The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1873-07-11
FEE vAXE on THE sPIRE.
GY BENJAMIN +. TAYLOR.

inc DAYS of the winter and spring OF
1872, often watched the gilded arrow
that swings upon the spirc of the
Methodist church. And il always had
Il meaning for mc--sOmctimcs' sad, n
few times glad, and always true. Day
after day, week after week, that arrow
pointed North--pointcd East-alwnys
North, always East, like the finger OF
Fate. The chill winds blew; the cold
storms came; there were beds Of Ian
gushing; therewerc new-madc graves.
Frost, sorrow and death ruled the air
in company. And all the while the
arrow told the story.
At last there came some genial days,
when flowers blossomed, birds sang,
the weak grew strong, and the graves
were green.
The arrow on the spire had swung
round to the South; it told the story
still. 1t was no longer the finger of
Fate, but thing of hcauty--a piece of
Hral jcwolry. Ithad cloqllenceenough
to inspire little song, had there been
anybody TO write it.
Under the sun and under the moon,
Silver at midnight, golden at noon,
Could Dian have lost it ont of her han?
phpbus' culver have shaken II there"
That wonderful arrow sweeping the AIR!
There's an arrow ulort with feathered shaft,
That never has flown at the boW-StrlnBS
draft,
And the goldsmith has hidden the black
smiths craft.
Forts heart is OF iron its CLEAN of gold,
Ii is coated to pierce, and barbcd to hold,
And fs al. rfttI ct, 10
II Is poised on Il finger from sun 10 sun,
And it catches the glimmcr of the dawn be-
And Is floating in light when the day is done.
And il turns at the touch OF viewlcss hand,
And 1t swings in the air like n wizard wand.
BY the tempest whirled and the zephyr
famed.
And the sinewy finger that cannot tire
Is the lifted hush OF the old church Spilc,
That vanishes out as Heaven Is higher;
And the arrow upon IL, the rusted yane,
As true to its master MS faith to fame,
That is swinging forever in sun and rain.
Right about to the North! And the trum-
And the shivering air IL dim with snow,
And the earth grows dumb and the brooks
run slow;
Aud the shaggy Arctic, chilled to the bone,
lscraunChiug the world with human moan
And the clank Of q chain in the frozen zone;
And the world is dead In its seamless shroud
And the stars wink SLOW In the rifted cloud,
And the owl in tho oak complains aloud.
And the arrow is true to the icebcrgs realm
As the rudder Staunch in the ghnstly Whcill,
With Il hero to handle the helm!
Is 1t welded with iost as iron with fire?
Up with blue jackct Chamber the splre
And swing it Ground To the poiht OF aeSle'
II swayS to the East And the icy rain,
With the storms long roll ION the window
pane
And Il diamond point on the crystal Vane'
And the cattle stand with the wind aStern'
And the routes of the rain ON cave anu urn
As the drops are halted and irozeh III turl''
Are such pendants of wonder as cave and
Never give to the gaze when the torches shine,
But right out of Heaven and hall divine!
All, ii swings due South tutlle Hcphyr tilrlh
In the yellow moon 1t lies as stu
As Il speclIled trout by tle droWsN mil,
While the busle of Gabriel wakes inc sol
And the beautiful life in the speeches. clod,
Till the beautiful June Is a smile for God!
Resurrection to-day, For the roses spoke!
Resurrection to-day! For the rugged "nR
In a live green blllow rolled and broke!
And the spider feels for her sillien strings;
And the honeN-bce huns, and the wofld mas
And blent with the blue, the bluc-bird sings.
While the cloud is ablaze with the Blended
bow,
And the waters white with the lilies snow,
On the motionlcss arrow, all III Il row,
Are four little sparrows that pipe 80 small
Their carol distills As the dcwdrops fall
And we only SIRE they are singing at all
Now the arrow is swung with sweep so bold
Where the Day has been Ringing It's gar
mcntS gold
Till they stain the Sky with glow untold
All, the cardinal point is the West!
And the clouds bear down in fleet abreast,
And the world Is us still us child at rest.
There's u pinnacle light like an angry star!
And the gruwl OF gun with its crash and jar.
And roll of hedrum where the angels are!
And it tunbles its freight on the dancing
grain,
And Il beats into blossoms the buds again,
And IL brightens world baptized in rain
And it gladdens the earth as it drifts along,
And the meadow Is green and the corn is
strong,
And the brook breaks forth in the same old
song.
AS looked for the arrow It hung there yet,
With the drops of the rain its barb was wet,
And the sun shone out In II crimson set,
And behold aloft in the rutldy shine
Where the crystal water again was wine,
And 1t hallowed the dart like atouch divine!