But, as he lay in the morning light, his face All the dull, deep pain, and constant anguish for a moment of patience; Seemed to assume once more the forms of its And, as she pressed once more the lifeless head earlier manhood; to her bosom, So are wont to be changed the faces of those Meekly she bowed her own, and murmured, who are dying. “Father, I thank thee!" Hot and red on his lips still burned the flush HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW. of the fever, As if life, like the Hebrew, with blood had be THERE IS NO DEATH. sprinkled its portals, That the angel of death might see the sign, THERE is no death! The stars go down To rise upon some fairer shore; and pass over. And bright, in heaven's jeweled crown, Motionless, senseless, dying, he lay, and his They shine for evermore. spirit, exhausted, Seemed to be sinking down through infinite There is no death! The dust we tread depths in the darkness, Shall change beneath the summer showers Darkness of slumber and death, forever sink- To golden grain or mellow fruit, ing and sinking; Or rainbow-tinted flowers. Then through those realms of shade, in multi- The granite rocks disorganize, plied reverberations, And feed the hungry moss they bear; Heard he that cry of pain, and through the The forest-leaves drink daily life hush that succeeded, From out the viewless air. Whispered a gentle voice, in accents tender and saint-like, There is no death! The leaves may fall, “Gabriel! O my beloved!” and died away in And flowers may fade and pass away ; to silence. They only wait through wintry hours Then he beheld, in a dream, once more the The coming of May-day. home of his childhood; There is no death! An angel-form Green Acadian meadows, with sylvan rivers Walks o'er the earth with silent tread; among them, And bears our best-loved things away, Village, and mountain, and woodlands; and And then we call them “dead." walking under their shadow, As in the days of their youth, Evangeline rose He leaves our hearts all desolate, in his vision. He plucks our fairest, sweetest flowers; Tears came into his eyes; and as slowly he Transplanted into bliss, they now lifted his eyelids, Adorn immortal bowers. Vanished the vision away, but Evangeline The bird-like voice, whose joyous tones knelt at his bedside. Made glad the scenes of sin and strife, Vainly he strove to whisper her name, for the Sings now an everlasting song accents unuttered Around the tree of life. Died on his lips, and their motion revealed what his tongue would have spoken. Where'er he sees a smile too bright, Vainly he strove to rise, and Evangeline, Or heart too pure for taint and vice, kneeling beside him, He bears it to that world of light, Kissed his dying lips, and laid his head on her To dwell in Paradise. bosom.' Born unto that undying life, Sweet was the light of his eyes ; but it sud They leave us but to come again; denly sank into darkness, With joy we welcome them the same, As when a lamp is blown out by a gust of Except their sin and pain. wind at a casement. And ever near us, though unseen, All was ended now, the hope, and the fear, The dear immortal spirits tread; and the sorrow, For all the boundless universe All the aching of heart, the restless, unsatis Is life—there is no dead! fied longing, Sir EDWARD BULWER, LORD LYTTON, THE BRIDGE OF SIGHS. Not of the stains of her; NE more unfortunate, All that remains of her Now, is pure womanly. Gone to her death! Make no deep scrutiny Into ber mutiny Take her up tenderly, Rash and undutiful; Lift her with care ; Past all dishonor, Fashioned so slenderly, Death has left on her Young, and so fair! Only the beautiful. Look at her garments S for all slips of hers, Clinging like cerements; e of Eve's family, While the wave constantly W · those poor lips of hers Drips from her clothing; zing so clammily. Take her up instantly, Loving, not loathing. Loop up her tresses Escaped from the comb, Touch her not scornfully ; Her fair auburn tresses; Think of her mournfully, Whilst wonderment guiesses Gently and humanly; Where was her home? Who was her father? Who was her mother? Had she a brother? Yet, than all other? Under the sun! Home she had none! Feelings had changed; Love, by harsh evidence, Thrown from its eminence; Even God's providence Seeming estranged. With many a light Houseless by night. Made her tremble and shiver; But not the dark arch, Or the black flowing river; Swift to be hurled- Out of the world. Decently, kindly Staring so blindly! Through muddy impurity, As when with the daring Last look of despairing Fixed on futurity. Into her rest. Over her breast! Her evil behavior; THOMAS Hood. In she plunged boldly, No matter how coldly The rough river ranOver the brink of itPicture it, think of it, Dissolute man! Lave in