Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-06-12

Have you not heard the Poet tell
How came the dainty babe Bell
In this world Of ours ?
EIhe Gates of Heaven were left aJar:
With folded hands and dreamy eyes
She wandered out of Paradise
She saw this planet, like star,
Hung in the depths of purple even.
Its bridges. running 10 and fro,
Der which the white-wnged Seraphs go,
Bearing the holy Dead 10 Heaven!
She touched bridge Of fowers--ihose feet,
So light they did not bend the bells
or the celestial asphodels
They fell like dew upon the flowers
And all the air grew strongly sweet!
And thus came dainty liable Bell
Into this world Of ours
She came and brought dcliciou. May
The swallows built beneath the caves;
Like sunbeams in and out the leaves,
The robins went, the live-long day:
The lily swung lis noiserss bell,
And DER the porch the trembling vine
Seemed bursting with It's veins of winel
o. earth was full of pleasant smell,
When came The daiety babe Bell
Into this world Of ours
o babe, dainty babie Bell
How fair she grew from day TO day
What woman nature filed her eyes,
What poetry within them lay
Those deep and tender twilight eyes,
so full of meaning pure, and bright
As II she yet stood IN the light
or those oped gates Of Paradise!
And we loved babe more and more
o never in our hearts before
Such holy love was born;
We felt we had link between
This real world aud that unseen
The land Of dealhless morn!
And for the love Of those dear eyes,
For love Of her whom God led forth
The mothers being ceased on earth
When babe came from Paradise!
For love Of him who smote our lives,
And woke the chords Of JOY and pain,
We said, Sweet Christ Our hearts bent dow
Like violets after rain
And now the orchards which were once
All white and rosy in their bloom
Filling the crystal heart of AIR
With gentle pulses of perfume,
Were thick with yellow juicy fruit;
The plums were globes Of honey rare,
And soft.cheeked peaches blushed and fell
The grapes were purpling in the grange;
And Time wrought just as rich change
In little babe Bell!
Her pitt form more perfect grew,
Aud in her features we could trace,
In softened curves, her mothers face:
Her angel nature ripened too.
We thought her lovely when she came,
But she was holy, sanity now.
Around her pale and lofty brow
We thought we saw ring of fame
Sometimes she said few strange word.
Whose meanings lay beyond our reach:
Gods hand had taken away the seal
Which held the portal, OF her speech
Shr never was n child 10 US;
We never held her beings key
We could not teach her holy things;
She was Chrsts self in purity
Il came upon us by degrees;
We saw its shadow ere IL fell.
The knowledge that our God sent
His messenger for bable Bell
We shuddered unlanguaged pain,
And I'll our thoughts ran into tears!
And all our hopes were changed 10 fears
The sunshine into dismal rain
Aloud we cried in our belief:
90, smite us gently, gently, God
Teach us 10 bend and kiss the rod
And perfect grow thro griefm
All, how we loved her. God can tell
Her little heart ceased in ours
They're broken caskets--babie Bell
At last he came, the messenger,
The messenger from unseen lands;
And what did dainty babe Bell
She only crossed her little hands
She only lookbd meek and fair
We parted back her silken hair;
We laid some buds upon her brow
Deaths bride arrayedin flowers
And thus went dainty babe Bell
Out Of this world OF ours