Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1871-12-22
A NEW POEM BIZ 1oNGrELLow.
"rhe Leeand nsautissl."


rom the December Atlantic.
'.Had'st thou stayed, must have nedi"
That Is what the Vision said.
In his chamber alone, s#
Kneeling on the floor Of stone,
Prayed the Monk in deep contrition,
For his sins of indecisiOn,
Prayed for greater self-denial,
In temptation and trial;
1t was MONDAY by the dial,
And the Monk was all alone.
Suddenly, as II 1t lightcned,.
An unwOnted spiendOr 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 about him,
Like garment round him thrown.
Not as crucifled and slain,
Not In agonies Of pain,
Not with bleeding hands and feet.
Did the Monk his Master see;
But as in the village street,
In the house or harvest-held,
Halt and lame and blind he healed,
When he walked Gallilee.
In an attitude smploring,
Hands upon his bosom crossed,
Wondering, worshiping, adoring,
Knelt the Monk In rapture lost.
Lord, he thought, In Heaven that rcignest.
Who am !, that, thus thou deigncst
To reveal thyself to me;
Who am I, that from the center.
OF thy glory, thou shOuld'st enter
This poor cell, my guest to be?
Thtn 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.
It was now the appointed hour,
When, alike In shine and shower,
Winters cold and summers heat,
To the convent portals came
All 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 bended knee,
Rapt in silent ecstacy &
OF divinest self-surrender,
Saw the Vision and the SplendOr.
Deep distress and hesitation
Mingled with his alteration,
Should he 60, or should he stay!
Should he leave the poor to walt
Hungry at The convent gate
Till the Vision passed away?
Should he slight his heavenly guest,
Slight this visi.ant celestial,
For q crowd of ragged, bestial
Beggars 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 10 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 IL only seen in those
Who amid their wants and woes
Hear the sound OF doors that close,
And the feet that paes them by;
Grown familiar with disfavor,
Grown familiar with the SAVIOR
on 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 a sacrament divine
Seemed to them the bread OF wine,
In his heart the Monk was praying,
Thinking OF the homeless poor,
What they suffer and endure;
What we see not; why we see;
And the inward voice was saying;
''Whatsoevcr thing thou dOest
To the least of mine and lowest,
That thou dOest unto met"
Unto me! but had The Vision
Come TO him in beggar's clothing,
Come mcndicant implOring,
Would he then have knelt adoring,
Or have listened with dcrision,
And have turned away with lOathing!
Thus his conscience pu, the question,
Full Of troublesome sug sestiOn,
As at length, with hurried pace,
Toward his cell he turned his face,
And beheld 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
As he left 1t there before,
When the convent bell appalling,
From its belfry, calling, calling,
Summoned him to feed the poor,
Through the long hour intervening
1t had waited his return,
And he felt his bosom burn,
COmprehending all the meaning,
When the blessed Vision said,
"Had'st thou stayed, must have fed!"