the home book of verse-1-第64章
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Yet when my eyes; now dim
With tears; I turn to him;
The vision vanishes; … he is not there!
I walk my parlor floor;
And; through the open door;
I hear a footfall on the chamber stair;
I'm stepping toward the hall
To give my boy a call;
And then bethink me that … he is not there!
I thread the crowded street;
A satchelled lad I meet;
With the same beaming eyes and colored hair;
And; as he's running by;
Follow him with my eye;
Scarcely believing that … he is not there!
I know his face is hid
Under the coffin…lid;
Closed are his eyes; cold is his forehead fair;
My hand that marble felt;
O'er it in prayer I knelt;
Yet my heart whispers that … he is not there!
I cannot make him dead!
When passing by the bed;
So long watched over with parental care;
My spirit and my eye;
Seek him inquiringly;
Before the thought comes that … he is not there!
When; at the cool gray break
Of day; from sleep I wake;
With my first breathing of the morning air
My soul goes up; with joy;
To Him who gave my boy;
Then comes the sad thought that … he is not there!
When at the day's calm close;
Before we seek repose;
I'm with his mother; offering up our prayer;
Whate'er I may be saying;
I am; in spirit; praying
For our boy's spirit; though … he is not there!
Not there! … Where; then; is he?
The form I used to see
Was but the raiment that he used to wear。
The grave; that now doth press
Upon that cast…off dress;
Is but his wardrobe locked; … he is not there!
He lives! … In all the past
He lives; nor; to the last;
Of seeing him again will I despair;
In dreams I see him now;
And on his angel brow;
I see it written; 〃Thou shalt see me there!〃
Yes; we all live to God!
Father; thy chastening rod
So help us; thine afflicted ones; to bear;
That; in the spirit…land;
Meeting at thy right hand;
'Twill be our heaven to find that … he is there!
John Pierpont '1785…1866'
THE CHILD'S WISH GRANTED
Do you remember; my sweet; absent son;
How in the soft June days forever done
You loved the heavens so warm and clear and high;
And when I lifted you; soft came your cry; …
〃Put me 'way up … 'way; 'way up in blue sky〃?
I laughed and said I could not; … set you down;
Your gray eyes wonder…filled beneath that crown
Of bright hair gladdening me as you raced by。
Another Father now; more strong than I;
Has borne you voiceless to your dear blue sky。
George Parsons Lathrop '1851…1898'
CHALLENGE
This little child; so white; so calm;
Decked for her grave;
Encountered death without a qualm。
Are you as brave?
So small; and armed with naught beside
Her mother's kiss;
Alone she stepped; unterrified;
Into the abyss。
〃Ah;〃 you explain; 〃she did not know …
This babe of four …
Just what it signifies to go。〃
Do you know more?
Kenton Foster Murray '18 …
TIRED MOTHERS
A little elbow leans upon your knee;
Your tired knee that has so much to bear;
A child's dear eyes are looking lovingly
From underneath a thatch of tangled hair。
Perhaps you do not heed the velvet touch
Of warm; moist fingers; folding yours so tight;
You do not prize this blessing overmuch; …
You almost are too tired to pray to…night。
But it is blessedness! A year ago
I did not see it as I do to…day; …
We are so dull and thankless; and too slow
To catch the sunshine till it slips away。
And now it seems surpassing strange to me
That; while I wore the badge of motherhood;
I did not kiss more oft and tenderly
The little child that brought me only good。
And if some night when you sit down to rest;
You miss this elbow from your tired knee; …
This restless; curling head from off your breast …
This lisping tongue that chatters constantly;
If from your own the dimpled hands had slipped;
And ne'er would nestle in your palm again;
If the white feet into; their grave had tripped;
I could not blame you for your heartache then!
I wonder so that mothers ever fret
At little children clinging to their gown;
Or that the footprints; when the days are wet;
Are ever black enough to make them frown。
If I could find a little muddy boot;
Or cap; or jacket; on my chamber…floor; …
If I could kiss a rosy; restless foot;
And hear its patter in my house once more; …
If I could mend a broken cart to…day;
To…morrow make a kite to reach the sky;
There is no woman in God's world could say
She was more blissfully content than I。
But ah! the dainty pillow next my own
Is never rumpled by a shining head;
My singing birdling from its nest has flown;
The little boy I used to kiss is dead。
May Riley Smith '1842…1927'
MY DAUGHTER LOUISE
In the light of the moon; by the side of the water;
My seat on the sand and her seat on my knees;
We watch the bright billows; do I and my daughter;
My sweet little daughter Louise。
We wonder what city the pathway of glory;
That broadens away to the limitless west;
Leads up to … she minds her of some pretty story
And says: 〃To the city that mortals love best。〃
Then I say: 〃It must lead to the far away city;
The beautiful City of Rest。〃
In the light of the moon; by the side of the water;
Stand two in the shadow of whispering trees;
And one loves my daughter; my beautiful daughter;
My womanly daughter Louise。
She steps to the boat with a touch of his fingers;
And out on the diamonded pathway they move;
The shallop is lost in the distance; it lingers;
It waits; but I know that its coming will prove
That it went to the walls of the wonderful city;
The magical City of Love。
In the light of the moon; by the side of the water;
I wait for her coming from over the seas;
I wait but to welcome the dust of my daughter;
To weep for my daughter Louise。
The path; as of old; reaching out in its splendor;
Gleams bright; like a way that an angel has trod;
I kiss the cold burden its billows surrender;
Sweet clay to lie under the pitiful sod:
But she rests; at the end of the path; in the city
Whose 〃builder and maker is God。〃
Homer Greene '1853…
〃I AM LONELY〃
From 〃The Spanish Gypsy〃
The world is great: the birds all fly from me;
The stars are golden fruit upon a tree
All out of reach: my little sister went;
And I am lonely。
The world is great: I tried to mount the hill
Above the pines; where the light lies so still;
But it rose higher: little Lisa went
And I am lonely。
The world is great: the wind comes rushing by。
I wonder where it comes from; sea birds cry
And hurt my heart: my little sister went;
And I am lonely。
The world is great: the people laugh and talk;
And make loud holiday: how fast they walk!
I'm lame; they push me: little Lisa went;
And I am lonely。
George Eliot '1819…1880'
SONNETS
From 〃Mimma Bella〃
I
Have dark Egyptians stolen Thee away;
Oh Baby; Baby; in whose cot we peer
As down some empty gulf that opens sheer
And fathomless; illumined by no ray?
And wilt thou come; on some far distant day;
With unknown face; and say; 〃Behold! I'm here;
The child you lost;〃 while we in sudden fear;
Dumb with great doubt; shall find no word to say?
One darker than dark gipsy holds thee fast;
One whose strong fingers none has forced apart
Since first they closed on things that were too fair;
Nor shall we see thee other than thou wast;
But such as thou art printed in the heart;
In changeless baby loveliness still there。
II
Two springs she saw … two radiant Tuscan springs;
What time the wild red tulips are aflame
In the new wheat; and wreaths of young vine frame
The daffodils that every light breeze swings;
And the anemones that April brings
Make purple pools; as if Adonis came
Just there to die; and Florence scrolls her name
In every blossom Primavera flings。
Now; when the scented iris; str