Show LITERARY Ii To a Voice LINES TO AN ACTRESS Wielded breath l I 0 O words I 0 O voice most beautiful divine So sweetly from her graceful throat thy passion song is pouring 1 Oer O'er the ravings of the tempest and the lashings of the brine r I Thy music mounts into the darkness and thy wooing melody Doth float into the wailing night and to it heaven- heaven soaring Clings my soul 0 O saintly voice and thus is born aloft with thee Sweet creation hast thou knowledge that within thy charmed spell There lies lies' a host of mournful tales that wakes my heart to sighing The vibrations in each cadence of thy music speaks to tell The sorrow of her lonely living and the weary sad unrest her mission her Encompassed by earthly mission deepened deepened by loved ones dying dying dying- Comes to me in throbbing whispers whisper midst the music from her breast Voice beloved tell me truly do I guide my dreams aright When I discern in fancy floating neath the surface of thy singing Nobleness within thy mistress one mistress one who yields her soul tonight In modest musical devotion to the interest of art Ah hasten silent wisdom wisdom with this joyous answer answer answer an an- bringing bringing- if She She is no unfeeling beauty for she hath a womans woman's heart In my reverie I marvel at the secret of thy sway sway sway- Is she a lowly loving being one being one possessed of tender feeling Tell me if enchanted music thus her sorrow to allay Hath drawn her soul to heavens heaven's altar and she carols carols' as she sips The angels' angels nectar from an angel while the music earthward earthward earth earth- ward s sealing ealing Sounds so pure because floating from her chaste unsullied lips Dost Dot thou revel in thy freedom Dost thou glide into the night J t i 1 ir i i I T All radiant with joy and gladness ss and in m lilting rapture rapture rapture rap rap- ture singing singing I In th the knowledge thou wert cloistered just before thine airy flight Enfolded by so pure a mortal and because her lips have pressed V and thou still stilla Thee eer thy winged departure a the clinging l Of her warm and tender kisses and the pressure of L her breast f Wander on 0 O voice voice exalted permeate the wailing night Fill our souls with blessed music sing again thy comfort com com- fort giving fort giving fort giving t Melody to lowly mortals turn to God our drooping J sight Though she be pure or o one e unworthy she unworthy she to whom thou dost belong belong- i The hearts of people are uplifted uplifted truth truth is is stronger fori for i thy living And the weary world is better for the singing of thy song f Chester Chister Ames Ie PINAFORE July i 1896 |