The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-04-15

Christ, ma5 lean on theei Through the long day,
7 The day whose moments have been told in tears,
I've journey'd to my boy l saw him play
I On the brown hillslope-child dish for his years
With the rich sunset in his chestnut curls- ~ Z
/ Scarce twelve brief months agone; my brave,
brave boy!
Ny boy, with face as fair as any girls.
And eyes that made the sad heart leap for JOY
In dreams of paradise. But from his home rE
Our home, that rises proudly calm beneath
Thine own glad heaven, weak and worn I've ceme,
To kiss those eyes, and see them cold iE death.
II.
God-Godl Wilt thou not let me reach Thy bandR
Not even touch Thy sacred garments hem?
Before the temple of the Night stand,
Trembling and faint, and with a dull, duh pain
Within my hesrt, that presses out the life, 8ts
And yet, If Thou art near, sweet Christ, Behold,
Behold, and soothe in thi last, fercest strife,
Ny tender lamb, my little one of old
Hast Thou forsaken met have no strength
To bear the burden of this hoari To bear
Bravely, woman should, lifting at length 7.rzf-
The eye of faith, to where Thine angels are.
III.
Chnst thou be near me2 Father, can hear
The sad winds sobbing, and the iow of waves
In the deep, echoing a aisies;-apd yet hear
Not thee Pale phantoms from their restless grav
GIido round me, pressing tnelr colo ups 10 mlnes
And. waving their white hands over the calm,
Dead face push back the clust'ring curs that shine
In the dim Il oonlight. Christ, how weak am =
And 1 was patient once I but now-oh! now, 7i1~
Just uuottert-nothing more. All /! in the land 81
OF the Hereafter, do the storm winds blow7
Sweet Christ, have mercy! stoop, and touch my
hand.
I'm sinking-sinkingI Let me Lift my eyes,
oh God up to TIL! holy dwellng-place.
know the calm that round about it lies
Has settled down upon my darling's face
And yet-and yet-oh, save me- See, Pm near
The rocky bosom of the precipice!
The fendish laughter of the waves hear
mark the CLEANING of the broken ice.
The fierce volcanoes breath is on my cheek;
A thousand fires are burning in my brain
An earthquake throbs beneath my very feet
God, must l call 10 Thee, and call in vainf
Was 1t for this that Thou didst give my boy?
For this, that through the thrice, thrice blessed
years
made of him an idol? toy
f To sport with? And must bitter, burning tears,
Wrung from my secret sonl. bio! out the sin,
If sin il were-ef this wild worship? Save,
o save me, Father, from the storm within;
This death in life-this fearful, living gravel
Look-for one emoment-underneatht the STARS,
And see, upon the threshold of the solemn Night.
Cleaning, like crystal, through the shadowy bars,
+ The pale face of ny darling, still and white.
VI.
Then-Theu who hast known sorrow who didstgrieve
Over Judea's children, curse me not,
Though have sind in my despair, and leave -
Me with my dead-alone for my poor heart
Though torn by every throb, is calmer now.
Ifeel tsee near. clasp my darling's hand,
press my kisses the marble brow.
And think of the coil streams in the fair land
Where his young feet will wander. He all,
All that loved-and more than heaven to me.
But o'er my life Thy hand has flung pail
And hope is deadi-Christ, let me lean on Thee. 2,