The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1871-12-21
The Legend Beautiful.

..Hadst thou stayed must have f1edn"
That is what the Vision said.
In his chamber all alone,
kneeling on the floor of stone,
Prayed the Monk in deep contrition
For his sins of indecision,
Prayed for greater sef-denial,
IN temptation and in trial;
1t was MONDAY by the dial,
And the Monk was all alone.
Suddenly, as if it lightened,
An unwonted splendor frightened
All within him and without him
In that narrow cell of stone;
And he saw the Blessed Vision
OF our Lord, with light Elysian
Like a vesture wrapped around him,
Like a garment round him thrown.
Not as cructied and slain,
Not i'll agonies of pain,
Not with bleeding hands and feet,
Did the Monk his Master see;
But as the village street,
In the house or harvest-teld,
Halt and lame and blind he healed,
When he walked in Galilee.
In an attitude imp!oring,
Hands upon his bosom crossed.
Wondering, worshiping, adoring,
hnelt the Monk in rapture lost.
Lord, he thought, in heaven that reignest,
" no am l, that thus thou deignest
To reveal myself to me:
Who am |, that from the center
OF thy glory thou shouldst enter
This poor cell, my guest TO be:
Then amid his eXaltation,
Loud the convent bell appalling,
From its belfry calling, calling,
Rang through court and corridor,
With persistent iteration
He had never heard before.
1t was now the appointed hour
When alike, in sunshine or shower,
Winters cold or summers heat,
10 the convent portals came
Al the blind and halt and lame,
All the beggars of the street,
For their daily dole of food
Dealt them by the brotherhood
And their almoner was he
Who upon his Blended knee,
Rapt in silent ecstasy
OF diVlneSt selt-surrender,
Saw the Vision and the Splendor.
Deep distress and hesitation
Mingled with his alteration;
Should he 90 or should he stay
Should he leave the poor to wait
Hungry at the convent gate,
Till the Vision passed away!
Should he slight his heavenly guest,
Slight this visitant celestial,
For crowd OF ragged, bestial
Beggar> at the convent gate?
Would the Vision there remain:
Would the Vision come again.
Then voice within his breast
Whispered audible and clear,
As If to the outward ear:
DO thy duty; that is best;
Leave unto thy Lord the rest
Straightway to his feet he started,
And with longing look intent
ON the Blessed Vision bent,
Slowly from his cell departed.
Slowly on his errand went.
At the gate the poor We're waiting,
Looking through the iron grating,
W 18th that terror i'll the eye
That is only seen in those
w no amid their wants and woes
Hear The sound Of doors that close
And Of feet that pass them by;
Grown familiar with disfavor,
Grown familiar with the SAVIOR
oi the bread by which men die,
But to-day they know not why,
Like the gate of Paradise
seemed the convent gate to rise,
Like Il sacrament divine
Seemed TO them the bread and wine.
In his heart the Monk was praying,
Thinking of the homeless poor,
What they suffer and endure;
What we see not, what we see;
And the inward voice was saying:
wv hatsoeyer thing thou doest
TO the least of mine and lowest
That thou aoest unto me-"
Unto me but had the Vision
Come to him in beggar's clothing.
Came mendicant lmploring,
Would he then have kneIt adoring,
OR have listend with derision,
And have turned away with loathing:
Thus his conscience put the question.
Full Of troublesome suggestion.
As at length. with hurried pace,
Toward his cell he turned his face,
And bcheld the convent bright,
With supernatural light,
Like luminous cloud expanding
over floor and wall and ceiling
But he paused with awe-struck feeling
At the threshold Of his door,
For the Vision still was standing
Az he left it there before,
When the convent bell appalling,
From its betry calling, calling,
Summoned him to feed the poor.
Through the long hour intervening
1t had waited his return,
And he felt his bosom burn,
Comprehendng all the meaning,
When the Blessed Vision said,
"Hadst thou stayed, | must have tled,'
Henry W. Lonefellow,in the Atlantic Month,