The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-01-09


The band about their maiden girdlestead
Once fastened, and Of all mems violent hands
Invioable forever; these to me
We're but such gifts no thanksgiving,
II with one blow dividing the sheer life
i might make end, and one pang wind up all
And seal mine eyes from sorrow: for such END
The gods give none they love not; but my heart,
That leaps up lghtened OF all sloth or Tear
To take the swords point yet with one thoughts load
Flags and falls back broken Of wing that halts,
Manned IN mid ght for thy sake, and borne down
Mother, that in the places where played
An arms length from thy bosom and no more,
Shalt ind me never nor thine eye wax glad
To mix with mine its eyesght, and for love
Laugh without word filled with sweet light and speak
Divine dumb things OF the inward spirit and heart
Moved silently; nor hand or lip again
Touch hand or lip of either; but for mine
Shall thine meet only shadows Of swift night,
Dreams and dead thoughts of dead things; and the
bed
Thou strewedst sterile place for all time strewn
For my sleep only with its void sad sheets
Shall vex thee and the unfruitful coverid.
For empty days reproach me dead; that leave
No profit OF my body, but am gone
AS not w"F,h being born, TO bear no seed;
sapless stock md branchess Yet thy womb
Shall want not honor OF me that brought forth
For all this people freedom, and for earth
From unborn city, born out Of my blood
To hight the face of all men evermore
Glory But lay thou this TO thy great heart:
Where under In the dark OF birth conceived
Mine unit life lay girded with the zone
That bound thy bridal bosom, set this thought
Against all edge OF evil as a sword
TO beat back sorrow that for all the world
Thou brough'st me forth, saviour who shall save
Athensi for none but |, from none but thee,
Shall take this death for garland
Praxithea's grief finds vent in the words which fol-
low
OF gods and men
drift mustered on ruin, and the
Darkens my head with imminent height, and hangs
Dumb dlled too full with thunder that shall leave
These death deafened when the tide finds tongue
all its wrath bears on them. Thee, oh child,
help not, nor am holpen. Fain, ali fain,
More than ever mother born OF man,
We're TO help thee-fain beyond all prayer,
Beyond all thought-fain TO redeem thee torn
More timeess from me sorrowing than the dream
That thy SISTER so shalt thou be too,
Thou but vision shadow shaped Of sleep,
By grief made out Of nothing. Now but once
touch, but once more bold thee; one more kiss
This last time, and none other evermore
Leave on thy lips, and leave them Go; thou vast
My child my nursing; now this breast once thine,
Shall again children; never now
Shall any mortal blossom born like thee,
Lie there, nor ever with small silent mouth
Draw the sweet springs dry for an hour that feed
The blind blithe life that knows not Never heed;
Rest here to make these cold veins warm; nor eye
Laugh itself open with the lips that reach
Lovingly toward a fount more loving These
Death makes as all good lesser things now dead,
And all the latter hopes that Powered from these,
And fall, as these fell iruitless no Joy more
Praise il; no good shall eyes get more of thee
That iightenel for thy loves sake.
The contamination Of the sacrifice is thus described
by the chorus
High things OF strong souled that loved their land
ON brass and stone are written and their deeds
On high days chanted, but none craven or sung
That ever set mems eyes or spirits on fire.
Athenians, has the SUMS height seen, or earth
Heard IN her depth reverberate as from heaven,
More worth mems praise and good report Of gods
Than here bring Tor record in your carsf
For being come TO the altar, where, as priest,
Death ministering should meet her and has hand
Seal her sweet ewes asleep the maiden stood
With light in all her face, as OF a BRIDE
Smiling, shine OF festa flame by night,
Far flung from towers of triumph. and her lips
Trembled with pride in pleasure that no fear
Banched them, nor Death before his time drank dry
The blood whose bloom fulfilled them for her cheeks
I.ghtened, and brighter than bridal veil
Her hair enrolled her bosom, and enrolled
From face 10 feet the body's whole soft length,
As with a cloud sun saturnaie Then she spake
With maiden tongue words man-like but her eyes
Lit mildly like a maiden's =" Countrymenl
With more good will and height of happier heart
give me 70 you than my mother bare
And 60 more gladly this great way TO death
Than young men bound to battle" Then, with face
Turned 10 the shadowyest part of all the shrine,
And eyes fast set upon the further shade:
Take me, dear gods; I" and form had shone
From the deep hollow shadow. some gods tongue
Answered-''I bless you that our guardian grace
Gives me TO guard this country takes my blood
Your ohild's by name, 10 neal it," Then the priest
Set TO the flower sweet snow OF her soft throat
The sheer knife's edge that severed H. and oosed,
From the fair bondage OF SO spotless flesh,
So strong spirit; and all that grit them round,
Gazng with souls that hung on that sad stroke,
Groaned and kept silence After while,
Might count how lar the fresh blood crept and bathed
How deep the dark robe and the bright shrne's base
Red-rounded with a running ring that grew
More large and duskier the wells that ted
Were drained OF that pure efiuence But the queen
Floats out Of eyes awakening, passed forth
Ghosthke, a shadow Of sorrow from all sight
To the inner court and chamber, where she sits
Dumb tall word reach her Of this whole days end.
Chthonias death followed by that her two sisters
for we are told that theywhether from grief and
sore love for their sister
or with the shame soul stung
To outhve her dead, doubt lest their lives too,
The gods require 10 seal their country safe,
And bring the oracuar doom 70 perfect end
Have slam themselves and fallen at the altar foot,
Lie by their own hands done 70 death; and fear
Shakes all the CITY, as winds wintering tree
And as dead leaves, are mems hearts blown about
And shrunken with III thoughts and howerless hopes
Shed OF the madcns guiltless, fall and nx
On this lands forehead ike curse that ceaves
To the unclean souls inexpiate hunted head,
Whom his own crime tracks hother than a hound
To hfes yelled end unsleeping; and this hour
Now backens toward the battle that must close
All gates OF hope and fear on all their hearts
Who trembe toward It's issue, knowing not yet
II blood may buy them surety, cleanse, or soil
The helpless hands raise and reach no stay
The horrors Of the battle winch follows increased
BY The Of the elements The is described
ihrough the chorus in language which shows the skill
Of the author in word-pAintng:-
For now, not in word but deed, is the harvest OF
And its clamor outbellows the thunder It's lightning
outlightens the sun
From the springs Of the morning II thunders and Light
10 the wave where the ends and the pail OF
the last low star;
With trampling drenched red boofs and an earth.
quake OF men that meet,
Strong war sets hand to the scythe and the burrows
take nre from his feet
OF rocks afraid
And the mountains moved and the valleys are
waves IN storm wind swayed,
from the roots Of the hills 10 the plains dim verge
ana the dark lone shore
AR shoulders with shrll spears crossing and hurting
Of wheels that roar.