Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1874-05-13
y q q L Il v.
THE PRAYER Of AGASSIZ.

EY JOHN a. WHITTIER.
On the isle of Peuikcse,
aingel about by sapphire scas,
Famed by brcczts salt and cool,
S'ood the Mister with his school.
Over sails that not in vain,
Woocd the west winds steady strain,
Line Of coast that low and far
Stretched its undulating bar,
Wings aslant along the rim
OF the waves they stopped to skim,
Rock and isle and glistcnng bay,
Fell the beautiful white day.
Said the Master to the youth
"We have come in search of truth,
Trying with uncertain key
Door, by door of mystery;
We are reaching through His laws,
TO the garmeat-hcm of Cause,
Him, the endless, unhegun,
fhc Unnamablc, the lie,
Light of all our light the Source,
Life Of life and Force of force.
As with fingers of the blind
We are cropping here to find
What the hicroglyphics mean
Of the Unseen in tho seen,
What tho Thought which uudcrlics
Natures masking and disguise,
What it is that hides beneath
Blight and bloom and birth and death,
By past Efforts unavailing,
Doubt and error, loss and filling,
Or our weakness made aware,
On the threshold of our task
Let Us light and .suillnce ask,
Let u pause ia silent prayer -
Then the Mtstcr in his place
Bowel his head little space.
And the leaves by soft airs stirred,
Lapse Of wave and cry Of bird
Left the solemn hush unbrokcn
of that worlless player unspokcn,
While its wish, on earth uusaid,
Rosa to heaven interpreted.
As, in lite's best h,urs, We hear
BY the spirits iiacr ear
Ills low voice within us, thus
M,
Aud his holy car we plin
With cur noisy words and vain.
Not for Him oar violence
StormiEg Mt the gntcs Of sense,
His the primal lrnGuage, his
The eternal silcucts
Even the careless heart was moved,
And the donbting gave assent,
With gesture rcycrCnt,
TO the Master wcll-beloved,
As thin mists are gloriGed
By til, light they cannot hide,
All who gtzel upon him saw,
Though its veil Of tender awe,
How his face was still uplit
BY the old sweet lock OF it,
Hopeful, trustful, full Of cheer,
And the 1--we that casts out fear
Who the secret my declare ...
OF that b,ief, uautlerel prayer?
Did the shade before him come
Or The inevitable doom,
DI thc end Of earth so near,
Aud Etcr!ity's new year:
In the lap of sheItcring seas
Rest. The isle OF Penikcsc;
Bat the lord Of the domain
Comes not tu his own again; -.
Were The eyes that follow fail,
On IL Nastcr scl his sail
Diins beyond our beck and hail;
Other lips within its bound
Shall the laws Of life exround;
Other eyes from rock and shell
Read the worlds old riddles well;
But when brcezcS light and bland
Blow from Summers blossomcd land,
When the air is glad with wings
And the blithe somg-sparrow sing,
Many an eye with his still f,ce
Shall the Ii ing ones displace,
Many All ear the word shall seek
lie alone could fifty speak.
And one name for eyermore
Shall be uttered DER and DER
Ay the waves that kiss the shore,
By the curlew' 3 whistle sent
Down the cool, sea-scented air;
In all voices known to her
Nature own her worshiper,
Hall ia triumph, hilf lament,
Thithc. Love sh Ill fearful turn.
Friendship pause uncovered there,
And the wisest reverence learn
From tho Masters silent PRAYER.