The Mistress of the Manse By J. G. (Josiah Gilbert) Holland I. A fluttering bevy left the gate With hurried steps, and sped away; And then a coach with drooping freight, Wrapped in its film of dusty gray, Stopped; and the pastor and his mate Stepped forth, and passed the waiting door, And closed it on the gazing street. "Oh Philip!" She could say no more. "Oh Mildred! You're at home, my sweet, - The old life closed: the new before!" "Dinah, the mistress!" And the maid, Grown motherly with household care And loving service, and arrayed In homely neatness, took the pair Of small gloved hands held out, and paid Her low obeisance; then-"this way!" And when she brought her forth at last, To him who grudged the long delay, He found the soil of travel cast, And Mildred fresh and fair as May. II "This is our little Manse," he said. "Now look with both your curious eyes Around, above and overhead, And seeing all things, realize That they are ours, and we are wed! "Walk through these freshly garnished rooms- These halls of oak and tinted pearl- And mark the cups of clover-blooms, Cut fresh, to greet the stranger-girl, By those whose kindliness illumes The house beyond the grace of flowers! They greet you, mantled by my name, And rain their tenderness in showers, - Responding to the double claim Of love no longer mine, but ours. "This is our parlor, plain and sweet: Your hands shall make it half divine. That wide, old-fashioned window-seat Beneath your touch shall grow a shrine; And every nooklet and retreat, And every barren ledge and shelf, Shall wear a charm beyond the boon Of treasure-bearing drift, or delf, Or dreams that flutter from the moon; For it shall blossom with yourself. We are delighted to publish this classic book as part of our extensive Classic Library collection. Many of the books in our collection have been out of print for decades, and therefore have not been accessible to the general public. The aim of our publishing program is to facilitate rapid access to this vast reservoir of literature, and our view is that this is a significant literary work, which deserves to be brought back into print after many decades. The contents of the vast majority of titles in the Classic Library have been scanned from the original works. To ensure a high quality product, each title has been meticulously hand curated by our staff. Our philosophy has been guided by a desire to provide the reader with a book that is as close as possible to ownership of the original work. We hope that you will enjoy this wonderful classic work, and that for you it becomes an enriching experience.