Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-02-21
THE DYING HEBREW.

A Hebrew knelt in the dying hight
His eye was DIM and cod,
The hairs on his brow were silver-white,
and his blood was thin and old!
He lifted his look to his latest sun
For he knew that his pilgrimage was done
And, as he saw Gods ShGdoD there,
His spirit poured itself in prayeri
AZ come unto deaths second birth,
Beneath a strangers air,
pilgrim on dull, cold earth,
AS al! my fathers were !
And men have stamped me with curse
feel it is not Thine,
Thy mercy-hke yon sun-was made
On meas them-to shine!
And, therefore, dare / lift mine eye,
Through that to Thee-before die?
In this great temple, built by Thee,
Whose are divine,
Beneath yon lamp, that cease!essly,
Lights up Thine own true shrine,
Oh !! take my latest sacrifice
Look down, and make this sod
Holy as that where long ago,
The Hebrew met his God!
1 have not caused the widows tears,
Nor dimmed the orphans eye,
I have not stained the viz gins years,
Nor Knocked the mou rner's cry;
The songs OF Zion, in mine ear,
Have ever been most sweet,
And always. when felt Thee near,
My shoes were off my feet
have known Thee, in the whirlwind,
I've known Thee on the hill,
I have loved Thee, in the voice of birds,
Or the music Of the rlll =
I dreamt Thee, in the shadow,
1 saw Thea in the light,
/ heard Thee in the thunder peal,
And worshipped, in the night;
All beauty, while it spoke of Thee,
Still made my soul rejoice.
And my spirit bowed within itself,
TO hear Thy 'still, small voice! !"
L hare not felt myself thing
Far from Thy presence driven,
BY flaming sword or waving wing,
Shut off from Thee and heaven!
Must ths whirlwind reap, because
My fathers sowed the storm,
Or shrink-because another smned
Beneath Thy red, right arm?
Oh much of this we tlimly scan
And much is all unknown
But I will not take my curse from man,
/ turn to thee alone!
oh bid my darling spirit live,
And what is dark reveal,
And what is evil, oh forgive,
And what is broken, heal.
And cleanse my nature from above,
In the deep Jordon of Thy love!
know not if the Christians heaven
Shall be the same as mine,
I only ask to be forgiven,
And taken home to thine!
/ weary on a far dim strand,
Whose mansions are as tombs,
And long to find the father land,
Where there are many homes
Oh grant of all yon starry thrones,
Some dim and distant star,
Where Judah's lost and scattered sons
May love Thee from affair!
When all earth's myriad barps shall meet,
In choral praise and prayer,
Shall lions harp of old, so sweet,
Alone be wanting there?
Yet, place me in Thy lowest seat,
Though las now-be there,
The Christians scorn, the Christians jest,
But let me see and hear,
From some dim mansion in the sky,
Thy bright ones and their melody !"
The sun goes down with sudden CLEAN,
And-beautiful as a lovely dream,
And silently as air
The vision of dark-eyed girl,
With long and raven hair,
Gides in-as guardian spirits glide
And, 10 is kneeling by his side;
AS if her sudden presence, there,
We're sent, IN answer to bis prayer,
tOhi say they not that angels tread
Around the good mans dying bed y
His child Ibis sweet and sinless child =
And as he gaZed on her,
He knew his God was reconciled,
And this the messenger
AS sure as God had hung on high,
The promise bow before his eye !
Earth's purest hopes thus DER him flung,
To point his heavenward faith,
Andlife's most holy feeling st rung.
To sing him into Death =
And on his daughters stainless breast,
The dying Hebrew found his rest!
Masonic ReUieu