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I THERE runs a road by Merrow Down— | |
| A grassy track to-day it is— | |
| An hour out of Guildford town, | |
| Above the river Wey it is. | |
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| Here, when they heard the horse-bells ring, | 5 |
| The ancient Britons dressed and rode | |
| To watch the dark Phœnicians bring | |
| Their goods along the Western Road. | |
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| Yes, here, or hereabouts, they met | |
| To hold their racial talks and such— | 10 |
| To barter beads for Whitby jet, | |
| And tin for gay shell torques and such. | |
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| But long and long before that time | |
| (When bison used to roam on it) | |
| Did Taffy and her Daddy climb | 15 |
| That Down, and had their home on it. | |
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| Then beavers built in Broadstonebrook | |
| And made a swamp where Bramley stands; | |
| And bears from Shere would come and look | |
| For Taffimai where Shamley stands. | 20 |
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| The Wey, that Taffy called Wagai, | |
| Was more than six times bigger then; | |
| And all the Tribe of Tegumai | |
| They cut a noble figure then! | |
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II Of all the Tribe of Tegumai | 25 |
| Who cut that figure, none remain,— | |
| On Merrow Down the cuckoos cry— | |
| The silence and the sun remain. | |
| |
| But as the faithful years return | |
| And hearts unwounded sing again, | 30 |
| Comes Taffy dancing through the fern | |
| To lead the Surrey spring again. | |
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| Her brows are bound with bracken-fronds, | |
| And golden elf-locks fly above; | |
| Her eyes are bright as diamonds | 35 |
| And bluer than the sky above. | |
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| In mocassins and deer-skin cloak, | |
| Unfearing, free and fair she flits, | |
| And lights her little damp-wood smoke | |
| To show her Daddy where she flits. | 40 |
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| For far—oh, very far behind, | |
| So far she cannot call to him, | |
| Comes Tegumai alone to find | |
| The daughter that was all to him! | |
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