The Meeting.
A woman is walking and holding a baby in her arms. A man is walking in the opposite
direction; he has a bag slung over his
shoulder. 1/2 page.
The old coach-road thro’ a common of furze1
With knolls of pines, ran white :2
Berries of autumn, with thistles, and burrs,3
And spider-threads, droopt in the light.4
The light in a thin blue veil peer’d sick ;5
The sheep grazed close and still ;6
The smoke of a farm by a yellow rick7
Curl’d lazily under a hill.8
No fly shook the round of the silver net ;9
No insect the swift bird chased ;10
Only two travellers moved and met11
Across that hazy waste.12
One was a girl with a babe that throve,13
Her ruin and her bliss ;14
One was a youth with a lawless love,15
Who claspt it the more for this.16
The girl for her babe made prayerful speech ;17
The youth for his love did pray ;18
Each cast a wistful look on each,19
And either went their way.20