BETA

What?

Illustration is divided into four sections. Each section is divided by a stylized branch that forms a curved border. The top-half of the illustration is divided into three sections. The section in the upper-right corner depicts a woman sitting and looking out of a window; her head is resting on her hand. The illustration in the centre shows two children looking into a bucket. The illustration in the upper-right corner depicts a man sitting and looking out of a window; his head is resting on his hand. The largest section is the bottom-half of the illustration; this section depicts a man and a woman. The woman is standing next to a tree with her hand on a gate. The man is looking away from the woman. 1/2 page.
She was working a slipper ; but she didn’t like that ;1
She sang a little melody, that wouldn’t do ;2
She tried to read a little, then she played with the cat,3
And then commenced a note—“ Dearest, Why didn’t
you—?”4
And then she tore it up, and then tried to keep still5
And watch the spent sun till he dropped behind the
hill.6
He was reading a novel, but he didn’t like that,7
So he took down his fishing rod, that wouldn’t do ;8
Then he whistled to his dog, then he put on his hat,9
And then commenced a note—“ Dearest, Why didn’t
you—?”10
And then he tore it up, and then tried to keep still11
And watch the spent sun till he dropped behind the
hill,12
The sun dropped out of sight, and she walked up the
lane ;13
He too, quite by chance, of course, came along ;14
So they met, and they stopped : not a look would either
deign :15
Then he said—nothing, and naught had she to say.16
At last he look’d up at her, and she look’d up too —17
“ Why didn’t you—Dearest ?” — “ Dearest, why
didn’t you—?”18
W. H. Boughton.