, 1873-06-29
THE DAWN AND TIE DAY.

Such dawns, can they be mother Of auch dsys7
Late vigils held ME al one night awake,
| Aud, looking up from my completed task,
With throbbing brain, aud lauguid nerves rela1ed,
| Glad arose, that glorious spectacle
! With solemn adorAtiou'to to behold
| 1 new~creatcd dsy. Ethereal hosts
J OF bright, e1pectant clouds, swift-gathcdng,
Went trooping from tho zenith to the East,
| To greet the sun; respondent gods reclued,
| And goddcsses, on banks Of anaathyst,
Or rosy pearl, BY their herce ardor waited;
Or golden chzriots guiding, swiftly drawn
BY winged coursers multitudinous,
| \ througing hos: Of fair, dissolEing forms,
Bright gieauns faces' n11aa out4sEs'ehed o'e5esFn
All speeding to that pa1aee Of tho East
From whoso anult,ont portal should emerge
Tne:r monarch Through the folds Of lower air.
On cld, awft wing hew locks OF twitteriug birds,
Down-tlirpinB to the churc1,-srires, outlined clear
Against tho blue, ursoar.ng to the clouds,
And swooping with them to the golden East
Elate with joy. Tle OCEAN gloamsd afar,
4 broad e1ganse Of siiver-motioA1.sa-
Quiet rs dimpled child IN slumber bound.
The deH;y meadows glittered, and the air
Was keen, electrical with tiugng life.
With rapture universal Nature glowed,
And in al that rupture shared, in thought
So1red with the birds aud doated with the clouds,
The morning air inhaled, aad with it drank
In cool, deep lraughts, fulIness Of life and ioy-
Awuited glad, with all created things,
The coming god. 1t last the sun aroae,
Blood-l ed and fiery. Slowly he emerged
Majestical from soid abyss Of space
Thsn calm 1s nEe1 the he, earth
One moment On the horizons level verge,
One long, black, narrow cloud, nke darling snake,
Or rafter Of wrecked vessel, ribbed his gold,
Dividing sharp the blood-red disk In twain.
BE rose, and with o'er-p -poweriug spendor quenched
The glory Of the dawn-ineGab1et
And now in weariness turned away.
The open window closed, the curtain drew,
And in my darkened room lay down to rest,
In deepest elunber sinking instantly.
When avoke, tho ar was chill and damp,
And in my ears sound Of falling rain,-
4 dismal sound OF rain, restleas waves,
Az were in so1na vessel tossed at sea
In storm, or standard on lone, coral reef,
started up bewildored, with quick hand
Tho curtain drew, and once again looked forth
From my lone eyrie Gu the outer world.
And lashed the earth tn fitful gusts the rain.
rubbed mine eyes. Surely 'twaa but . dscam!-
How could it e'er have followed that bright dawn,
Which in my me1nory like vision hung,
vouchssfed in moments blessed the quiclened SOUL
A vision beautiful Of youth and love,
Of the creative force and energy.
And joy perpetual Of LIE eternal.
How could they be united cen In thought7
In widest fantasy ?-It could not be!
Troubled, pcrple1ed, spoke and at tie words,
In wilder torrents fell the beatng rain,
Aad blacker grew the black pall overhead.
I stood confronted with the dismal day.
Again turned away, In sadness nowi
As silently, through arace those vapors danF
Had darklJ risen and o'ercast tho sly.
Lopg-buried memories within my soul
From dim recesees Of the past arose.
Darkening my day. / thought Of cherished friends
WHICH, ueAIR u3A eHatCueN 1CDm my TclI1Q1nR grasp,
Or by the worlds cold, cruel spell estranged
OF happy lives which !, cen ], had seen
Begin in glory and go down in gloom;
OF theo dearest and beat-bcloved, sweet saint =
With thy frank, chid-blue eyes, aud brow sercao,-
So strong in goodness, wise and innocent,
That all who knew thee loved and rev.renced,-
Whose patient virtues could not shield thy breast
From sorrows sharpest sword, which ut the last
Slew thee wounded BY many cruel blows:
OF thee, dear boy musician, poet born.
Thy life so bright, with promise beautiful,
Who sank In staguant pool Of dire disease,
And died Unknown. And more, ah many more,-
IA these still dear,-the best and brightest aiwayB
while meanar souls swiftly attained their goa1)
WHO dropped and died Their pale detected ghosts
phan1oms, Oh not Of these beloved friends
Reborn to happiness IN heavenly sphere,-.:.
But OF their pale and shsdowed nvcs, on earth
Forever unfulfled. Mournful they camc,
And seemed 10 wind me in their cold dead asu7,
.nd drag mo down With them, herless benumbed,
Into the grave. And wept bitter te1rs*
Fur these, ana my own soul, and ali On earth,
Yho live unblcssed, uliloyed, and hopeless diA
sloEly The Day dragged to IL dismal close,
IT'LL h:frllT ii torrents fell the rain
9iEhead the lowering clouds stii' darkly frowned;
ltumined, with rapid g1esm swift vanishjngE
Tue sun with all his splendor could not pierce.
With his all potent shaft Of fiery beams,
heir heavy pail ; no sudden, golden rift
Blue lake by topIAing, .hre-seamed hills engirt,
he burning heavens afame disclosed, beyond
he storm. And so IN sulen wrath he sank
ZEN as at dawn In triumph he had smiled
nd MI day long my dark, despairing mood,
1ith doubt and fear tormeuting me, held away,
lis gloomy world, to my sad soul 1t xeemed,
IS Deity bencdcent, disowned, /
5 ruled BY some dark fate, blind, xnerciless, |
+ conscious Fiend, in cruel, wanton sport |
Tho tortures man, his creature aud his slave,
nd doga him, wretched, to the arms OF DEATH ~
TWaISA VAUGHAN.
NEW YORK, June II, 1874
Golden 4fQs.
"A minister examined his echool-boys thus |
What is Tho meaning OF the word repent
nt?'" "Please, sir, don't know" "Now, if /
id stolen 3 loaf OF bread, what should be 7'
Please, sir, locked up.' tsWell, should feel /
orry :" Yea" "Well. why ahould I feel
'rry2" Please. Sir, cos you Was cotehed-'