it, drink of it, Then, if you can! Take her up tenderly, Lift her with care; Fashioned so slenderly, Young, and so fair! Ere her limbs frigidly Stiffen too rigidly, In our days of mirth and gladness, We may spurn their faint control, But they come, in hours of sadness, Like sweet music to the soul; And in sorrow, o'er us stealing With their gentleness and calm, They are leaves of precious healing, They are fruits of choicest balm. Ever till, when life departs, Death from dross the spirit frees, C. Cist. THE DEATH OF THE BABE Oh, weep no more! Yet there is balm In Gilead! Love doth ever shed Rich healing where it nestles, spread O’er desert pillows some green balm. this dim world of clouding cares, We rarely know, till wildered eyes Strange glory streams through life's wild See white wings lessening up the skies, rents, The angels with us unawares. And through the open door of death, We see the heaven that beckoneth To the beloved going hence. God's ichor fills the hearts that bleed; The best fruits load the broken bough; And in the wounds our sufferings plow, Through tears it gleams perpetually, Immortal love sows sovereign seed. And glitters through the thickest glooms, GERALD MASSEY. Till the eternal morning comes To light us o'er the jasper sea. With our best branch in tenderest leaf We've strewn the way our Lord doth come; And, ready for the harvest-home, His reapers bind our ripest sheaf. Our beautiful bird of light hath fled; Awhile she sat with folded wings, Sang round us a few hoverings, Then straightway into glory sped. And white-winged angels nurture her; crowned, GERALD MASSEY. Through childhood's morning land serene, She walked betwixt us twain, like love; While, in a robe of light, above Her better angel walked unseen. Till life's highway broke bleak and wild ; Then, lest her starry garments trail In mire, heart bleed, and courage fail, The angel's arms caught up the child. Her wave of life hath backward rolled To the great ocean, on whose shore We wander up and down, to store Some treasures of the times of old; MOURNING. (From “ Hamlet," Act I., Scene 2.) Nor customary suits of solemn black, seem, WILLIAM SHAKSPERE, And aye we seek and hunger on For precious pearls and relics rare, Strewn on the sands for us to wear At heart, for love of her that's gone, III. Q brook, DEATH OF OPHELIA. Away! we know that tears are vain, (From "Hamlet,”Act IV., Scene 7.) That death nor heeds nor hears distress : UEEN. One wo doth tread upon an- Will this unteach us to complain ? other's heel, Or make one mourner weep the less ? So fast they follow :-Your sister's drown'd, And thou—who tell’st me to forget, Laertes. Thy looks are wan, thine eyes are wet. Laer. Drown'd! 0, where! GEORGE GORDON, LORD BYRON. Queen. There is a willow grows ascaunt the GRANDMOTHER'S SERMON. That shows his hoar leaves in the glassy stream; THE supper is o'er, the hearth is swept, There with fantastic garlands did she make And in the woodfire's glow Of crow-flowers, nettles, daisies, and long The children cluster to hear a tale purples, Of that time so long ago, That liberal shepherds give a grosser name, But our cold maids do dead men's fingers call When grandma's hair was golden brown, them: And the warm blood came and went There, on the pendent boughs her coronet O'er the face that could scarce have been weeds sweeter then (lambering to hang, an envious sliver broke; Than now in its rich content. And the golden hair is gray ; But the light that shone in the young girl's And, mermaid-like, awhile they bore her up: eyes Which time, she chaunted snatches of old Never has gone away. tunes; As one incapable of her own distress, And her needles catch the firelight Or like a creature native and indu'd As in and out they go, Unto that element: but long it could not be, With the clicking music that grandma loves, Till that her garments, heavy with their drink, Shaping the stocking toe. Pull'd the poor wretch from her melodious lay And the waiting children love it, too, To muddy death. For they know the stocking song Laer. Alas then, she is drown'd? Brings many a tale to grandma's mind Which they shall have ere long. But it brings no story of olden time To grandma's heart to-night- Is sung by the needles bright. “Life is a stocking,” grandma says H! snatch'd away in beauty's bloom, “And yours is just begun; On thee shall press no ponderous tomb; But I am knitting the toe of mine, But on thy turf shall roses rear And my work is almost done. Their leaves, the earliest of the year; “With merry hearts we begin to knit, And the wild cypress wave in tender gloom: And the ribbing is almost play; Some are gray-colored and some are white; And oft by yon blue gushing stream And some are ashen gray. Ere the whole is fair and strong. I. II. |