?©t, Stephen Vincent, 1898-1943 / 2008-07-18 00:00:00
EBOOK YOUNG PEOPLE'S PRIDE ***
Produced by Eric Eldred, David Widger,
and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team
[ILLUSTRATION: "WHAT'S THAT?" SAID MRS. SEVERANCE SHARPLY] YOUNG PEOPLE'S
PRIDE
_A NOVEL_
BY STEPHEN VINCENT BENET
ILLUSTRATIONS BY HENRY RALEIGH COPYRIGHT, 1922
BY
HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY
_First printing, August 1922_ _TO ROSEMARY
If I were sly, I'd steal for you that cobbled hill, Montmartre,
Josephine's embroidered shoes, St. Louis' oriflamme,
The river on grey evenings and the bluebell-glass of Chartes,
And four sarcastic gargoyles from the roof of Notre Dame.
That wouldn't be enough, though, enough nor half a part;
There'd be shells because they're sorrowful, and pansies since
they're wise,
The smell of rain on lilac-bloom, less fragrant than your heart,
And that small blossom of your name, as steadfast as your
eyes.
Sapphires, pirates, sandalwood, porcelains, sonnets, pearls,
Sunsets gay as Joseph's coat and seas like milky jade,
Dancing at your birthday like a mermaid's dancing curls
--If my father'd only brought me up to half a decent trade!
Nothing I can give you--nothing but the rhymes--
Nothing but the empty speech, the idle words and few,
The mind made sick with irony you helped so many times,
The strengthless water of the soul your truthfulness kept true.
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