The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1878-09-25
THE DOVE.
A Companion to POe's Raven.

BY REV j. II. MARTIN, D. D.
Once upon summer evening,
AS lay reposing, dreaming, ling
While the twinkling stars were beam
And their light was family cleaning,
Through the window of my room,
Suddenly beside my pillow,
Like the murmur of a billow,
Or the sigh of weeping willow,
Mid the shadow and the gloom,
There was heard gentle sound,
Floating on the air around,
As an echo from above;
And I, waking, saw dove
Perched upon the whitened head
OF statue near my bed,
And it seemed with soft, low cooling,
My lone heart to soothe with wooing,
Like an angel from the sky,
Or spirit lowering nigh.
While [ lay entranced and dreaming,
Startled by the echo seeming
To be whispered from above,
In the starlight family cleaning,
With its form of beauty beaming,
| beheld the snowy dove;
With thrill of wonder, gazing
On the visitor, amazing,
| demanded "Who are you 90
And the gentle bird of whiteness,
With its snowy robe of brightness,
Answered with a COO
81 am sent" he said, ''from Alden,
By fair and lovely maiden,
With message unto thee;
am come to soothe thy sorrow,
Bid thee from despair to borrow
Hope that thou her face shalt see
For thy cherished one is living,
And her thoughts to thee is giving,
On bright and distant shore
And l come, her carrier dove,
With message from thy love,
Who is thine forevermore.
By this Joyful news excited,
ravished and delighted,
/, the snowy bird addressing,
Asked, with earnest voice inquiring,
What my soul was most desiring,
That her name to me expressing,
He would set my heart at rest
Still the tumult in my breast,
And assure me that mag maiden,
In the distant fields of Alden
Waited for me on that shore
Would be mine foreyermore.
Then spoke with greater fervor,
|, the maiden's ardent lover:
Does my own departed liver
ITO the bird of whiteness listening
While my eager eyes were glistening,
For the answer he should give);
Tell me, o thou. carrier dove, I.
Of my absent. cherished love,
Whom knew in days of yore;
Has she passed the shining portal
Of the blessed land immortal,
Going through the golden door
Does she move in light and splendor,
Do tue graces all attend her,
n, 4I,of fo1 ~ Isofo ,I,.o 80 81
w ords and tones and looks revealing
All my depths of inward feeling,
Moved, affected by my pleading,
And my anxious question needing,
Thus the dove, my soul discerning,
Answer made, these words returning:
In the distant fields of Alden,
On a bright, Elysian shore,
Dwells a fair and lovely maiden,
And her name is Gilmore;
Mid the flowers about her blooming,
Mid the odors sweet perfuming
All the balmy air around,
She, arrayed in robes of whiteness,
w alks an angel in her brightness,
With a wreath immortal crowned
Then the bird, his wings unfolding,
Left me, as lay behOlding,
Filled with transport and delight;
With soft, sonorous COO,
Nodding, bidding me adieu,
the open window flew
Out into the gloomy night.
But the bright, enchanting vision
Of the distant fields Elysian,
And my cherished Gilmore,
AS fair and lovely maiden,
Dwelling in the land of Alden,
Is my light foreyermore.
There shall /, my loved one greeting,
At our future, early meeting,
On that distant, radiant shore.
With ecstatie joy and gladness,
Free from parting, pain and sadness,
Clasp again my Gilmore,
Call her mine forevermorei