New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-01-26
OFFICIAL JOURNAL Of THE CITY OF NEW ORLEA'
fFron tho Atlantic Monthly for February)
TsE MEETING
BY JOIN Q. WHITTIER.


And all the slow, sleep-waking hours
Glide soundless over grass and flowers.
FROM time and place and form apart,
ia holy ground the human heart,
Nor ritualbound nor templeward
walks the free spirit of the Lord
Our common Master did not pen
His followers up from other men;
his service liberty indeed.
re built no church, he fran ed no creed;
But while the saiutiy Pharisee
Made broader his phylactery,
As from the synagogue was seen
Fhe dusty.sandaled Nszarene
Through ripeniDg corndelds led the way
Upon the awful Sabbath day.
His sermons were the healthful talk
That shorter made the mountain-walk.
His wayside texts we're flowers aud birds,
Where mingled with HIS gracious words
The rustic ofthe tamarisk tree
me rippie.wash Of Galilee."
.Thy words are we'll, o friend said;
nUnmeasured and unlimited,
Will. noiseless slide of stone Co stone,
The mystic Church Of God has grown.
Invisible and silent stands
The temple never made with hands
Unheard the voices still aud small
fits unseen confessional
he needs no special place of prayer
Whose hearing ear is everywhere;
1 That ringed the earth with stones Of praise,
. Rooted Karnak's hall of gold, and laid
. The plinths Of PhilG's colonsde.
. Still less He owns the selish good
And sickly growth of solitude
4 The worthless grace that, out Of sight,
Flowers In the desert ancborite;
4 Discovered from the suffering whole,
Love hath no power to save soul.
Not out of Self, the origin
4 And native air and soil of sin.
me living waters spring and flow,
me tTecs with leaves Of healing grow.
Dream not, 0 friend, because seek
mis- quiet shelter twice a week,
Ibelter deem its pine-laid hoor
Than breezy hill or sea-sung shore.
But here, ia its accustomed place,
IlO0k on memOrys dearest face;
me blind bysitter guesseth not
& What shadow haunts that vacant spot;
No eye save mine can see
The love wherewith 1t welcomes me
And still, with those alone my kin,
10 doubt and weakness, want and sin,
IboW my heaS, my heart bare
As when that face was living there,
= And strive (too oft, alas In vain)
The rest of simple trust TO gain
Fold fancy's restless wings. and lay
The idols Of my heart away.
Welcome the silence all unbroken.
No- less the works Of fitness spoken
Such golden words 40 hers for whom
Our Autumn flowers have Just made room
Whose hopeful uttorance through and
through
The freshness of the morning blew;
Who loved not less the earth that light
Fell on 1t from the heavens in sight,
Bot saw in all fair forms more fair
Tic Eternal beauty mirrored there.
Whose eighty years but added grace
And saintlier meaning to her face,
he look of one who bore away
Glad tidings from the hills of day,
While all our hearts went forth TO meet
The coming Of her beautiful feet,
lax 10 organs soulless breath
70 dr0ne the themes of life and death.
No altarcandle-lit by day,
No ornate wOrdsmAn rhetoric-play.
70 cool philosopher to teach
His bland audacities Of speech
70 d0uble-tasked idolaters
themselves their gods and WOrshipers,
opuipit beat By ruthless iist
Mload.asserting dogmatlst,
Who borroWs for the hand of love
he smoking thunderboltB OF Jove.
know how we'll the fathers taught
NR15 Work Inc lister sohoOllnen Wrought,
lleFerence oid.time faith and men,
lnl God is near US now as then;
As force Of love is still unspent,
KS hate of ain as imminent;
AQ1 still the measure Of our needs,
ansgrows the cramplng bounds Of creeds:
nc mama gathered yesterday
lseady say0rs of decay;
0epbts to tho worlds child heart unkn own
9uesison US now from starSaud stone;
ioolittle or tso much we know,
And sight is swift and faith Ia Glow;
jte power is lost 20 selfdeceiNc
NTH shallow forms of make believe,
Ne walk ut high noon, and tho bells
Qal to thousand Grace.
tal ihe sound deafens, uud the light
s2ouger than our dazzled sight;
ne Eetters of the sacred book
hmmer and swim beneath our look;
lil airuggles in the ages breast
tilh deepening agony OF quest
re old cntreaty Art thou he?
; look we for the Christ to beg
ed should be most where man Is least;
e where Is neither church nor priest,
na never rag Of form or creed
o el0she the nakedness OF need
lAeye farmer-folk In silence meet
lpra my bell.unsummoned feet.
ay the critics glass aside,
i uead upon my lettered pride
hd, lowest seated, testify
N tne oneness Of humanit5s
Y aalasa the universal want,
~ snare whatever heaven may grant.
Andeth not who seeks his cwn,
/. Ae sonl Is lost that saved alone.
M "a one favored forehead fesl
old the fire tongued miracle,
famed all DER the thronging host
baptism OF the Holy Ghost
At answers hearts In one desire
blending lines Of prayer aspire:
Where In my name meet two or three
Il.rd hath said, I there will be-
sometlmes comes 20 soul and sense
70 ieellng which Is evidence
q very near about us lies
realm Of spiritual mysteries.
sd 1pAeye OF the Bupernal powers
= Ingcs on Ehis world Of ours.
low aBd dark horizon lifts,
~ nt the scenic terror salfls;
breath Of q diviner air
n down the answer Of prayer;--
nll cur sorrow, pain, and doubt
eas compassion clasps about,
laW aud goodBess. love and force,
u Vedded fast beyond divorce.
duty leaves 70 love It's tnsk,
teggas self forgets 70 ask;
sn,lo Of trugt sud folded hands
10 aaaive soul Ia waiting stands
y a8 flowers, the sun and dew.
= ~ 1ne true life is own renew.
. p the calmlygsthered thought
1nerrnost Of truih Is taught
a pysilFy under8to0G
nYa og'tz0d % iore Of good
~ v te saved ia only thle,--
~ lrca car Eeid4nnese
=, .ata and church 40 e.eg ale gwen
. 4 neana 70 holieal ta0a,