The poem opens as a simple, cheerful picture: a small town, whitewashed houses, children running downhill toward the mill, their faces flushed and happy. The speaker seems to enjoy watching this carefree moment. Then his attention settles on one girl who steps away from the others to pick up a pebble. She is pretty and childlike, with golden hair and dimpled hands, but when he notices her large blue eyes, the tone shifts. A sharp, unexplained pain moves through him, and he finds himself thinking of distant southern skies and ships at sea. Those images suggest absence, travel, or longing for someone far away. Given the title, the girl likely reminds him of a sister, maybe one who has died or left. So the poem moves from brightness into quiet, melancholy mystery, leaving the cause of his grief unspoken but deeply felt.
The Sister — Summary
I saw the little quiet town, And the whitewashed gables on the hill, And laughing children coming down The laneway to the mill.
Wind-blushes up their faces glowed, And they were happy as could be, The wobbling water never flowed So merry and so free.
One little maid withdrew aside To pick a pebble from the sands. Her golden hair was long and wide, And there were dimples on her hands.
And when I saw her large blue eyes, What was the pain that went thro' me? Why did I think on Southern skies And ships upon the sea?