSHIRE
By millions crouched on the old sea wall.
They sayde, "And why should this thing be?
"God save you, mother!" straight he saith;
Then bankes came downe with ruin and rout--
Stream from the church tower, red and high--
Thou didst, thou didst, my daughter deare;
That flow strewed wrecks about the grass,
Come uppe Whitefoot, come uppe Lightfoot;
"I'll fare the Brides that come to Quair.
"'_Tis_ fair," she said on looking forth,
Will a swallow--or a swift, or some bird--
Never, never, although three times married--
No, mine own! though early forced to leave you,
Still my heart was there where first we met;
In those "Lodgings with an ample sea-view,"
There I saw her first, our landlord's oldest
Thou, O Sun,--who (so they say) beholdest
Everything,--hast gazed, I tell thee, ne'er.
And I loved her, and our troth we plighted
At the world and all its cares with you, I'd
Hand in hand we tramp'd the golden seaweed,
Soon as o'er the gray cliff peep'd the dawn:
Side by side, when came the hour for tea, we'd
Crunch the mottled shrimp and hairy prawn:--
That sweet mite with whom I loved to play?
Is she girt with babes that whine and whimper,
Yes, she has at least a dozen wee things!
Scouring floors, and setting out the tea-things,
In a home that reeks of tar and sperm-oil!
Of those days which we, afar from turmoil,
|They tell me I am beautiful: they praise my
My little feet that silently slip on from stair to
They praise my pretty trustful face and innocent
Fond hands caress me oftentimes, yet would
Why was I born to be abhorr'd of man and bird
The bullfinch marks me stealing by, and straight
The shrewmouse eyes me shudderingly, then
The housedog he flees after me--why was I
Men prize the heartless hound who quits dry-
Who wags a mercenary tail and licks a tyrant
The leal true cat they prize not, that if e'er
Still flies, when let out of the bag, precipitately
They call me cruel. Do I know if mouse or
I only know they make me light and salutary
And if, as 'tis my nature to, ere I devour I
Why should a low-bred gardener's boy pursue
Should china fall or chandeliers, or anything but
Nay stocks, when they're in flowerpots--the cat