The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1861-03-21
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
FtOIH u W I"fN LI-rff jill -NH-
Scripture POEM by ". r. Willis.
THE WIDOW OF z,EEPH,Tm.

Art th"u come unto me TO call my in o. remembra1e, an
say my sony~ King Chaps-r IVA
rSa. evening. AMI the prophet ftI- LorI
Csverd Ia face Ia sIi-9c-, a. ~ tgus-I
FrOm thu inphrng looks % hsEai-hd men,
In tn Sill streets q Z~arephatil The year.
Of fanin-, ~hsn the say shpuld Dc ~ brass,
All the earth turnI t. a-heS-as for-tuId
By him. for the tfnatries - BAIL
HeFe measuring IN ~oe ;h~ir days &C ur.d-
And, from the brook n Cherith h had COM.
Bat nov. Obedi-n, 10 the WORD TIA; aid
10 hencs and dwell N ~ZarePhath. % be
Ny vitn,ss IN their midst - And, day ny day,
lie saizd amid the multitude aecursd,
And lo9k'd on their unuttsr4bie Soe-
sadly hut with the -rrtnd Of his God
RemenbeTf in his sfI-nce.
T~iIshr TH,
Aud. % th- humble dwelling where Wss kept
fOr holy charity the propAet's rom,
The house which bore the blessing D: The meal
Never decreasing. and The cruise Of oil
Wateh'd by the angels that it should no: fail,
Elijah turnd his steps The Earro~ door
swung With the lifted latch, and there. as won't
Was spread the table with il. frugal meal
As yet autas;ed, but spread first fr him.
By the pocr widows seif-t1rgettiuz though
Kind was the care, that eve-Dgt yet, not all
Of the accustomed welcoming -as fher-.
The gentle votc- TO bless him ~ he cr1ssd
The threshold; the humility that kEet
To take the sandals from his weary feet
The hand to break the bread and pour the OIL
And ihat which had grown sEee', a. day by day
IL hslpid 10 vile the buTthen from ht, thought,
The joyous chibi's awaiting his caress,
And. with MS infant eageTness Of play,
Aiding his mothers service 10 their guest
These we're no: there Hush'd ga. the l0T-roofd room.
The prophet and his sadness we're alone
Night came, and the unaIterable stars
Shone on the famine And the prophet kneit
By the Low Easement. and loOkd out on heaven
And pray'd that they beneath that humble roof
Who had been wont to kneel beside him there
The widow Of Zarephath and her son
Might. from the curse, be spared. But as the words
Peii IRON his lips, there rose a sudden cry
From cut the inner chamber. where the boy
Had. since the morn, lain sick-a sharp, wild cry
Asofa hearts first yielding to despair
DelriOus in the ut:erance Of Its woe
And came she for whom the prophet pray'd,
Bearing the lfeIess burden in her arms,
And stood and looked upon him. "Hhat hareI
To DO Ioifh thee ! despairing!y she cried
Yhy hast thou come 20 me, thou MN o God
10 IL 10 call my secret sin oHes more
To my remembrance that my son is ,iGir "
And as she sank upon her knees and Pre-sd
Her face upon the child's. the prophet laid
His hand upon the cIose-enfldiug arms
yeird in the falling tresses of her hair;
And, in the .czrc--bost caienc- % his words
just utter'd unto God, he calmly said
Is GfUe me fhu son ~ And, silently she raisid
Her wiiderd eyes, and look'd upon his face
Losing her dead to him with wondering trust
4 hop born in her heart. she knew nos Why =
And, % the little chamber in the roof.
Where he might lay the child upon his bed,
And be alone 10 wr=stle with his God,
The prophet bore him from her sight
And there.
At his souls altar, by the humble bed,
Where morn and eve he kneit-alOue with God
Elijah fell upon his knees and prsy'd-
He Pray'd for her whose msrces unto him,
While h .ojOurn'd in Z~arsphafh, hal been
sh4rd with ansels-ministering wings
Bringing unseen the widows meal and oil
For her who hOp'd, IN silence and in fear,
Since she had been thus chosen Of the Lord
To give his servant bread, that, % her sin
Wept Ger in secret, she had been forgiven
VI al the dweIIers in the land aeeursed,
she only, in his se5ourn. had been bIest
And .houki the curse now fall on her beIOyed-
Chill % her soErDw-shoud her son he stain9
And when. with holy agony AMI tears,
Elijah had sent up his prayer 60 tsi.
He ps=, and strr.rhd himself upan the child.
And said GA Lord nag God, 4 pTay TO neC.
Let the chiffs soul come INTO hDH AGAIN >"
And the Lord heard EIjAh's voice. And, 10.
The parteI soul returned unto the child
And he awoke, as from n gentle sleep.
And smiI'd as II IN memory of dream
And. H:ing him once Eere. the prophet drew
The how'd one closer % his heart, aud came
From his lone chamber to- the lower room
And gave him 10 his mothers arms, and said
/" See thy son firsth -
Lesson sweet to read,
In the inspiring- % the Holy BOX
That the one home to which The blessings 5ame,
When famine hal made desOIate the land,
Vas this-the humble one wherein wzs kept,
With hospitable care, the prophets room
The widow shelter to the man % God
Staying the wasting % her meal aud oil!
sweet - the lesson. that the prophets prayer
For The poor widow. while beneath her roof
Turned even Deaths dark shadow from the door.
Bat Oh the sweetest Ies-OE % 10 all,
j. the bright prOo[ that, IN the -yr Of heaven,
The - SIN a = scarlet may he white as snow
That, Of ZArrphath's tribe, ths chosen one,
firt IN have honor At thu hand u God
III. Who shoaE meet his prophet II the gate.
And, with the angels, minister TO him
That she was onr. who, tho she feard the Lord,
Had still a trouiIzi memory At her heart
A wOHAs WHO HAD sISs'D AND WAS FOEGIygSt