FullReads

April 6, 1887.

What, Kaiser dead? The heavy news
Post-haste to Cobham calls the Muse,
From where in Farringford she brews
The ode sublime,
Or with Pen-bryn’s bold bard pursues
A rival rhyme.

Kai’s bracelet tail, Kai’s busy feet,
Were known to all the village-street.
“What, poor Kai dead?” say all I meet;
“A loss indeed!”
O for the croon pathetic, sweet,
Of Robin’s reed![1]

Six years ago I brought him down,
A baby dog, from London town;
Round his small throat of black and brown
A ribbon blue,
And vouch’d by glorious renown
A dachshound true.

His mother, most majestic dame,
Of blood-unmix’d, from Potsdam came;
And Kaiser’s race we deem’d the same–
No lineage higher.
And so he bore the imperial name.
But ah, his sire!

Soon, soon the days conviction bring.
The collie hair, the collie swing,
The tail’s indomitable ring,
The eye’s unrest–
The case was clear; a mongrel thing
Kai stood confest.

But all those virtues, which commend
The humbler sort who serve and tend,
Were thine in store, thou faithful friend.
What sense, what cheer!
To us, declining tow’rds our end,
A mate how dear!

For Max, thy brother-dog, began
To flag, and feel his narrowing span.
And cold, besides, his blue blood ran,
Since, ‘gainst the classes,
He heard, of late, the Grand Old Man
Incite the masses.

Yes, Max and we grew slow and sad;
But Kai, a tireless shepherd-lad,
Teeming with plans, alert, and glad
In work or play,
Like sunshine went and came, and bade
Live out the day!

Still, still I see the figure smart–
Trophy in mouth, agog to start,
Then, home return’d, once more depart;
Or prest together
Against thy mistress, loving heart,
In winter weather.

I see the tail, like bracelet twirl’d,
In moments of disgrace uncurl’d,
Then at a pardoning word re-furl’d,
A conquering sign;
Crying, “Come on, and range the world,
And never pine.”

Thine eye was bright, thy coat it shone;
Thou hadst thine errands, off and on;
In joy thy last morn flew; anon,
A fit! All’s over;
And thou art gone where Geist hath gone,
And Toss, and Rover.

Poor Max, with downcast, reverent head,
Regards his brother’s form outspread;
Full well Max knows the friend is dead
Whose cordial talk,
And jokes in doggish language said,
Beguiled his walk.

And Glory, stretch’d at Burwood gate,
Thy passing by doth vainly wait;
And jealous Jock, thy only hate,
The chiel from Skye,
Lets from his shaggy Highland pate
Thy memory die.

Well, fetch his graven collar fine,
And rub the steel, and make it shine,
And leave it round thy neck to twine,
Kai, in thy grave.
There of thy master keep that sign,
And this plain stave.

[Footnote 1:

Of Robin’s reed.

“Come, join the melancholious croon
O’ Robin’s reed.”–BURNS, Poor Mailie’s Elegy.]