A Santa Barbara Day in Winter [pp. 172-175]

172 A ~qiita B~~rb~~ra k)(?)/ ~/2 T~Uiiitcr. [Feb.
A SANTA BARBARA DAY IN WINTER.
0 DAY Of days, I sing thy passing grace ere time has marred
Thy liquid sunshine in its perfect glow, or barred
One tender, radiant vista of its searching length,
Or stolen from one throb of joy its wild, sweet strength.
The black-wreathed tempest past, the long, wild struggle past and o'er
Of angered elements in cloud-locked, ceaseless war,
Great winds arose, and aired and dried the whole drenched world,
On which the heedless fates had floods of waters hurled.
"Come out," I cried, "0 come!" opening my arms, my windows wide.
"We are new-born, we and all the sweet world beside.
No roof of hands shall hide my happy head today;
But God shall shield it under His, that waits alway."
Out through the shining, flowery streets with joy we swiftly passed,
Out till the clear, wide, winding road was reached at last.
Softly the rounded hills piled`gainst the drooping sky,
Long lay the marshy sweeps where rush and willow lie.