Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-01-22

| Cneer'd us, and now is pass'd into the night
The boon 10 thy foundstion-hour fofetoh,
The presence of that gracious inmate, light
| A child OF light appear'd,
| Hitler he came, late-born and long desired
And to mems hearts this ancient place en-
dear'd;
What, is the happy glow 50 soon expireae
Rough was the winter eve
| Their craft the fishers leave,
And down over the Thames the darkness drew.
One still lags last, and turns, and eyes the Pill;
| King Sebert's wsrk the wondrous Minister new.
| It's Lambeth now, where then
| They moor q their boats among the bulrush stems
And that new minister in the matted fen,
| The worid-famed Abbey by the westering Thames
His mates are gone, and he
| For mist can hardly see
| strange wayfarer coming to his side,
Who babe him loose his boat, and fix his oar,
And row him straightway to the further shore,
And wait while he did there space abide.
The fisher, awed, obeys,
That voice had note so clearof sweet command;
| Through pouring tide he pulls and driz:lins
And sets his freight ashore ON Thorney strand
| The minister's outlined mass
Rose dim from the Inorass.
And thitherward the stranger took his way.
| Le, on a sudden all the Pile is bright,
Nave, choir and transept glorified with light.
While tongues of fire on coign and carving play,
And heavenly odors fair
| Come streaming with the floods OF glory in,
And carols float along the happy air
| As If the reign OF joy did nov begin.
Then all again is dark
| And by the fishers bark
The unknown passenger returning stands.
% Saxon fisher thou hast had with thee
SO saith he blessing him with outspread hands;
Then fades, but speaks the yhi.e;
At dawn thou to King Sebert shalt pSaase
How his Saint Peters Church in Thoney Isle
Peter his friend, with light did conseerate.
Twelve hundred years and more
Along the holy floor
Effape humber II *
And, as years sped. the minster-aisles divine
Grew used TO the approach of Glorys wings.
Arts came, and arms, and law,
And ma esty, and sacred form and fear;
Only that primal guest the fisher saw,
Light, only light, was slow to reappear.
The saviour's happy light,
Wherewith at first was digit
His boon of life and immortality,
In desert ice of suotleties spent
Or drown'd in mists OF childish wonderment,
Fond faneies here, there false philosophy
And harsh the temper grew
OF men whose minds were darkened and astray
And scarce the boon of life could struggle
through
For lack Of light which should the boon convey.
Yet in this latter time
That promise of the prime
Seem'd to come true at last, o Abbey old
II seem'd child of light did bring the dover
FDreshown thee in thy conservation hour.
And in thy courts his shining freight unrolld-
Bright wits and instiJ oct sure,
And goodness warm. ana truth without alloy,
And temper sweet, and love of all things pure,
And JOY in light and power TO spread the joy.
And on that countenance bright
Shone oft so high light,
That to my mind there came how, long ago.
Lay on the hearth amid fiery ring.
His nurse the Mighty Mother, WILD il 50.
Warm in her breast, by day,
He slumberd. and ambrosia balm'd the child;
But all night long amid the flames he lay,
Upon the hearth, and playd with them, and
smiled
But once, at midnight deep,
His neither woke from sleep,
And saw her babe amidst the fire, and seream'd.
A sigh the Goddess gave. and with a frown
Pluck'd from the fire the child, and laid him
down
Then raised her face. and glory round her beam'd O..
The mourning stole no more
Mantled her FORM no more her head was how'd;
But raiment of celestial sheen she wore
And beauty fill d her, and she spake aloud:
80 ignorant race of man!
Achieve your good who can,
If your own hands the good begun undo?
Had human cry not marrd the work divine,
Immortal had / made this boy of mine;
But now his head to death again is due.
And have now no power
Unto this pious household to repay
Their kindness shown me in my wandering
hour"
She sEake, and from the portal pass'd away.
The boy his nurse forgot,
And bore mortal lot;
Long since, his name is heard ON earth more.
The nursing of the Mighty Mother died,
And went where all his fathers went before
OF childhood, Arthur, did some cheek have power
That, radiant though thou vert, thou couldst
but stay,
Bringer of heavenly light, human hour?
Therefore our happy guest
Knew care, and knew unrest
And weakness warned him, and he fear'd decline,
And men ignoble harass'd him with strife,
And deadly airs his force did undermine.
And from his Abbey fades
The sound beloved OF his victorious BREATH
And lights fair nursing languor first invsdes,
And then the GROWING impotence of death.
But hush! This mournful strain,
NJ 6paf IA laip
The oracle forbade, not i'll inspired
That Pair, whose head did plan, whose hands
The temple in the pure Parnassian gorge,
Had finished and a need of price required.
Live happy! then expect your perfect need"
Quiet in sleep, the seventh night, they died.
And, truly he who here
Hath run his bright career.
And served men nobly, and acceptance found,
And borne 70 light and right his witness high
What can he better crave than then to die,
And wait the issue sleeping underground?
Down the long age of truth that Iipens slow.
And break his heart with all the battling
And all the tedious tossing to and fro?
For this and that way swings
The hux of mortal things,
Though moving only to one far-of goal.
What had our Arthur gain'd 20 stop and see,
After lights term term of cecity,
Church once large and then grown strait in soul
TO live and see arise,
Alternating with wisdom's too short reign,
Folly revived refurbish'd fophistries
Ind pullulating rites eXterne and vain?
Ayme 'Tis deaf, that ear
Which ioyd my voice to hear,
let would not disturb thee from thy tomb,
Here sleeping in thine Abbeys friendly shade, |
And the rough waves of life forever laid
would not break thy rest nor change thy doom.
Even my father. thou,
wen as that loved. that well-recorled friend,
Hast thy commission done; We both may now |
vait for the leaven to work, the let to end.
And thou, Abbey gray,
Predestined to the ray.
~ the dear soul over thy precinct shed
Fear not but that thy light once more shall |
burn.
One day thy immemorial CLEAN return,
hough sunk is now this bright, this graciousheadi
Let but the light appear
nd thy TRANSPORTED walls be toueh'd with flame,
Our Arthur will again be present here
gain from lip to lip viii pass his name.