New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-12-03


WAITING.
/ know 70 will not be to-day
l know it will not be tomorrow
on. balf in Joy and half in sorrow,
ibid them haste, then bld them stay,
IioDg SO Tor the coming gay
Hong So wouId rather wait;
Eqch bOuT see the unseen conner;
Each hour turns ripe IN secret summer
The joys which anticipate.
O piociOus feet, come slow, come late
long 81, it is bliss ~ wait!
AL sweet sad hfe so far to-day
Ali, sweet sad life, so near tomorrow
Can JOY be Joy when we mss sorrow
When eaiths last san has rOiledawa
10 tideless time, and we can say
Nomore .'To-morrOw, - or TodayT
Il is the old question whether Joy be 10Y, II we
know no sorrow enhance It, Ii suggests the mystery
OF evil, the ministry Of pain This ana kindred ques-
tjopings thrill our mortal hearts with longnSs for I'M
mortal knowledge. IT, IT, touches again the same key
in the following brief poem
0 Jov hast thou shapel
Hast thou hrcatbf
How iiilest thou the soundlcss air
Ten me the pillars OF thy house
What rest they ont Do they escape
The victory OF Dealhl
And are they fair
EteruaIlv who enter in thy housel
o Joy, thOu ylewess spirit ctust tLod dare
To tell the pillars oi my uoasoi
on adamant Of pain,
Before the earth
Was born OF sea, before the sea,
Yea and before the light. my house
Was built. None know what loss, what cain,
Attends each travail birth
Al peace when It had entered IN my house,
~ The foundations 70 could touch see,
Winch stay the pillars OF my house
Some OF The new poems in this volume, which too
long for quotation to me among the noblcst H. H.
hse ever wrtten-they touch the high'water mark OF
her intellectual power; full besides Of passion
ate and tender feeling Among these the Funeral
March" can recall nothing else which 20 embodes
the sentiment with which bury cur dead-ne DEAD
whom ,-
And weeping at his pOmp which is not pride,
Aud which he did not seek.
The procession is joined by other guests whose shape
we see not though We feel their presence IN the brood
ing air.
Ghosts OF forgotten things OF joy and grief
Aud ghosts Of things which never were,
But promised him to be. They may defer
lis justified. Oh. Why did they abide
This time, these restless ghosts which glide
Accompanying hint Can they 20 Ia
Unquestoned. and confront him ia the grave,
From rom dead lips Which the live lips never gave.
The poor beasts moving slowly to suit the mood Of
woe: the houses whence men and look forth on
the PROCESSION with wistu plying eyes, the light grass
that bends at their footsteps, but springs again when
they have passed the shining sky all full OF birds and
songs; tine tribes OF yellow butterflies all the living
things which make death seem Impossible she has
-ketched with the touch OF a master. The long, sad
Journey ends at last beside the grave.
But now comes silent ioY amounting
With sudden firm, and tender hand
Our eyes anOnted with this clay
OF burial earth, We zee how stand
Around us, marshaled under Gods appointing,
such shining ones on no other day
Descend. We see, with majestic face,
or love ineffable, one walking in chief place
Beside the dcad,-Hlgh Priest
OF his salvation, King -
or his surrender, cOmrade I'll lie ceased,
Savior from suffering
o sweet, strong, loving Death
With yearnlng, plying breath,
He looks back from his dead 10 ms, aud saith,
% mine who love me not, what illed
Your hearts with TINS strange rear
Could ye but hear
The new voice OF this whom have willed
To set 30 free, 10 make
HIM subject ia my kingdom, for the sake
OF being greater king than j,
Keigning with Christ eternallyV
ClOser and closer press the shining onet
Clearer and clearer grow the notes
or music from the heavenly thrOats.
We see the cleaning OF the precious stones
Which SGT the Gate Of Life Kings sons
Thr0ng out 10 meet the man we bring;
We hear his voice III entering:
"Ohi see how all these weep
Who come with me!
Must they return
on send swift messenger 10 CHRIST, and zee
II He Will bid you keep
Them tOOW
From distant Heaven where Christ sits and hears,
The tender whispered voice. in which he saith,
NV faithful servant, Death, is lord OF death:
Nv DAYS must be q thousand years"
The Gate OF Life swings close. All have gone IN;
Majestic Death his freedman fOll0wlng;
And all those ghosty shapes, the next OF kin.
Their deeds. which were, and were not, IenderlDgi
Aud lender Joy and Grief.
bearing in ono pale sbeai
Their harvest; and tbe sbinibR opet who como
Apc 70 CoDuDnaliy