The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-07-31
POETRY,
q xz.ssz.=s-So - ~ - - 1890
[afoel he Atlahtiel "
The singer

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[Rroe, he Atishticl W
The singer
Ry JOHN WHITTIER.
Years stoae (0ut namss TO me betorel,
Two sisters sought az eve NY door;
Two song bIUs wandering rom their hest,
A gray ola laim aouse in hc West.
Tinlii an youna tha cller hid
1.yen then 4 siniis 600 e'ly al; .-
The CT, WI OF .isin tha' AL Gnsl wear
lo5 eaely pressed her nidni.h' half
Yet ere the summer eve grew long, a '.
Her modest liiis were sweet WI u '''7
A memory htuute,l her M"l'E ..
of clover fields and 81 z ny r
Her dalk diIaling eyes express"
The broad hur. son ol me Va ,,.,rs. ,bao.,d
Her spet Gu dr pped plalac n,',aa " eV'A
0f baryest wheat about Yer io' .eu'
pore-dnamed to tong sue seene 70 me; ~
/ oueriei net vii h aes my; .a"If..l
low the trial and tie need,
Vet All the more 5 id, God speed!
what could other han did?
Could | a singing bird torbd?
DENY hs wind SIN ol Leaf? Eebuke
The music OF lhe forest blook?
she went with morning from my door,
Bat lets me richer than before;
Tbencetortb [ knew her voice Of cheer.
The welcome of her partial ear
Years passed: ,bIou III al the land her name
a pleasant household W orld became;
All ielt behnd the singer stood
A sweet aud gracious womanhood.
Her lie was earnest work. not play;
Her tired feet elm bed weary way;
a nj - oh hpr1 ipA
We heard an undertone of pain.
unseen Of her her fair ame grew,
The good she III she rarely knew,
UngucsSed of her ia lite the love
That rained its tears her grave above.
When last | saw her. tuil OF peace, fr
She waited tor her great release:
And that Nld ir eud SO sage and blanc,
Our later Franklin, held her hand. ..sri.
For all that patriot bosom stirs
Had moved that woman's heart of hers,
And men who toiled in storm aud sun
Found her their meet companion.
Our converse. from her suffering bed
To healthtul themes OF lite she led;
The outdoor lite OF tud and tlHom
And light ard sweetness. filled her room.
Yet evermore an iunderthought
Or loss TO come within US wrought,
And all the while we felt the strain
OF the strong will that conquered pain,
God giveth quieness at last!
The common way that all have passed
She went, with mortal earnings iona,
To ruler life and love beyond.
Fold the wrapt soul in your embrace,
My dear ones! We the singer place!
To you, to her-I know not where- .-
lit the silence Of prayer.
For only thus our own we find,
The gone before, the lett behind,
All mortal vo ces die between;
The unheard reaches the unseen.
Again the blackbirds sing; the streams
Wake laughing, ir m their winter dreams,
And tremble in he April showers
The tassels OF the maple flowers.
But not for her has spring renewed
The sweet surprises OF the wood;
The birds and flowers are lost t, her ....
Who was their bt st interpreter!
What to shut eyes has God revealed?
What hear the ears that death has sealed? .
What undre amed beauty. passing show
Requites the loss OF all we know?
silent land TO which We move,
Enough il there alone be love; .rf
And mortal need can ne'er outgrow
What it is waiting to bestow
Owhite soul! from that far-off shore
Float some sweet song the wat. rs DER,
Our faith confirm, our fears dispel,
With the old voice we loved 50 well!