30
A Woman's Choice.
Fading, fading is fair Athens, temples, walls, and shining seats,
And anon a different landscape, smiling, all my vision greets,
Hills and valleys, brooks and fountains, fruit-trees, fields of flowers red,
Golden cornfields, rustling, swaying to the gleaner's eager tread.
Ruth, to Mara as a daughter, strong in thy affection's dower,
With the reapers, in the harvest, gleaning till the evening hour—
Eloquent as song of poet, sweeter than thy charm of face,
Thrill thy words adown the ages, mother of a mighty race!
Fond entreaty, while it lingers, ere its gentle echo dies,
Lo, a form of Grecian beauty stands before my startled eyes.
Small of stature, fine of feature, dazzling fair Egyptian queen,
She who won the love of Cæsar, by her witchery, I ween,
And anon a different landscape, smiling, all my vision greets,
Hills and valleys, brooks and fountains, fruit-trees, fields of flowers red,
Golden cornfields, rustling, swaying to the gleaner's eager tread.
Ruth, to Mara as a daughter, strong in thy affection's dower,
With the reapers, in the harvest, gleaning till the evening hour—
Eloquent as song of poet, sweeter than thy charm of face,
Thrill thy words adown the ages, mother of a mighty race!
Fond entreaty, while it lingers, ere its gentle echo dies,
Lo, a form of Grecian beauty stands before my startled eyes.
Small of stature, fine of feature, dazzling fair Egyptian queen,
She who won the love of Cæsar, by her witchery, I ween,
