New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-01-04
Ae,r Orleans Replsblital1.
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE UNITED STATES
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS
THE PORTRAITa
By OWEN MEREDITH

sldnig ht past Not a sound of auges
Thro' the silent hoase, but the SlSS Ss us
prayers.
cat by tie dying fire. and thouglS
of the dear dead WOMAN upstairs.
a night of tears. for the gusty raie
Had ceas, d. but the caves were dripp@SScs9
Cad the lookd forth as tho inSNso
with her face all white and wet;
sobodv wirh me, my watch to keep.
But the friend of INV bosom, the maAx losGB
a nd grief bad sent him fast to see
10 the eli amber up above.
Nobody else, in the country place
All round that knew of my loss hesiee,
But the good yourg priest with the Raph@SsGGe
Who confessed her when she died
And my greet had moved him hey ond consea&p
&or his liz grew white as | could obserge
When he spee ded her parting s1uG
seat b. tn. dreary hearth alone
| THOUGHT of the pleasant day saset&e@
x said the staff OF my lite is gone;
The WonsaSe loved is no more.
o ON her cold, dead bosom my portra@ 90
Which lie 1t to her heart0he used 10 weePas
@yauHtins i. DER with her terfer eye0
When my Own face was not there
. IT is set all round with rubies red.
And rea,ls which Peri might 1t ha g.
For ca cl ruby thee, nv heart hath bOS:
For each pearl, my eyes have wept.
81i said-"the thing IS precious 10 HG:
They will bury her soon in the charcey@p& o &g +;
A. lies on her heart and lost must be-
IL do not take 1t away.
@ughted nv lamp at the dying fame
O. And crrpt up the stairs that t. cTeakd tsEss'Ss'0
Where she lay all in white.
Che moon shone over her winding sheSe
There stark she lay on her carven boS9
seven burning tapers about her fee9
And seven about her head
AL stretclrd nv har d held nv G,leset.g
tulnd KS drew the curtains apai6s
Sdared not look on the face of deathe
KNEW v here to find her heart.
athought at first, my touch fell theGs.
1t had waimid that heart to life, with ios@3
3or the thing touched was warm, 0WeaG
end could feel it move.
O'er the heart of the dead-from the other SIDE
gid at once the sweat broke over my brow,
V" Who is robbing the corpse" cried
Opposite me- by the tapers light,
The friend OF my bosom, the man lowS
!4tood over the corr se and all as whiD,
And neither of us moved
@what do you here, my friend 2 sic snas
Look d first at me, and then at tine dea5e
@There is portrait here he began;
sc There is. 1t is mine said.
Iaaid the friend of my BOSOM "yours d ee41ssss
The portrait was, till a month ago,
"a hen this suffering angel took that SGS
And placed mine there. KNOW"
This woman she loved me well saida,
% A month ago." said my friend to me:
% And in your throat" groand you ippg~
He answered-"le let us See"
9 Enough p l return'd, let the dead deciv@D
And wi ose soever The portrait prove,
His shall it be- when the cause is tre,6
Where Death is arraisnd by Love"
We found the portrait there in its PLACE
- We open'd 1T, by the tapers' slime:
She gems were all unchanged the fa@9
Was-nelther his nor mine
@ One nail drives out another, at least
The tace of the portrait there" cried,
. Is our friends the Raphaelfaced younA S9teds,
Who confessed her when she died"
Che setting is all of rubies red,
And pearls which Peri might have keS@,s
SSor each ruby there my heart hath Died
For each pearl my eyes have wtdG.