The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-02-15
"TzE LIGHT OF TIE WORLD"


Gnbce Of its subject, and the greater fervo
and reverence OF its handling, comes NOR
closely home TO the bosoms o. men.
1t was much to have written The Light o
Asia but it is more, infinitely more. q
have written 1.-THE Light OF the World" o
which every lover Of sacred song will say
when he has finished it. That strain
heard was of a higher mood"
So writes Richard Henry Stoddard in hi
Introduction to Edwin Arnold's new poem
published Feb. 16
1t is a work Of over 5000 lines, the cen
trail theme being Jesus Christ. Mr.. Arnold
treatment of his great theme is marked by
the utmost reverence. and lie certain K
awaken the same emotion in the breast Of
the reader.
The poem consists of six books, as fol
lows: Book l., Mary Magdalene; Book III.
the Magus; Book Ill, The Alabaster Box
Book w. IN two parts), The PARALLELS; Al
Tyre; Book ", The Love Of God and Nan
Book W.. The Great Consummation. Pre-
ceding the poem, which is written in BLANK
verse, is a sort OF Introductory book entitled
At bethlehem" which is written in rhymed
verse (which is not, by the way, tho verse
In which Mr.. Arnold does his best work..
Book the First opens with q description OF
the Sea of Galilee as il was In the days OF
Christ:
Now all is changed-ail save the chanEeIess
Tho mountains and the waters, and the sky
These, as He saw them, have cir glory yet
At sunrise. and at sunset; and when noon
Burns the blue vault into a cope of gold
And ofttimes, in the Syrian Spring, steals back
Well-nigh the ancient beauty 70 those coasts
Where Christs feet have trod. That lily which
He loved
And praised for splendor passing Solomon's-
The scarlet tagon-decks herself still,
Mindful Of His high words. in red and gold,
To meet the step OF Summer. Cyclamens
Lift their pale heads TO see II He will pass;
And Amsryllis and white hyacinths
Pour from their peariy vases spikenard forth,
LEST He should come uahonored. In His paths
Stil as Of old, the lowly crocus spreads
A golden carpet for Him; and the birds
Small almoners of Heaven-as once He said
Who fall not unrezarded- their hymns
OF lively love and thanks IN every thorn.
Only what Man could do. Man hath well done
To blot with blood and tears His track divine
To sweep His holy footsteps from His earth.
In steel and gold, splendid and strong and fierce
Host after host under That Mount has marched
Where He safe saying: blessed the peace
In rage and hatred host with host has clashed
There where He taught Love ye your enc
miesl"
Banners which bore His cross, have Knocked His
cross.
Scattering His land with slain; till now, at last
Truly the sword, not peace, Is what He brought |
For love OF Him nation hates nation so
Guards Christian throats! Dead lie His once
fair fields;
Barren the fallows where His sower sowed;
None reaps the silver harvests Of His sea;
None IN the wheat-row roots the i'll tares out.
The hungry land gasps empty in the glare;
The vulture's self goes famished; tbs wolf
prowls
Fasting, amid the broken stones which built
The cities of Ills soiourn. Wild birds nest
Where reyels once were loudest All are gone
Save for those names never TO pass away,
Iapernaum, Bethsaida, Magdala--
The nine white towns that safe beside His
Vanished the stately stoas lofty fanes;
Vanished the walls, the towers, the citadelsi
Titus and Omar wrought fair Palestine
NO hurt ike His who gave her hallowed
ground
The fatal benediction of His feetl
Love house Is desolate for love Of Lowell
The waters glass no ssili the ways have
Into camel path; the centuries
With food and blast have torn the terrace
Which was His city mid this ruined lifei
None surely knoweth of Capernaum
dwelt
Longest and latest at this nameless mound
Where, on the broke column nests the stork;
Where knot grass with its spikes, aud bitter
balls
OF trailing colocynth, and nebbuk-thorns
WeAKG
Shelter for shy jerboss. and the snake.
SO still, sofar away, so quite forsook
His city's burialplace, the paiuted grouse
Lays her eggs there in carved acanthus-leaves
4op Arab, with the matchbox and the spear,
CHANGING askance-for Afreets haunt the spot
Murmurs Peace be to you'll this is Tell Hum |"
Desolate most Of all, with one starved palm
And huddle Of sad squalld novels. thou
Fl MeJdal! burned a-dry beneath black crays.
The story proper opens with the descrip-
ton of Pontius Plate, Claudia, his spouse.
and their attendants, en- route to Rome.
They stop at Magdala for the night. and
are directed, for accommodations, to the
house Of Mary Magdalene. On his Journey
through Galiiee the memory OF Christ has
haunted the Roman procurator, and he
seeks an interview with his hostess, which
she grants.
Thus met
She who most loved Him, he who rendered Hin
10 death -Pontius aud Mary. For, anon,
The bar slides backward OF the Woman's Court
And, on the stairway OF the leewan stood
One tall, and proud, and fair; albeit past grief
Had dimmed the luster of those large dark
Bent upon Plate Rich the Jewish blood
0io~ed through the sun-burnt ivory of her
Unveiled for misunderstanding show
OR color to tn thinned uncolored cheek,
~ poio an pearl luSQ ocean she'll
Inc iuii white neck, and where neck rose to
The tender margins of the bosom, bound
BY silver bordered cymar, crossed: and pale
As moonlight's heart the low, smooth forehead
framed
Unde the black waved hair: forehead and hair:
And eyebrows bent like the new moon; full lids:
SIX iashes, long and curved, shadowing with
touch
OF softest melancholy that worn place
Where the tears gather-all declaring her
daugh er of the sun, in those chimes born
Where ght and life are larger. All, and
marked
With stamp of those strong passions of the
Where not more Nature has her pangs and
throes.
Than man, Graded upon her burning breast
Tender and quick. There are the dawns of love
Enkindling hearts with instant golden glow
Like morning in the desert; there's Loves Moons
Consuming. all-reyeaiing. shadowless;
With fiery feryor draining young hearts dry
AS midday drinks the streams; and there
Love Eyes
Swift sinking from the fierce fit to the hull,
From snn-biaze, by brief dusk, to tranquil
stars,
And satisfied, still Night, Earthquakes and
floods;
whitening Simoons, and winds that tear the
seas
To milky madness, find their counterparts
In those own children of the Light who live
And love and hate with pulse at quicker beat.
Such heart-storms gone on that high counte.
nance
Had writ their passage, but not left her marred
Rather, like some majesfic Mount she showed
n Cathay or Japan, whose lofty bulk
asaged once. all flame; which broke its bound
aries,
And-forn and ID nd furfo,,s- =,