The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-04-21
NO. 800.
For the National Era.
TAULER.

-. tina Preacher, walked one autumn day
,,'.,hon, the walls Of Strasburg, by the Rhine,
D..S.rpo the solemn miracle Of life,
me who wandering in starless night,
II, ronently the jar Of unseen waves,
"a bssr, the thunder OF an unknown sea,
p,.,kins along an unimagined shore.
,,d az he walked he prayed. Even the same
ol prayer with which for half score of years,
Nornng and noon and evening, lip and heart
Had groaned Have pity upon me- Lord!
Thou seest while tsachng others, am blind;
s,rl me a man that can direct my steps"
Then, as he unused, he heard along his path
4 sound as Of an old mans staff among
The dry dead linden leaves, and, looking up,
He saw a stranger weak aud poor and old.
Peace be unto thee, father" Tanier said
God give thee good day" The old man raised
Slowly his calm blue eyes. II thank thee, son;
But all my days are good and none are ILL.,"
Wondering thereat, the Preacher spake again
"God give thee happy life" The old man smiled;
II nsver am unhappy
Tauer laid
Tell me, oh father, what thy strange words mean,
Surely mans days are evil, and his life
Sad rs the grave it leads to-" may, my son,
Our times are in Gods hand and all our days
Are as our needs: for shadow as for sun,
For cold as heat. for want as wealth, alike
Our thanks are due, since that is best which is
And that which is not, sharing not His life,
l. evil only as devoid Of good.
And for tho happiness of which spaks,
T find it in submission to his will,
And calm trust in the holy Trinity
OF knowledge, goodness, and Almighty power"
Silently wondering for little space,
Stood the great Preacher; then he spaks as one
Who suddenly graphing with haunting thought
Which long has followed whispering through the dark
Strange terrors, drags it, shrisking, into light;
What if Gods will consign thee hence to hsll2"
Then said the stranger, cheerily, "be it so.
What he'll may be know not; this know
Ic0pnot lose the presence of the Lord
One arm, Humility, takes hold upon
His dear Humanity; the other, Love,
CLASPS bis Divinity. &c. where I go
lie goes; and better Prevailed hell with Him,
Than golden gated Paradise without"
Tears sprang in Tauler's eyes sudden light
Like the first ray which fell on chaos, Glove
Apart the shadow wherein he had walked
Darky at noon And, as the strange, old man
Went his slow way until his silver hair
Set ike the white moon, where the hills Of vino
Slope to the Rhine, DO bowed his head and said
my prayer is answered. God hath sent the man
Long sought to teach me, by his simple trust,
Wisdom the weary schoolmen never knew"
So, entering with changed and cheerful step
The city gates, he saw, far down the street.
mighty shadow break the light of noon,
Which tracing backward till its airy lines
Hardened to stony plinths, he raised his eyes
Ger broad facade and lofty pedimsnt,
Ger architrave and frieze and sainted niche,
Up the stone lace-work chiselled by the wise
Erwin of Steinbach, dizzily up to where
In the noon brightness, the great Minister'S tower
Jeweled with sunbeams on its mural crown,
Rose like a visible prayer. Behold" he said,
The strangers faith made plain before mine eyes
As yOnder tower outstretches to the earth
The dark triangle of its shade alone
When the clear day is shining on its top,
So, darkness in the pathway of mans lifo
l. but the shadow of Gods providence,
BY the great sun of wisdom cast thereon
And what is dark below is light in heaven"
j. G. w.