The house is so still when you are away,

The furniture assumes a listening air;

The figured cretonne, bright and crisp andgay,

Droops at the window, and the clocksdeclare

Time’s passage with a low, half-hiddensign.

But when you cross the threshold, all iswell-

A new content, a welcome, seems to lie

On all familiar things. You break the spellof silence,

And the copper kettle sings.

The fire, in a low and vibrant tone,

Whispers, and Time’s pendulum still swings,

But in happier, lighter monotone.

Strange that the house and I both seem toawait

Only your step, your hand upon the gate!

-Eleanor Alletta Chaffee

你不在的時候

你不在的時候，

這屋子是如此靜寂，

家具都在默默的諦聽，

本來明淨歡欣的窗簾，

現在頹喪地垂在窗前，

落地鐘也以低沉、隱忍的嘆息，

報導時光的逝去。

可是當你跨過門檻，一切都變了！

你所熟悉的一切，都在歡迎你，

它們重又感到歡欣鼓舞。

你打破了沉默的封鎖，

水壺在歡唱，

爐火也輕盈地搖曳，似乎在低訴什麼。

時間的鐘擺照常搖晃著，

可是調子是如此快樂，輕鬆。

好奇怪！

這屋子和我，

都在等待你的腳步聲，

等待你的手敲門。

－EleanerAllentta Caffee