Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1866-05-05

r.
uoSs-A MIDNIGHT REVERE.
I am alone tonight
Nay, not alone,
For thou, beloved, art with me.
Did dream
Me,bought thy warm breath kissed my fevered
brow,
Methouvht thou stoodst reclining at my side,
Thy circing arm reposing on my own,
AS when, into my hungry ear, thy whisper
Poured il. rich tribute Of confding love.
The pen wherewIih fashioned vagrant thought
Dropped from my fingers All unconsciously
ItIrued to meet the soul-light Of thine eyes,
To feel the warmth of thy endeariug smile.
To grasp the ha ID whose touch, in answering
touch.
Signapd whole volumes of unfaltering trust
All me! twas but a dream Thou art not
here
No eyes, lik. stars, meet my imPloring gaze.
No smile, like sunrise, bathes me III Its beauty
No touch responsive thrills. am alone
Alone how sorrowiul TO be alone
Inever knew, beloved, till thou vast taken,
The meaning Of that bitter worj-alone !
I fcI Il now IN all It's bitter desolation
What time | stood beside thine open grave.
And heard the clods fall jsrriugiy and heavy
Upon thy cofin-d, my beautiful!
Oh. then my aughuished soul seemed to stretch
out
Its vearning arms toward thy enshrouded form,
And tax its place beside thee. There it lay,
Clasping the in lis grasp Of passionate grief
ltwould not he divorced, not even by death!
For when turned me with the parting crowd
1t nestied closer to thy cold, cold clay,
The living with the dead Ii lies there still
Leaving me desolte IN the world-.7lone !
Nay,let me chide this sudden burst of sorrow;
II is not well to be betrayed by passion
Iato this Wild forgetfulness of reason.
Twas but what seemed myself that day we
buried,
And it's not wise to speak thus Of the dead
Whom Christ has taken. Thou art lirimg STILL
Oh, nv own love, ar: thou not with me now
Looking upon my midnight hour Of grief
With eyes compassionate 1t may be wonder
ing
That this poor heart Will not be comforted,
Aud longing to uplift the dal Iened curtain
That wells thee from my vision! l, alone'
Thy spirit still holds fellowship with mine;
l talk with thee and find my grief assuaged;
Find something in these hours Of silence,
When thou and sit talking thus together
I'm sweet soulconverse, while the world is dark.
For thou, mine own, art perpetual presence
About my pathway. In my restless dreams
Thou comest to soothe the weary hours Of
night;
And " hen the cheer ul sun looks through my
curtains,
His first beams light my soul to thoughts Of
thee,
And of thy home, where day all glorious reisus,
And night holds no dominion Not alone!
Nay, thou ant with me. am not alone
have no picture Of thse, dear departed.
have no picture of thee-it is well
No artist skill could paint thee. Not the sun
Himself could catch the life Of thy sweet face,
And it would mar my JOY to look upon
A blank, expressioDlsss and fading toy,
And call it by thy name. Yes, have pictures
Hung in the hall of living memory,
Which time can never dim. In rarest frame
work.
These pictures all stand out before memory,
And bless me with their beauty. Girlhoods
smile,
Which on my love, and woman's gentle bear
ing,
Which left lis impress on my ruder nature,
And fashioned me TO sweet companionship
With thee, whose heart was full of tender
grace
AS flowers of spring are full Of sweet perfume,
Oh, these are pictures which can never fade!
look upon them till my tears are kindled
Into radiant JOY by their sweet light,
And, in my sudden transport, forget
The 'wildering sorrow of our separation
In olissful recollection that to me
Has given love so rare and excellent.
Still other pictures linger round my path.
Thine eyes-are they not ganciug upward
daily,
Set meath the sunny curls of sweet face,
Fair as It's mothers Tn! expressive smile
Is il not lett upon our chlldren's features
Still to illumine my soul in hours of sadness,
And bathe me 10 the warmth of thu sweet love
Oh, yes-at morn, at noon, at eve, at night.
Some trait, some semblance Of the dear depar.
ted
Breaks into ifebefore me. They are here,
Etanding beside me-motherless-alas!
Claiming lnlenser love since thou art gone
Each motion speaks of Lee and of thy beauty
WIN these must not say that am alone