The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-10-10
THE NATIONAL ERA.
For the National Era.
HOURS At HOME.
BY THOMAS $. DoNouo.

God bless thee, Maye This sultry afternoon,
Weary and sad of thought cast me down,
Resting but sleeping not so Kind boon
Then no eess. Like poor, be'esgaered town,
Within my heart meeting sorrow,
And none that ever dreamed OF brighter morrow.
closed mine eyes. Now softly through the room
heard the careful steps Of her love-
And presently there spread pleasant gloom
Around me, for the shone bright above,
Too bright for slumber Presently knew
She STOOD and gazed and watched each breath ldrew
Then stole away 81 tenderly-one look
long and sweet one, she passed the door,
Escaping with her newly opened book,
Her slow steps mounting to cur chamber door.
or this part saw, and Il part
For love obs-rveth, eyea from the heart
Over my sorrows came the smile Of peace,
As over stormy waves the sunset ray,
Ill., less and less disturbed, at last they cease,
And calmly mirror back the golden day.
Over the deluge Of my soul came loye,
ResHiSa ~ e4i s-nranob Ike Nasb's dove,
Dist nc ly vine-clad cottage wall,
Far down the forest. Winding of glen,
Ant near the tinkling OF waterfall;
And this was all mine own, and she was here,
Making my happy state, o doubly dear!
And friends mine good friends, though only few,
Who shared in summer days my fragrant bower
Or by my social hearth, in winter, drew,
While verse ami story sped the pensive hour
Not far the ely lay: at sabbath time,
Over the hills we heard the church bells chime!
What merry parties on the grassy plain,
What rambling rides among the bending trees
Often with friends, but off, and Oft again,
Only dear Maye ana the rerfnmsd breeze
Waving her auburn curls as gladsomely
Her proud steed bounded wild and tree
On sprang steeds through and shade
Down the green vale and up the gentle hiI
OR instantly, in full career obeyeI,
And stood with arching necks, waiting our will
Dismountng, then we rested by spring
Drank the cool tide, and heard the linuet sing:
And watched the bra al OAK leaves that whrling fell
And through the foresc visa ioJked af,r,
Talked quietly, and, loving all things vel
Came slowly homeward meath the evening star
To pass perchiRcc the early LourS p} night, -, -
With books that made the very darsn hight
We lived not for ourselves alone we taught
Whste'er Of wisdom and of good we knew,
And our reward was-only this we sought
The grateful smile that often met our view,
The consciousness that children loved MS mere,
And old men, entering, blessed our cottage door
In the lone forest sometimes would stray,
And mid the inspirations breathing there,
Would let my thoughts pursue their music way,
Singing Of all things bountitul anI fair
Trusting they should exist, and OFT be read,
When he who wrote them slumbered with the dead
Again, when desolate the wintry scene,
In the small book room would we sit together,
Where some sweet page preserved world green,
Enchan ing it beyond all gloomy weather:
Or, also there, would come the lightsome rhyme,
With which our hearts forever young, kept time
And this-i know not how IL was-was JiOr
We were not old, but looking forward yet
Right trustfully with calm, exalted brow,
To many joys, before our sun should set
Nor fearing loss of all, wheR sank that light:
DO not the stars shine out to bless the night7
Such we're my hncies, and the sweetest still
Were those that pictured her confding SOUL
Faithful aud kind, confrc nting every i'll;
And where her tenderness could not CONTROL
Soothing and cheering by her angel love,
Parting the cloud, revealing Heaven above!
Her smiling facet woke! II was before me,
Smiling as beheId it in my sleep
And as so lovingly twas bending DER me-
gszed smiled then could not cho. Re but weep
My strength returned the storm that darkIy lowered
Rolled back by loves omnipotence empowered,
Washington, OdOber, 1880.