My Whiskers

I sit alone in my garden: Around, the moonlight flows: And the air is faint with the fragrance Of the too-sweet tuberose.

By the lilies and dewy myrtles The fireflies rise and fall; And the peerless yucca raises Her silver coronal.

Now the night-loving cactus, Like a Hebe, holdeth up, To the dew and showery moonlight, Many a milk-white cup.

From under the eaves' deep shadow The jasmine-bud, pearl-white, peers; And on the bent face of the sunflower The dew-drops shine like tears.

All nature is lapt in silence, Save only yon moonlit sea,— Whose voice seems but to echo The memories that rise in me.

"Just thirty years," I murmur, "Just thirty years to-night They were sitting here in my garden, Werder, and Green, and Wright.

In my ears now ring their voices: We had each our cheroots alit; And the swift hours flitted o'er us, Winged by laughter and wit.

As now, then glittered the fireflies, And gleam'd the moonlit leaf; And as now, we heard midst our converse The roller boom from yon reef.

The same stars in their places Shine from the same old sky,— But I, of those four blithe comrades I only remain, even I."

The German, Rheinhold Werder, The Englishman, John Wright, With Thomas Green, the Welshman, Were at my house that night:

And these, my jovial comrades, Their jokes began to bandy, Because that I, a Scotchman, Had whiskers somewhat sandy.

To whiskerless old Werder Thereat I turned, and said,— "Why don't you try and grow some? What odds if they were red?"

Old Werder chuckled grimly, And straight replied, "Ah vell! Since you vould ask de reason, I now a tale vill tell.—

"Vonce on a time an Angel, Von star-eyed leetle thing, Some presents to de nations Did in von basket bring.

"Dese gifts vere hair and viskars, Vich she from heaven brought down, And dey vere of all colours, Some black, some red, some brown.

"She first did go to England, Dey chose brown viskars there: And den de Velshmans gladly, Selected de black pair.

"Moustaches fierce and lengthy De Frenchmans most did please; And all de beards called "goaty" Vere taken by 'cute Yankees.

"After, de leetle Angel Did come to Germanie, And don, vidin de basket— Mein Gott!—vat did ve see!—

"Only von pair of viskars! You dirtee—ach!—RED pair! So said ve to de Angel,— 'Ve dont vant any hair!'

"Thus de Angel took dese viskars Across de German Sea,— And on de cheeks of Scotchmans Dese viskars now ve see!"

We laughed at Werder's story, And I the most of all, Whilst the clouds in the west were rising, And the western moon did fall.

Then followed one hour of converse, And then came the rushing rain,— So we four comrades parted, Never to meet again!

Thirty long years—just thirty Since then have passed away. Alas! those jovial comrades, To-night, ah where are they?

The wild Atlantic billow Rolls over Thomas Green; And in a Dorset Churchyard John Wright's name may be seen.—

And brave old Rheinhold Werder Dropt to a Chassepôt shot, Amongst the trees that shadow The road past Gravelotte.

And I, I only linger; And thinking of them to-night, Unconsciously pull my whiskers, So "sandy" once,—now white.