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1894
“FAREWELL, Romance!” the Cave-men said; | |
| “With bone well carved he went away, | |
| “Flint arms the ignoble arrowhead, | |
| “And jasper tips the spear to-day. | |
| “Changed are the Gods of Hunt and Dance, | 5 |
| “And He with these. Farewell, Romance!” | |
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| “Farewell, Romance!” the Lake-folk sighed; | |
| “We lift the weight of flatling years; | |
| “The caverns of the mountain-side | |
| “Hold Him who scorns our hutted piers. | 10 |
| “Lost hills whereby we dare not dwell, | |
| “Guard ye His rest. Romance, Farewell!” | |
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| “Farewell, Romance!” the Soldier spoke; | |
| “By sleight of sword we may not win, | |
| “But scuffle ’mid uncleanly smoke | 15 |
| “Of arquebus and culverin. | |
| “Honour is lost, and none may tell | |
| “Who paid good blows. Romance, farewell!” | |
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| “Farewell, Romance!” the Traders cried; | |
| “Our keels have lain with every sea; | 20 |
| “The dull-returning wind and tide | |
| “Heave up the wharf where we would be; | |
| “The known and noted breezes swell | |
| “Our trudging sails. Romance, farewell!” | |
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| “Good-bye, Romance!” the Skipper said; | 25 |
| “He vanished with the coal we burn. | |
| “Our dial marks full-steam ahead, | |
| “Our speed is timed to half a turn. | |
| “Sure as the ferried barge we ply | |
| “’Twixt port and port. Romance, good-bye!” | 30 |
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| “Romance!” the season-tickets mourn, | |
| “He never ran to catch his train, | |
| “But passed with coach and guard and horn— | |
| “And left the local—late again!” | |
| Confound Romance!… And all unseen | 35 |
| Romance brought up the nine-fifteen. | |
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| His hand was on the lever laid, | |
| His oil-can soothed the worrying cranks, | |
| His whistle waked the snowbound grade, | |
| His fog-horn cut the reeking Banks; | 40 |
| By dock and deep and mine and mill | |
| The Boy-god reckless laboured still! | |
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| Robed, crowned and throned, He wove his spell, | |
| Where heart-blood beat or hearth-smoke curled, | |
| With unconsidered miracle, | 45 |
| Hedged in a backward-gazing world: | |
| Then taught his chosen bard to say: | |
| “Our King was with us—yesterday!” | |
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