POEMS***


Transcribed from the 1898 John Lane edition by David Price, email
ccx074@pglaf.org

                         [Picture: The Old Maid]





                                THE FAIRY
                                CHANGELING
                                AND OTHER
                                  POEMS


                             BY DORA SIGERSON
                          (MRS CLEMENT SHORTER)

                  [Picture: Decorative shamrock divider]

                                JOHN LANE
                             THE BODLEY HEAD
                            LONDON & NEW YORK
                               MDCCCXCVIII




NOTE


_Only one of the pieces in the following collection appeared in the
writer's earlier volume_ ("_Verses_" _by Dora Sigerson_; _Elliot Stock_,
1893).  _The remainder have found refuge in_ "_Longman's Magazine_,"
"_The Pall Mall Magazine_," "_The National Observer_" (_of Mr. Henley_),
"_Cassell's Magazine_," _and numerous American publications_--"_The
Century Magazine_," "_The Bookman_," "_The Boston Pilot_," "_The
Chap-Book_," _and others_.  _The Author wishes to thank the Editors of
these magazines and journals for the kindness implied_.




CONTENTS

The Fairy Changeling                        _Page_ 1
A Ballad of Marjorie                               3
The Priest's Brother                               6
The Ballad of the Little Black Hound               9
The Rape of the Baron's Wine                      15
Cean Duv Deelish                                  19
Banagher Rhue                                     21
The Fair Little Maiden                            23
At Christmas Time                                 25
A Weeping Cupid                                   26
The Lover                                         28
A Bird from the West                              30
All Souls' Eve                                    32
An Imperfect Revolution                           34
Love                                              36
Wishes                                            38
Cupid Slain                                       39
What Will You Give?                               40
A Meadow Tragedy                                  42
An Eclipse                                        43
The Scallop Shell                                 44
With a Rose                                       45
For Ever                                          46
The Blow Returned                                 47
Vale                                              48
The Skeleton in the Cupboard                      49
You Will Not Come Again                           51
The Wreckage                                      52
I am the World                                    53
A New Year                                        55
The Kine of My Father                             57
Sanctuary                                         59
An Eastern God                                    61
A Friend in Need                                  63
In a Wood                                         64
A Vagrant Heart                                   65
When You are on the Sea                           68
My Neighbour's Garden                             70
An Irish Blackbird                                72
Death of Gormlaith                                73
Unknown Ideal                                     75
Beware                                            77
The Old Maid                                      78
Wirastrua                                         80
Questions                                         81
A Little Dog                                      82
"I Prayed so Eagerly"                             85
"When the Dark Comes"                             86
Distant Voices                                    87
The Ballad of the Fairy Thorn-Tree                89
The Suicide's Grave                               95



THE FAIRY CHANGELING


   Dermod O'Byrne of Omah town
   In his garden strode up and down;
   He pulled his beard, and he beat his breast;
   And this is his trouble and woe confessed:

   "The good-folk came in the night, and they
   Have stolen my bonny wean away;
   Have put in his place a changeling,
   A weashy, weakly, wizen thing!

   "From the speckled hen nine eggs I stole,
   And lighting a fire of a glowing coal,
   I fried the shells, and I spilt the yolk;
   But never a word the stranger spoke:

   "A bar of metal I heated red
   To frighten the fairy from its bed,
   To put in the place of this fretting wean
   My own bright beautiful boy again.

   "But my wife had hidden it in her arms,
   And cried 'For shame!' on my fairy charms;
   She sobs, with the strange child on her breast:
   'I love the weak, wee babe the best!'"

   To Dermod O'Byrne's, the tale to hear,
   The neighbours came from far and near:
   Outside his gate, in the long boreen,
   They crossed themselves, and said between

   Their muttered prayers, "He has no luck!
   For sure the woman is fairy-struck,
   To leave her child a fairy guest,
   And love the weak, wee wean the best!"




A BALLAD OF MARJORIE


   "What ails you that you look so pale,
   O fisher of the sea?"
   "'Tis for a mournful tale I own,
   Fair maiden Marjorie."

   "What is the dreary tale to tell,
   O toiler of the sea?"
   "I cast my net into the waves,
   Sweet maiden Marjorie.

   "I cast my net into the tide,
   Before I made for home;
   Too heavy for my hands to raise,
   I drew it through the foam."

   "What saw you that you look so pale,
   Sad searcher of the sea?"
   "A dead man's body from the deep
   My haul had brought to me!"

   "And was he young, and was he fair?"
   "Oh, cruel