Page:Carroll - Three Sunsets.djvu/81

 A LESSON IN LATIN.

Latin books, in motley row,
 * Invite us to our task—

Gay Horace, stately Cicero: Yet there's one verb, when once we know,
 * No higher skill we ask:

This ranks all other lore above— We've learned " ' Amare ' means ' to love'!"

So, hour by hour, from flower to flower,
 * We sip the sweets of Life:

Till, all too soon, the clouds arise, And flaming cheeks and flashing eyes
 * Proclaim the dawn of strife:

With half a smile and half a sigh, "Amare! Bitter One!" we cry.

Last night we owned, with looks forlorn,
 * "Too well the scholar knows

There is no rose without a thorn"— But peace is made! We sing, this morn,
 * "No thorn without a rose!"

Our Latin lesson is complete: We've learned that Love is Bitter-Sweet! May, 1888. 63