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| LOVE came knocking at my door in the flowery month of May, | |
| ’Twas the morning of the year, and the morning of the day; | |
| He was a winsome boy, | |
| And I a maiden coy, | |
| But I followed him, I followed! for he drew me with the wile | 5 |
| Of his eyes, his words, and whispers, and the glamour of his smile. | |
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| Oh the merry laughing moments, oh the soft, the shining hours, | |
| When I followed as he led me through his gardens and his bowers! | |
| Love was a thing divine, | |
| I was his, and he was mine; | 10 |
| So I followed him, I followed, could have followed till I died, | |
| In the wake of his young glory, and the fulness of my pride. | |
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| Now the merry days are over, with the joy and pride and show; | |
| Love has grown to his full stature; I am weary as I go. | |
| Shamed is the golden head, | 15 |
| And the magic smile is fled | |
| For the dust and soil of earth | |
| Mock the greatness of Love’s birth; | |
| But I follow, and if weeping I, though weeping, follow still, | |
| With no magic and no glamour, but a faithful human will. | 20 |
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| Ay, I follow still, I follow, though no longer through the May, | |
| Though the lingering dreams of morning with the morn have passed away. | |
| Now Love is no more glad, | |
| Nay, his very smile is sad; | |
| But he needs me even more | 25 |
| Than I needed him before; | |
| So I follow, still I follow, and through all the darker seeming, | |
| Love’s true need of me is sweeter than his smile that held me dreaming. | |
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| And when one day hand in hand we before God’s gate shall stand, | |
| And the gate shall open wide that we enter side by side, | 30 |
| We may gaze in glad surprise | |
| Into one another’s eyes, | |
| Not to find a winsome boy, | |
| Or a maiden vain and coy; | |
| But two creatures shining bright | 35 |
| In the pure and keen love-light, | |
| Of the patience and the faith | |
| That have conquered more than death. | |
| Then I follow love no longer, but I sink upon thy breast | |
| To abide there hushed for ever in the joy of utter rest. | 40 |
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