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Ebook has 609 lines and 33602 words, and 13 pages
And none were braver in the tented field, Like lightning heralding the doomful bolt; The enemy beheld his snowy plume, And death-lights flashed along his glancing spear.
But in the lonesome watches of the night, An angel came and warned him with clear voice, Against high God his rash right arm was raised, Was rashly raised against the true, the right.
He strove to drown the angel voice with song And merry laughter with his princely peers; But still the angel bade him with clear voice, "Go join the ranks you rashly have opposed."
"Oh, Angel!" cried he, "they are few and weak, They may not stand before the press of knights;" But still the angel bade him with clear voice, "Go help the weak against the mighty wrong."
At last the words sunk deep within his heart, With god-like courage cried he out at last, "Oh, Gloria, beautiful, I can lose thee, Lose life and thee, to battle for the right."
And when he joined the brave and stalwart ranks, Like Saul amid his brethren he stood, Braver and seemlier than all his peers, And nobly did he battle for the right.
Gentlest unto the weak, and in the fray, So dauntless, none--no fear of man had he; He wrought dismay in Error's blackened ranks So nobly did he battle for the right.
But at the last he lay on a lost field; Couched on a broken spear, he pallid lay; With dying lips he murmured Gloria's name, "The field is lost, and thou art lost to me."
When lo! she stood beside him, pure and fair, With tender eyes that blessed him as he lay; And lo! she knelt and clasped his dying hands, And murmured, "I am thine, am thine at last."
With wondering eyes, he moaned, "All--all is lost, And I am dying." "Ah, not so," she cried, "Nothing is lost to him who dare be true; Who gives his life shall find it evermore."
"Methought I saw the spears beat down like grain, And the ranks reel before the press of knights; The level ground ran gory with our wounds; Methought the field was lost, and then I fell."
"Be calm," she cried, "the right is never lost, Though spear, and shield, and cross may shattered be, Out of their dust shall spring avenging blades That yet shall rid us of some giant wrong.
"And all the blood that falls in righteous cause, Each crimson drop shall nourish snowy flowers And quicken golden grain, bright sheaves of good, That under happier skies shall yet be reaped.
"When right opposes wrong, shall evil win? Nay, never--but the year of God is long, And you are weary, rest ye now in peace, For so He giveth His beloved sleep."
He smiled, and murmured low, "I am content," With blissful tears that hid the battle's loss; So, held to her true heart he closed his eyes, In quietest rest that ever he had known.
THE DEACON'S DAUGHTER.
The spare-room windows wide were raised, And you could look that summer day On pastures green, and sunny hills, And low rills wandering away. Near by, the square front yard was sweet With rose and caraway.
Upon a couch drawn near the light, The Deacon's only daughter lay, Bending upon the distant hills Her eyes of dark and thoughtful gray; The blue veins on her forehead shone 'Twas wasted so away.
She moved, and from her slender hand Fell off her mother's wedding-ring; She smiled into her father's face-- "So drops from me each earthly thing; My hands are free to hold the flowers Of the eternal spring."
She had ever walked in quiet ways, Not over beds of flowery ease, But Sundays in the village choir She sweetly sang of "ways of peace," Of "ways of peace and pleasantness," She trod such paths as these.
No sweeter voice in all the choir Praised God in innocence and truth, The Deacon in his straight-backed pew Had dreams of her he lost in youth, And thought of fair-faced Hebrew maids-- Of Rachel, and of Ruth.
But she had faded, day by day, Growing more mild, and pure, and sweet, As nearer to her ear there came A distant sea's mysterious beat, Till now this summer afternoon, Its waters touched her feet.
Upon the painted porch without Two women stood, and whispered low, They thought "she'd go out with the day," They said, "the Deacon's wife went so." And then they gently pitied him-- "It was a dreadful blow."
"But she was good, she was prepared, She would be better off than here," And then they thought "'twas strange that he, Her father, had not shed a tear," And then they talked of news, and all The promise of the year.
Her father sat beside the bed, Holding her cold hands tenderly, And to the everlasting hills He mutely turned his eyes away: "My God, my Shelter, and my Rock, Oh shadow me to-day!"
He knew not when she crossed the stream, And passed into the land unseen, So gently did she go from him Into its pastures still and green; Into the land of pure delight, And Jordan rolled between.
Then knelt he down beside his dead, His white locks lit with sunset's flame: "My God! oh leave me not alone-- But blessed be Thy holy name." The golden gates were lifted up The King of Glory came.
SONGS OF THE SWALLOW.
SPRING.
The sides of the hill were brown, but violet buds had started In gray and hidden nooks o'erhung by feathery ferns and heather, And a bird in an April morn was never lighter-hearted Than the pilot swallow we saw convoying sunny weather, And sunshine golden, and gay-voiced singing-birds into the land; And this was the song--the clear, shrill song of the swallow, That it carolled back to the southern sun, and his brown winged band, Clear it arose, "Oh, follow me--come and follow--and follow."
