Spell of the Yukon and Other Verses, The

<p><SPAN name="link2H_4_0027" id="link2H_4_0027"></SPAN></p> <h2> The Woman and the Angel </h2> <p>An angel was tired of heaven, as he lounged in the golden street;<br/> His halo was tilted sideways, and his harp lay mute at his feet;<br/> So the Master stooped in His pity, and gave him a pass to go,<br/> For the space of a moon, to the earth-world, to mix with the men below.<br/> <br/> He doffed his celestial garments, scarce waiting to lay them straight;<br/> He bade good by to Peter, who stood by the golden gate;<br/> The sexless singers of heaven chanted a fond farewell,<br/> And the imps looked up as they pattered on the red-hot flags of hell.<br/> <br/> Never was seen such an angel &mdash; eyes of heavenly blue,<br/> Features that shamed Apollo, hair of a golden hue;<br/> The women simply adored him; his lips were like Cupid's bow;<br/> But he never ventured to use them &mdash; and so they voted him slow.<br/> <br/> Till at last there came One Woman, a marvel of loveliness,<br/> And she whispered to him: "Do you love me?"<br/> And he answered that woman, "Yes."<br/> And she said: "Put your arms around me, and kiss me, and hold me &mdash; so &mdash;"<br/> But fiercely he drew back, saying: "This thing is wrong, and I know."<br/> <br/> Then sweetly she mocked his scruples, and softly she him beguiled:<br/> "You, who are verily man among men, speak with the tongue of a child.<br/> We have outlived the old standards; we have burst, like an over-tight thong,<br/> The ancient, outworn, Puritanic traditions of Right and Wrong."<br/> <br/> Then the Master feared for His angel, and called him again to His side,<br/> For oh, the woman was wondrous, and oh, the angel was tried!<br/> And deep in his hell sang the Devil, and this was the strain of his song:<br/> "The ancient, outworn, Puritanic traditions of Right and Wrong."<br/></p> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />