Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1871-12-07
Tie Legend Beautiful.
by HENRY ". LonGFELLow

lla.t Is h4it.k lie flhlbii oAib.
II his chamber all alone,
Kneeling on tho floor of stone;
PRAYED the Monk in deep contrition
For his sins OF indecisiOn,
PRAYED for greater sclf-d NAL,
III temptation ana in tIial;
1T was MONDAY by the dial,
And the Monk was all alone.
Suddenly, az II II lightened,
An uuNonted splendur Frightened
All within him and without him
In thai narrow cell Of stone
And ne saw the Blessed Vision
OF our Lord, with light FL sian,
Like a yes.urc wrapped about him,
Ikea gqriaeut round him thrown.
No. AZ cruoi1ed and slain,
Sut IN aRonies of pam,
Not with bleeding hands and feet,
Did the Monk his Master see;
But as in the village street,
In the house or harvest field,
Halt and lame and blind he healed,
when he walked Ia Galilee.
IN an attitude ilnploring.
Hands upon his bosom crossed,
Wondering, w0rshipping, adoring,
Knclt the Monk in rapture lost.
Lord, he thought, in heaven that rcignest
Who am /, that thus thou deignest
To reveal thyself to me'
Who am /, that from the centre
OF the glory, thou shouldst enter
This poor cell, my guest to be?
Then amid his exaltation,
IOnd the convent bell appalling,
From it's belfry calling, calling,
Rang through court and corridor,
with persistent iteration
He had never heard before.
1t was now tina appointed hour
When alike, in shine or shower,
Winters cold, or summers heat,
To the convent portals came
All the blind and halt aud lame,
Al the beggars of the street,
For their daily dole Of food
Dealt them by tho brotherhood;
And their almoncr was he,
VINO upon his Bonded knee,
Wrapped in silent eestacy
OF diyinest sclf-surronder,
Saw the Vision and the Splcndor.
Deep distress and hesitation
Mingled with his alteration;
should he 60, or should he stay2
should he leave the poor 90 wait
Hungry at the convent gate,
TIL the Vision passed away?
Should he slight his heavenly guest
Slight bis yisitant celestial,
For a crowd Of ragged, bcstiAl
Beggara NJ the convent gate
Would the Vision here remain?
Would The Vision come again
Then voice within his breast
whispered, aGdibly and clear,
As II to the outward ear:
: DO thy dirty: that ~ best;
Leave unto the Lord the rest ~
straiRhtway to his feet he started,
And with longing look intent
On toe Blessed Vision bent,
Slowly from his cell departed,
Slowly on his crrand went.
Al the cato the poor were waiting.
Looking through the iron grating,
with that terror IN the eye
That Is only seen In those
Who, an til their wants and woes,
Hear the sound Of doors that cloee,
And OF feet that pass them by,
Grown familiar with disfayor,
Grown familiar with the SAVIOR
OF the broad by which men die
Bu, to-day, they knew not why,
Lake the gate of Paradise
Seemed the convent gate to rise,
Lilo q sacrament divine,
sremcd 10 them the bread and wine.
In his heart the Monk WIS praying,
Thinking Of the homeless poor,
What they suffer and endure;
What We sec not, what we sec;
And the inward voice was saying:
Whatsoever thing thou doost
To the least Of mime and lowest,
That thou doest unto mcW
Unto mc but had tho Vision
Come to him m hcggar's clothing,
Come a mendicaut implorng,
Would he then hive Snclt adoring,
or have listened with dorision,
And have turned away with loathingG
Thus his conscience pat the question,
Fun of troublesome suggestion,
As at length, with hurried pace,
Towards his coll ho turned his face,
And hchcld the convent bright
with asupWuatural light,
Like luminous cloud expanding
over door and wall and ceiling.
ilut hc paused with awe-strurk feeling
Al the ,Arysbhgl 7 If his door,
For tho Vision still was standing
As he left II there before,
Whom the convent bell appalling,
From It's hcllry calling, calling,
Summoned him to loeu the poor.
Through the long hour intervening
II bad waited his return,
And ne felt his bosom burn,
Comprehending all the meaning,
whom the Blessed Vision said,
lladst thou stayed, must have hed?"
-AtaHtc hon'hIy for December.