The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1821-1823, 1822-12-18
POETRY.


The fOllOwiag efusion, from the New-York
Commercial Advertiser, raS undoubtedly
called forth By the late distressing sickness an
thai city. The genius Of PERoIvAL shines
through erery line.
SHE sat beside her lover, and her hand
Rested upon his clay-coId forehead Death
Was calmly stealing DER him, and his life
Went out by silent chickering's. when his eye
Woke up from its dim lethargy, and cast
Bright looks Of fondness on her. He was
weak,
Too weak to utter all his heart. His eye
Was now his only language, and il spake
How much he felt her kindness, and the love
That sat, when all had fed, beside him. Night
Was far upon its watches, and the voice
OF nature had no sound. The pure blue sky
Was fair and lovely, and the many stars
Looked down in tranquil beauty on an earth
That smil'd in sweetest summer. She look'd
out
Thro' the rais'd window, and the sheeted bay
Lay in quiet sleep below, and shone
With the pale beam of midnight-air was still,
And the white sail, that DER the distant stream
Mov'd with so slow pace, it seem'd at rest,
Fix'd in the CLASSY water, and with care
Shunn'd the dark den of pestilence, and stole
Fearfully from the tainted gale, that breath'd
Softly along the crispins wave. The sail
Hung loosely on its yard, and as it fiapp'd,
Caught moving fluctuations from the light,
That silently came down, and gave the hills,
And spires, and walls, and roofs, a tint so pale,
Death seem'd on all the landscape-b but so still,
Who would have thought that any thing but
peace
And beauty had a dwelling there THE
world
Had gone, and life was not within those walls,
Only few, who linger'd family on,
Waiting the moment of departure or
Sat tending at their pillows from a love
So strong, it MASTERED fear-and they were few,
And she was one-and in lonely house,
Far from all sight and sound of living thing,
She watch'd the couch of him she lov'd-and
Contagion from the lips that were to her
Still beautiful as roses. though so pale,
They seem'd like a thin snow. curl. ALI was
still,
And even so deeply hush'd, the low, faint
breath
That trembling gasp'd away, came thro' the
night
As loud sound of awe. She pass'd her hand
Over those quivering lips, that ever grew
Paler and colder, as the only sign
To tell her life still linger'd--it went out So
And her heart sank within her, when the last
Weak sigh of life was over, and the room
Seem'd like a vaulted sepulchre, so lone
She dar'd not look around and the light wind
That play'd among the leaves and flowers that
grew
Still freshly at her window, and wav'd back
The curtain with rustling sound. to her,
In her intense abstraction, seem'd the voice
OF departed spirit--then she heard,
At least ia fancy heard, a whisper breathe
Close at her ear, and tell her all was done,
And her fond loves were ended. She had
watch'd
Until her love grew manly, and she checked
The tears that came TO flow, and nerv'd her
heart
To the last solemn duty. With hand
That trembl'd not, she clos'd the fallen lid,
And press'd the lips, and gave them one long
kiss
Then decently spread over all shroud
And sitting with look Of lingering love
Intense in fearless passion, rose at length,
And pressing both her hands upon her brow,
Gave loose to all her gushing grief in showers
Which, as a fountain seafd till it had swell'o
To its last fullness, now gave way and fow'd
And parting back the curtains, look'd abroad
Upon the moonlight loneliness. al sunk
In one unbroken silence, save the moan
From the lone room of death, or the dull sound
Oh the slow-moving hearse. The homes OF
men
Were now all desolate, and darkness there,
And solitude and silence took their seat
In the deserted streets, as if the wing
OF destroying angel had gone by,
And blasted all existence. and had changed
The gay, the busy, and the crowded mart
To one cold, speeches. city OF the dead .
p.