The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1873-06-28

In his chamber all alone,
Kneeling on the floor Of stone,
Prayed the Monk in deep contrition
For his sins Of INDIGESTION,
Prayed for greater self.denial,
In temptation and in trial;
II was MONDAY by the dial,
And the Monk was all alone.
Suddenly, as IL il lightened,
An unwonted splendor 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 vesture wrapped about him,
Like garment round him thrown.
Not as crucifed and slain,
Not in agonies Of pain,
Not with bleeding hands and feet,
did the Monk his Master see;
Bot as in the village street,
In the house or harvest.field,
Halt and lame and blind he healed,
When he walked in Galilee.
In ar sttitude imploring,
Hands upon his bosom crossed,
Wondering, worshipping, adoring,
knelt the Monk in rapture lost.
Lord, he thought, in heaven that reignest
Who am ], that thus thou deignest
To reveal thyself to mel
Who am /, that from the center
OF thy glory, thou shouldest enter
This poor cell, my guest TO bef
Then 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 or shower,
Winters cold or 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 Bonded knee,
WHpt in silent ecstasy
OF divinest self.surrender,
Saw the Vision and the Splendor.
Deep distress and hesitation
Mingled with his alteration;
Should he go, or should he stay?
Should he leave the poor to wait
Hungry at the convent gate,
Till the Vision passed away
Should he slight his heavenly guest,
Slight this visitant celestial,
For 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, audibly and clear,
AS Il 10 the outward ear:
"'Ds thy duty that is best;
leave unto thy Lord the rest I"
'Straisltway to his feet he started,
And with longing look intent
'0n the Blessed Vision bent,
Slowly drom his cell departed,
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
Who amid their wants and woes
Il ear the sound of doors that close,
AM of feet that pass them by;
Grow y familiar with disfayor,
brown familiar with the SAVIOR
Of the b. 'ead by which men die
But today. they knew not why,
Like the eat Of Paradise
seemed the e, invent gate TO rise,
Like sacrame ut divine
Seemed TO them the bread and wine.
In his heart the 4, 'onk was praying,
Thinking Of the hol neless poor,
What they suffer and endure
What we see not, what we see
And the inward voice ". V saying;
Whatsoever thing thou doest
10 the least Of mine and 10 west,
That thou doest unto me-"
Unto mel but had the Vision
Come to him in beggar's clothifG,
Come q mendicant imploring,
Would he then have knelt adoring,
Or have listened with derision,
And have turned away with loathing?
Thus his conscience put the question,
Full Of troublesome suggestion,
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 il there before,
When the convent bell appalling,
From its belfry calling, calling,
him TO feed the poor,
the long hour intervening
II had waited his return,
And he felt his bosom burn,
all the meaning,
When the Blessed Vision said,
''Hadst thou stayed, must have hedl"