Classic Poem

There in the nursery stood the case,
Old and battered and brown with age, —
Dear Aunt Ann's with the saintly face, —
Till one of our toddlers, in cherubic rage,
Chanced on a spring and a drawer flew wide,
And lo, a plain gold ring inside!

Wee Aunt Ann with the mystic smile,
Thatwas the secret thy eyes held fast!
Did they learn their smile in the long-ago while
When the wooers came and the wooers passed,
And not one dreamed that a drawer flew wide,
A drawer with a plain gold ring inside?

Nobody guessed from then till now,
Little maid-aunt, thy secret sweet!
Then nobodyshall, but he and thou,
Long in the heaven where old loves meet.
But — knows he yet that a drawer flew wide
To show his plain gold ring inside?

So we all agreed, the children and I,
Dropping again the ring in its place,
Never to spy what lives so shy
There in the heart of the old brown case.
But the children say, " If a drawer flew wide, —
There 's a dear little uncle and aunt inside!"

Who?is his name. O,theyknow well, —
Have christened him, wedded him now for true!
But that is her secret, and they won 't tell;
So it 's just " Aunt Ann and UncleWho?"
And (bless their logic!) they hear, inside,
Three little dream-cousins who laugh and hide.

Cousins real to the poets small,
Brooding the dream, as they themselves;
Christened and charactered, each and all,
Discrete, insular, untwinned elves!
Poets — or prophets? Should heaven ope wide,
Whose are the children at Aunt Ann's side?