IN a crowded room I seemed to stand, Yet not in the throng; alone, apart, And all about me the hot air fanned, Moved by the throbs of society's heart. A band was playing somewhere near ('T was a waltz of Strauss, so soft and sweet), And the ripple of voices came to my ear, And the merry tap of dancing feet. The rustle of silk, the wave of a fan, The gleam of gems, the scent of a rose, The laugh of a girl, the vows of a man, -- And the wave of society ebbs and flows. As I was wishing to join the throng The book fell down; I woke with a start To find it closed, and ended the song Whose gay, glad cadence lived on in my heart. |