Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-08-07
VERONICA.
A ROMAN LEGkNp

And when at vespers heavenly clear
Her voice rings out above the rest,
santa Cecilia, sure has hlest.'
saw the proud nuns. " our sister dear,
What Joy, did listening angel come,
As to the noble day ut Rome ~
No angel came. Veronica
sang on unto herself alone,
Or silent saints in sculpturud stone,
or sisters white and cold as they,
And gazed up to the impassive blue,
Where not one heavenly face locked throug
But youthful blood runs hot and fast,
And narrow are the convent walls,
And Wild ambition leaps and fails,
And leans again. :" At last at last -
Loathing the pale life that can tend
To no beginning and no end
She walks beneath the lex trees,
watching the duh suns rise and set
Her days are fixed with vague regret;
In the long nights strange dreams She sees,
And wakes in terror. Must this be
Santa Cecilia, pity me
"Dear saint, who hadst all that lack
Wealth, love, hope, jOy-o martyr sweet
BY thy dead hands, and straight, dead feet
Now walking safe the heavenly track,
And woman's soul, from flesh set tree
Santa Cecilia, come TO me ~
Was it vision Close beside
There stands n Presence in the cell
The white shroud round her limbs that fell
Shines like the garment OF IA bride.
The blood marks in her neck yet stay.
II is the Saint Cecilia.
Few of her words but soft as rain
Down-falling on long thirsty soil
"Sister go forth. Live, love- and toll.
1 in thy stead will here remain.
Fare we'll" And broken are all bands;
Outside the gate the young nun stands.
. Fame how grand thy empty sound
Love, how sweet thy treacherous breath
Youth, strong in life, thinks not OF death.
She climbs the hill top, looks around
Her eager feet have reached their goal
Earth satisfied l. her full soul
Santa Cecilia, oft they calf
The heavenly singer, human yet,
Midst home and babes does she forget
| The narrow cell, the convent wall,
| Or through applauding crowds can hear
| The nuns meek voices chanting clear
| whoknowsG She lived her life they say,
| Serene, contented. proudly pure,
OF earth and heaven alike secure.
TIL out OF her blue sky one day
The bolt fell. Childless, widowed. lone.
Earth faded. Is heaven also gone
40 Christ" she prayed, " of martyrs Lord,
Whose service only cannot tire,
Who only fill'st the he0t's desire,
will arise and hear Thy Word,
Who am as truly slain as she,
Thy dead Cecilia Comfort me -
One May morn at the convent gate
4 pale, gaunt woman knocked and cried
"open! oh, let me here abide;
| am so very desOlGte"
"Who art thou >" THAT young sister gay,
| The singer called Veronica"
Laughed the good nun "our sister dear
Has never left these peaceful walls
Each morn and eve her sweet voice calls
To prayer, and saints and angels hear.
Her face Is lovely, as of yore.
But thine? Begone - She shut the door.
In her old cell that even-tide
Veronica awoke and saw,
With strange quiet, mixed with awe,
Her old self sitting by her side.
But sweeter, holer, calmer made,
As pure souls grow whose bodies fade
Slowly it changed. Upright and fair.
In her celestial youth, there stands
The statue with the linked hands,
And straight dead feet, and folded hair
And virginia. soft raiment. white
And shining in the Lambs own light
WELCOME r'-those sill yer accents fall
"God proved thee as strong souls are proved
Thou in the world hast lived, worked, loved
And suffered. sister. is IL well?
The path desired thy feet have trod
Is aught enduring, except God ?"
low sob thrilled the convent cell
The gray hair swept the convent fiOor
Veronica arose once more,
cay, all was best as II befeu
But all Is past. trust his word
Deal with me as Thou wilt, o Lord !"
Next morning on the pallet bed
They found a woman wan and gray
"Can this be our Veronica,
Tho was so fair last night ?" they said
"And win she rise once more and sing
Gods praises, like the birds ia spring ?"
She rose she sang. Her step was slow
Feeble her voice. like songs In dreams.
The same yet not the same, she seems;
As when some face we used to know
We sudden meet, ana on IL sec
The shadow OF eternity.
Yet still she went her daily round
OF humble duties. dear as Joys
And still the music OF her voice
Rejoiced the couyents narrow bound.
Outside. the world went on its way;
Forgotten was Veronica.
Her Cell the silent secret kept
Years long. At last they found her there,
The sainted nun with silver hair,
Soft smiling, like child that slept;
Only the dream of life was Ger
They knew that she would wake no moro
And rs they mourned above her bier
They felt a sudden sweet perfume.
And through the stiffness OF the room
They heard two voices singing clear,
Then fading, pass far, far away.
So lived, so died, Veronica.
BY Lhe Author Of" John HdLiCa1, Gentleman
in Harpsr's MagdziHe for august