Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1856-03-18
aottrg.
THE DUMB CHILD.
She is nv only girl

She Is my only girl.
asked for her as some most precious thing -
For all unfinished was Loves jewelled ring,
Till set with this soft pearl,
The shades that time brought forth could not see
How pure, how perfect, seemed the gift to me,
Oh ! many soft old tune
used to sing unto that deadened ear
And suffered not the slightest footstep near.
Lest she might wake too soon;
And hushed her brothers laughter while she Law.
Al needless care might have let them play
Twas long ere believed
mat this one daughter might not speak to me;
waited and watcaed-God knows how patiently -
How willingly deceived.
Vain Love was long the untiring nurse of Faith.
And tended Hope until :: starved to death
Oil if she could but hear
For 'ne short hour. till her tongue might teach
To call me mother, in the broken speech
That thrills the mothers earl
Alas those sealed lips never may be stirred
To the deep music of that holy word
Ny heart it sorely tries,
To see her knee with such a -everent air
Beside her brothers at their evening praver;
Or lift these earnest ewes
To watch our lips, as though words she knew
Then move her own, she were speaking too
I've watched her looking up
To the bright wonder of a sunset sky
With such depth of meaning in her eye
That could almost hope
The struggling soul would burst its binding cords,
And the long-pent-up thoughts aow forth in words
The song of bird and bee,
The chorus Of the breezes streams and groves
All the grand music to which Nature moves,
Are wasted melody
To her the world of sound a tuneless 81 d;
whiIe even silence hath its charm {, s-royed
Her face is ve-y fair
Her blue eyes beauty of finest mould
The sofs white brow, DER which, in of gold,
Ripples her shining hair.
Alas! this lovely temple closed must be
For He who made il keeps the ulaster-kev.
Wills He the mind within
Should from earth's Babel-clarnor be kept free
Een tEat his still small voice and step might be
Heard, at its inner shrine
Through the deep hush of soul, with clearer thrill
Then should gFieve o, rnurnuring heart be still
She seems to have quiet sense
o. q'iiet gladaess IN her noiesless play
She hath pleasant smile, a gentle way,
Whose roiceless eloquence
Touches all hearts, though had once the fear
That even her father would not care for her
Thank God ii is not so,
And, waea his sons are playing merrily,
She comes and leans her head upon his knee
o, at such times, know
By his full eye, and tones subdued and mild
How his heart yearns over his silent child
Not ofail gifts bereft
Even now How could did not speak
What real language lights her eve and cheek
and renders thanks TO Him who left
Unto her soul, yet open avenues
Forjoy enter, snd for love TO usei
And Cos in love doth give
To her defect beauty cfits own,
And we deeper tenderness have known
Through that for which we griere
Yet slali the seal be melted from her ear
Yes and my voice shall find it but not here
W hen that new sense is given,
What rapture will its first experience
That never woke TO meaner melody
Than the rich songs OF heaven
To kear the fuIl-toned anthem swelling round
While angels teach the esstases of sound