A tender story was in his eyes, he wished to tell me I knew, As he stood in the happy morn by my side at the garden-gate; But I fancy the tall rose branches that bent and touched his brow, Were whispering to him, "Wait, impatient heart, oh, wait, Before the bloom of the rose is the tender green of the leaf; Not rash is he who wisely followeth patient Nature's ways, The lily-bud of love should be swathed in a silken sheaf, Unfolding at will to summer bloom in the warm and perfect days."
So silently sailed the early sun, through clouds of fleecy white; So stood we in dreamy silence, enwrapped in a tender spell; But the pulses of soft Spring air were quickened to fresh delight, For I read in his eye the story sweet, he longed, yet feared to tell; It spoke from his heart to mine, and needed no word from his mouth, And high o'er our heads rang out the happy song of the swallow; It cried to the sunshine and beauty and bloom of the South, Exultingly carolling clear, "Oh, follow me--oh, follow."
SPRING SONG OF THE SWALLOW.
Oh, the days are growing longer; So rang the jubilant song of the swallow; I come a-bringing beauty into the land, The sky of the West grows warm and yellow, Oh, gladness comes with my light-winged band, And the days are growing longer.
Oh, the days are growing longer, The wavy gleam of fluttering wings, Touching the silent earth so lightly, Will wake all the sleeping, beautiful things, The world will glow so brightly--brightly; And the days are growing longer.
Oh, the days are growing longer, All the rivulets dumb will laugh, and run Over the meadows with dancing feet; Following the silvery plough of the sun, Will be furrows filled with wild flowers sweet: And the days are growing longer.
Oh, the days are growing longer; Over whispering streams will rushes lean, To answer the waves' soft murmurous call; The lily will bend from its watch-tower green, To list to the lark's low madrigal, And the days are growing longer.
Oh, the days are growing longer; When they lengthen to ripe and perfect prime, Then, oh, then, I will build my happy nest; And all in that pleasant and balmy time, There never will be a bird so blest; And the days are growing longer.
SUMMER.
Now sinks the Summer sun into the sea; Sure never such a sunset shone as this, That on its golden wing has borne such bliss; Dear Love to thee and me.
Ah, life was drear and lonely, missing thee, Though what my loss I did not then divine; But all is past--the sweet words, thou art mine, Make bliss for thee and me.
How swells the light breeze o'er the blossoming lea, Sure never winds swept past so sweet and low, No lonely, unblest future waiteth now; Dear Love for thee and me.
Look upward o'er the glowing West, and see, Surely the star of evening never shone With such a holy radiance--oh, my own, Heaven smiles on thee and me.
SUMMER SONG OF THE SWALLOW.
You will journey many a weary day and long, Ere you will see so restful and sweet a place, As this, my home, my nest so downy and warm, The labor of many happy and hopeful days; But its low brown walls are laid and softly lined, And oh, full happily now my rest I take, And care not I when it lightly rocks in the wind, For the branch above though it bends will never break; And close by my side rings out the voice of my mate--my lover; Oh, the days are long, and the days are bright--and Summer will last forever.
Now the stream that divides us from perfect bliss Seems floating past so narrow--so narrow, You could span its wave such a morn as this, With a moment winged like a golden arrow, And the sweet wind waves all the tasselled broom, And over the hill does it loitering come, Oh, the perfect light--oh, the perfect bloom, And the silence is thrilled with the murmurous hum Of the bees a-kissing the red-lipped clover; Oh, the days are long, and the days are bright--and Summer will last forever.
When the West is a golden glow, and lower The sun is sinking large and round, Like a golden goblet spilling o'er, Glittering drops that drip to the ground-- Then I spread my lustrous wings and cleave the air Sailing high with a motion calm and slow, Far down the green earth lies like a picture fair, Then with rapid wing I sink in the shining glow; A-chasing the glinting, gleaming drops; oh, a diver Am I in a clear and golden sea, and Summer will last forever.
The leaves with a pleasant rustling sound are stirred Of a night, and the stars are calm and bright; And I know, although I am only a little bird, One large serious star is watching me all the night, For when the dewy leaves are waved by the breeze, I see it forever smiling down on me. So I cover my head with my wing, and sleep in peace, As blessed as ever a little bird can be; And the silver moonlight falls over land and sea and river, And the nights are cool, and the nights are still, and Summer will last forever.
I think you would journey many and many a day, Ere you so contented and blest a bird would see; Not all the wealth of the world could lure my love away, For my brown little nest is all the world to me; And care not I if brighter bowers there are Lying close to the sun--where tall palms pierce the sky; Oh, you would journey a weary way and a far, Ere you would behold a bird so blest as I; And singing close to my side is my mate--my kin--my lover; Oh, the days are long, and the days are bright--and Summer will last forever.
AUTUMN.
Yes! yes! I dare say it is so, And you should be pitied, but how could I know, Watching alone by the moon-lit bay; But that is past for many a day, For the woman that loved, died years ago, Years ago.
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