Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1857-11-26

The site whercon the heart awakes to life
And beats its pulse reveille for the marcn
Of after years, through all those after years,
Can never cease to be Mecca spot
Whereto our wess feet will pilgrim back.
sought it, lady, late and stood again
Coon my birth site; stood and unused alone
Amid memorials of my earliest sins
And doubts and mid the monuments of hopes
That dying left Priam host of sons,
Who dying each countless progeny
Beoueaths me yet,-amid the fragments rude
OF shade tree, stone, and step, and ivy tutt
That now declines to clothe skeleton
To decorate desolatioH such
That nought save Mem'ry's charity can veil
The utter waste there mused and felt the while
The stealing back of spirits to my side,
Perceived the rustling in the passing breeze,
And knew by quicker. pulsng heart and flush
Or soul that hallowed shades were nigh
Knew by the thrill and strange electric start
That angel presences were closing round,
y x x
1leV came, CUUlIuueu, Hao INV " iN"AH N''~S
Was changed, and was no more the sinless boy
That shared those angels mortal love-that
Had deeply learned those lessons dark which hearts
By solitary suffering must be taught
They had not this to learn; for, day by day,
Through all their angel years. those eyes had bent,
In fearful, watchful, deep suspense, upon
The strange ones guideless path; save when they
turned
Above in mute appeal to deprecate
Some retribution from his reckless steps,
Or ask for prayer for him.
They came: communed;
And, lady, thou vast there, and round thy brow
A band Of flame played like memory
OF love-a cold and phosphorescent flare
That quivered quick, then faded in the light
OF more than mothers, more than mortal love-
And. lady, near thee stood form thou knowst
A form where once my fancy dreamed there dwe!t
A spirit like mine own. Her, lady, thou
Didst Judge and TEKEL trace upon the scroll
Tbv Judgment and thy wish. With thee host
OF hasty hopes came hurdling home to die:
And silently and quick, and like the flame
That lit thy brow, they died. With her there
came
Twas all in memory-therc came no host,
But one intense and rapturous sovereign Hope
That seemed to rise, and glow, and modulate
NV beings music for an hour, for one
Sole, maldeung cnd-to de- But peace to these,
And peace to her. and, lady, peace to thee
Thou vast not false to me; thou vast not false
Nor she; not false as are the pighted when
They fail. But was it Fate, whose earthly name
Our lips had breathed, dictated harsh and cold
And fatal words to thee. They tod and tell
The terms that echo in a mocking hiss
Down beings path forever. Lonely years
Back, lady, to mine infant days. passed,
And sought to know thy spirit then; anu saw
No sombre, settled skepticism of soul
Nor chill paralysis of heart in thee.
But thou hast suffered. and l murmur not
That human trust thy heart was wont to give
l. gone. though gone for me; murmur not,
Though in hy heart the only doubt arose,
Till all was past, and sceptered Enmity,
Entbroned forever, smote soul that lived
In recent memory of less-iiust less
Than madness then.
No mis;s Of dark despair
Rose DER my sight to shut liie's sun away,
As there stood upon its orient verge;
But radiant in her royal pride arose
The Genia of my SOUL and from her throne
Three mandates high imposed the one to meet
An angel parents prayer, and one to be
Yet worthy of Ione's love, and one
To ask the world name.
And lastly peace
To these; peace to her thou once didst judge
And, lady, now a final peace to thee.