Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1871-12-21
VOL. VINO. 12.
The Legend Beautiful.

BY HENRY ". LoSeFELLow.
Had'st thou e..ve5 T Tnn,t h.x..a,,5p,
mat Is waat the Vision said,
N his chamber ali alone,
kneeling on the floor of stone,
Prayed the Monk in deep contrition,
For his sins of indecision,
Prayed for greater elf.denial.
In temptation and in trial;
It was noonday by the dial,
And the Monk was all alone.
Suddenly. as if it lightened,
An unwonted splendor frightened
al Wlthin 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 about him
Like garment round him thrown.
Not as crucined and slain,
Not In aEonies of pain,
HiS HHGS MNiSn NJ bleeding hands and feet,
Bat as in the village street,
In the house or harvest field,
halt and lame and blind he healed,
when he walked in Galilee,
In an attitude implorins.
Hands upon his bosom crossed
wondering, worshiping, adoring,
hneit the Monk in rapture lost.
MSro, ne thougtt. in heaven thou reignest,
To no rss, am =, chat thus thou deignest
WWhG ami. that from the center
- 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 mover heard before.
II was now the appointed hour,
when alike. in shine or shower,
W lnter's cold or summers heat
70 the convent portals came,
h.ll the blind and halt and lame.l
All the beggars of the street,
For their daily dole of foed
Dealt them by the Brotherhood;
And heir almoner was he,
Who upon his bended knee,
RaPt in silent ecstasy
Of diyinest self-surrender,
saw the Vision and the Splendor.
Deep distress and hesitation
mingled with his alteration.
SnouId he go, or should he stay?
Should he leave the poor to wait
I'M Mn:unngry at the convent gate,
III tie Vision passed away2
Snodld he slight his heavenly guest,
Eight this Visitant celestial.
For a crowd of ragged. bestial
BegEars at the convent gate?
Would the Vision there remain?
Would the Vision come again2
Then a voice within his breast
Whispered. audible and clear:
Do thy duty. that Is best
Leave unto thy Lord the rest?
Straightway to his feet he started,
And with a longing look intent
On the blessed Vision bent,
Slowly from his cell departed,
Slowly on his errand went.
At the gate the poor were waiting,
Looking through the iron grating
With that terror in the eye
That is only seen in those
Whn amid hair nd
Hear the sound of doors that close,
And of feet that pass them by;
Grown familiar with disfavor.
Grown familiar with the SAVIOR
Of the bread by which men dieI
But to-day, they know not why,
Like the gate of Paradise
Seemed the convent gate to rise.
Like a 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;
slW hat we see not, what we see;
!. And the inward voice was saying:
To the least of mine and lowest,
? That thou doest unto meP
= Unto mel but had the Visisn rat+
Come to him in beggar's clothing,
Come mendicant imPloring, -f.-
Would he then have knelt adoring, 81
Or have listened with derision, -sss-s
And have turned away with loathing? ss
Thus his conscience put the question, 81. &.
Full of troublesome suggestion, ~
As at leRgth, with hurried pace.
Toward his cell he turned his face,
And beheld the convent bright
With a supernatural light,
Like q 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
As he left it there before.
When the convent bell appalling,
From the belfry calling, calling.
Summoned him to feed the poor,
Through the long hour Intervening
It had waited his return,
And he felt his bosom burn,
Comprehending all the meaning,
When the Blessed Vision said,
Hadst thou stayed, must have fed !'
atlantic for December.