The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1869-12-07


ummer and YOUTH to search for the cup out Of which
he Saviour drank at the Last Supper, has returned
d winter and old age to meet the leper from whom.
lille he flung him gold, he had turned away in losth
rq as he rode out Of the gate.
There was never lea ( on bush or tree,
The bare boughs ratified shudderingly;
I he river numb and couli not speak
For the weaver, Winter, its shroud h ad spun:
A single crow. the tree top bleak,
From his shining feathers shed of the cold sun;
Again it was morning, but shrunk and cold,
As if her veins were saples5 and old,
Aud she rose up decrepitly
For last dim look at earth and sea.
Sir aunfal turned from his own hard g&ts,
For another heir in his earidom safe
An old bent man, worn out and tran,
He came back from seeking the Holy Grail;
Little he reck'd of his earldom's loss,
No more on his surccat was blazon'd the Cross,
But deep in his soul the sign he wore,
The badge of the suffering and the poor.
Sir Launfal's 5 raiment, thin and spare,
Was idle mail 'gainst the barbed air,
For il was just at the Oh istmas time;
So he mused as he sat, of SUMMER cline,
Aud sought for shelter from cold and snow
In the light aud warmth OF long ago :;
He sees the snake like caravan crawl
Der the edge of the desert. black and SMALL
Then nearer and nea rer, till one by one,
He count the camelS IN the sun,
AS over the red hot sands they pass
To where in its slender necklace OF grass
The little spring laughed and !eaped in the shade,
And with its self like an infant played,
And waved its signal OF palms.
.Fer Christ's wee. sake beg au aims
The happy ca ameis NAV reach the spring,
But Sir Launful only the grew some tnlnR,
The leper lark the rain -blanched bono
That covers beside him, thing as ltne
And white a. the iee-isles of Northern seas
In the deeoIate horror of his disease.
And Sir Larnfal said-'I behold in thee
An image Of Hin, wto died on the tree:
Thon also hast had thy crown of thorns
Thou also hast had the worlds buffets and scofns
And to thv life we're not DENIED
The wounds in the hands and fcet and SIDE.
Mild Mary's Son. acknowledge me
Behold through him give to thee =
Then the soul of the leper stood up in his eyes,
And looked at Sir Launfa!. and straight~ay hs
Remembered in what laughter gnise
He had flung aims to eprosie,
When he girl his young life up IN g'lded maii,
Aud set forth in search of the Holy Grail.
The heart within him was ashes AID dust,
He parted in twain his single ernst,
And broke the ice on the steeamlets Drink,
And gave the leper to eat and drink
Twas moudy crust of coarse brown bread,
Twas water out of wooden bowl,
Yet with fine wheaton bread was the leper led,
And twas red wine he drank with his thirsty soul
As Lsunfal mused with a downcast face,
light shone round about the place:
The leper no longer crouched at his sices
But stood before him glorihed,
Shining and tall and fair and straight
AS the pillar that stood by the Beautiful Gate-
Himself the Gate " hereby men can
Enter the Temple OF God IN Man.
His ws ris were shed softer than leaves from the pin
And they fell on Sir Launfal as SHOWS on the BRINE
Which minnle their sotDess and quiet IN one
With the shaggy unrest they float down upon
And the voice that calmer than silence aaid,
| "Lo, it is I, be not afraid
In many climes without avail.
! Thou has spent thy life for the Holy Grail,
| Behold it is here, this cup which thou
| Did'st fill at the streamlet for me but now:
This crust is my body broken for thee,
This water His blood that died on the tree
The Holy Supper is kept, indeed.
In whatso share with another's need
| Not what give but what we share,
! For the gift without the giver is bare
j Who gives himself with his aims feeds three,
| Him elf, his hungering neighbor, and me-.