A Recollection

By Frances Darwin Cornford

MY father's friend came once to tea.

He laughed and talked. He spoke to me.

But in another week they said

That friendly pink-faced man was dead.

' How sad . .' they said, 'the best of men . .'

So I said too, 'How sad '; but then

Deep in my heart I thought with pride,

'I know a person who has died.'