The Arkansaw traveler., 1886-03-13
VASHTI.
BY WILL HuBsARD-KERNAN.

BY WILL HuBsARD-KERNAN. O,I feel the fragrant wind and hear the waters sing, Isee the sweet, wild roses blushing with the blood of Spring, And the world leaps up to heaven as | hold thee to my breast Ina swoon of perfect rapture, with a sense of perfect rest.
 But waken with start,
 And my torn and bleeding heart Cries unto Christ: Have pity-let my soul and senses partl" There esmeth no reply, and rise and look abroad; 1t seemeth that the whole wide world hath turned away from God. Its garlands of glad forests that fringed the stainless sky, Its foamy lilies and the flame of tulips closer by,
 Its prairie lands uncurlsd
 To the edges of the world, Where trilled the tuneful wild-birds with their jewel wings unturlea. Yes The Night hath swallowed up all the beauty and the bloom; Our planet reels and rolls away through awful Rutfs of gloom; Within the lone, black, shuddering void the lost wiads call and cry, SNAA aS"~ 'NS NkkV NuS SS~ "NASS PitS ous reply:
 Fit symbol and it sign,
 O, heart-O, heart ct mine This fierce complaining passion to the passion that is thine turn. The fire burns brigh,-with rosy rise and fall 1t lights pure, seraphc face upon the pie tured ~all; o, Vashtil Vashul Thou vert love and hope and life to me Then come from out the vague Unknown and take me unto thee.
 Biiss-bliss insffable,
 Divine with thee to dwell Upon the white, calm heights of heaven or in the heart of hell! In the radiant rose years of my bright and buoyant youth, When my life was lapped in pleasure and my world was masked in truth, When with color, life and melody the jocund days were rife, Like a dream of heaven made real came thy love into my life.
 In that witching world of mine
 Was no separating liAe Between my heaven and the heaven where saints triumphant shine. But this was not for long--a wild March morning came That woke no song within the wood nor tOucneu our star with nRme, Aud thou in thy fair bridal robes lay still and cold and white Within thy blood no fire, within thy folded lids no lie.
 Why was it ordered so
 That thy life must know For one brief diamond day and then forever more foregot Unjustl unjust l hold, for the world is wide is wide; Why should with thy love be lowered to have it thus denied Out of the inhnite of Time, the vastitude Of Space, o, why should fate foreorder it that we meet face to facet
 Why swept no seas between
 Thy way and mine, my queenl Why lay no long drawn centuries betwixt our lives terrenei o, had never seen thy fair, sweet southern face, Nor folded thee in scstacy within my fond embrace, How happy would have been my heart that now is cruclhed, How full oi ,aower every hope tha, with thee dropped and disd
 Why was it ordered SO
 ltwas not chance, kuow, It was a curse that rules the world, and ruins all belowl But look the storm is stilled, and there is no more night, The shining signals of the morn move on from neigh, ,u height; The glory of the gods shines through the hlae, translucent sky, And vineyard, field and flood lift up jubi. lant, sweetcry.
 0, heart-O, heart of mins
 Is it symbol, is it sign or a resurrection morning that will ransom thee and thnel
 -CAieaSo Cnrrent.