Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1883-11-17
Fallen.

The following beautiful, poem which origin
ally appeared in the illustrated News, published
In Richmond during the war by MessIs. Ayres
pers OF the United States for months past ia a. an
the gsea by
| and Is one of the most beautiful and toucnipg
poems IN the English language:
The iron voice from yonder spire has hushed its
And midnight finds me lying here, in silence
and alone;
The stil, moon through my window sheds its
With melancholy paleness have never seen
before;
And the summer wind comes to me with it's sad
As If burthened with the sorrows of weary.
W.. w weary syy;. Gay;
ness here within;
And the sad wind takes no portion from my
.bosom's weight of Elm.
Yet my heart and all its pulses seem SO quietly
That scarcely feel them beating in my arms or
And these rounded limbs are resting now SO still
u.o. upon ., The bed.
What # 'twere SO What If dled-died as AM
With ns sometniSr like to v,rtue.s calm unor ,h.
marble brow?
What il died to-aight9 All! how this slothful
heart begins to beati
A fallen wretch like me; to pass from earth SO
sadly sweet.
let am calm-as calm as clouds that slowly
To give their fearful strength to some IMPLYING
summer storm;
Or as the wide Sc. ere the white waves all its
Still still have no tears to shed-these eye
lids have no store
The fountain once within me is fountain now
NO more;
The moon alone weeps for me now. the pale and
She weeps for dying Mary through all the
nights sweet noon.
What III died tonight. within these gilded.
wretched walls,
Upon whose crimson trappings no eye Of virtue
What would its soulless inmates do when they
had found me here.
With cheek too white for PASSIONS smile, too
cold for passions tear?
Oh! one would come and from these arms un-
clasp these bauhe banda;
Another, wrench the Jewels of my fairer whittier
This splendid robe another's form would grace,
The moonlight came again to sleep upon the
floor!
And when they laid me down in earth where
pauper graves are made,
Beneath no bending willows angel-haunted
Whoa come and plant q flower o'er poor
Mary's friendlcss grave,
Or trim the tangled wild grass that no summer
wind could wavef
Who'd raise asstsne to mark it from the ruder |
graves around,
That the passing strangers footsteps might re-
No stone would stand above me, no it'll wav.
ing tree;
No hand would plant flower o'er fallen
wretch like me. |
What II died tonight And when to-morrow's |
sun had crept |
Where late the softer moon in virgin beauty
slept,
They come and find me here. Oh! who would
weep to see me Gead?
Who'd bend the knee Of sorrow by the pulseless
wanton's bed9
fhere =. on. woSd some-my mother God bless
That bore her. ere her daughter fell. to yonder
quiet land.
When my mother went to heaven, and was |
pure and young.
And there's another. too, would cOme-a man |
upon whose brow
Ny shame has brought the winter snow to rest
SO heavy now;
Yes. he would come, with manhoed's tears all
burning down his cheek
Had r. asun's kingdom stronger been where vir-
tue grew so weak!
My sister and my brothers all, thank God! are
lar away:
They'll never know how died the one who min
glcd In their play
They II never know how wretchedly their darl-
INK sister died
The one who smiled whence they smiled. who
cried Whene'er they cried.
should be al0ne!
This splendid chamber seems to Want some
roHe's wOnted tonei
Yon soundless mirror, with its smooth and all |
Sees not these jewellei arm, TO- nigh, in an un-
chaste embrace,
Oh! have hed the fever Of that heated crowded
hall.
them all
Where could smile upon them, w ilh that easy. |
wanton grace
W htch subdueS the blood OF virtue that would
struggle In my iacei
But hate them all. l scorn them, as they scorn
me on the street;
l could spurn away the pressure that NY lips 30
often meet;
1 could trampie on the lucre that their passion
never spares,
For they've robbsd me OF heritage of greater
price than theirs
They can never give me back again what have
The brightest jewel woman wears throughout
m her little day;
Shuts out forever womau's heart from all its
hopes of heaven.
What If died to-night9 What if died as a,n
lying here9
There's many green leaf wilners ere the au-
tumn comes to scar,
There's many dewdrop shaken down ere vet
the sunshine came,
And many spark hath died before 1t wakened
into flame.
What il died tonight. and left those wretched
bonds Of clay
To seek beyond this hollow sphere brighter,
better day2
What If my soul passed out and sought that
haven OF the blcst,
''Where the wicked cease from troubling and
the weary are at rest?''
Would angels call me from above, and beckon
me to come
And join them in their holy songs In that etern-
al home?
Would they clasp their hands in gladness when {
they saw my soul set free, L
And point beside my mother to place reserved
for me2 ,
Would they meet me as a sister, as one of pre-
cous worth,
Who had won place in heaven by her holiness !.
on earth :?
)h. Godl would not have my soul go out upon |
the air |
With all its weight Of wretchedness, to wander q
where oh! where2 .