The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1913-10-13
OCTOBER Is, 1913
Realization
Bv ELLA WHEELER WILCOX

Hers was lonely, shadowed lot,
Or so the unperceiving thought,
Who looked no deeper than her face,
Devoid of chiseled lines of grace
And wondered how she bore her tate.
Yet she was neither lone nor sad;
SO much Of love her spirit had,
She found an everfowing spring
Of happiness in everything.
SO near to her was Natures heart
1t seemed very living part
OF her own self, and bud and blade,
And heat and cold, and sun and shade
And dawn and sunset, spring and fall,
Held raptures for her, one and ALL
The years four changing seasons brought
To her own door what thousands sought
In wandering ways and did not find
Diversion and content of mind.
She loved the tasks that filled each day
Such mental duties; but her way
Of looking at them lent a grace
To things the world deemed commonplace.
Obscure and without place or name,
She gloried in another's fame,
Poor plain and humble in her dress,
She thrilled when beauty and success
And wealth passed by on pleasure bent;
They made earth seem opulent,
Yet none OF quicker sympathy
When need or sorrow came than she,
And so she lived, and SO she died.
She woke as from dream How wide
And wonderful the avenue
That stretched to her astonished view
And up the green ascending lawn
palace caught the rays of dawn.
Then suddenly the silence stirred
With one clear keynote of Bird
thousand answered, till ere long
The air quivering bits of song;
She rose and wandered forth in awe
Amazed and moved by all she
For, like so many souls who go
Away from earth, she did not know
The cord was severed.
Down the street
Came one she loved and incurred in youth;
Her mother followed; then the truth
Broke her; golden wave
OF knowledge infinite. The grave,
The body and the earthly sphere
Were gone! Immortal life was here
They led her through the palace halls;
From cleaning mirrors the walls
She saw herself, with radiant mien,
And robed in splendor like queen,
While glory round about her shone,
'All this" Love murmured, rs your own.
And when she gazed with wondering eye
And questioned whence and where and why,
Love answered thus: "Al heaven is made
By thoughts on earth; your walls were laid
Year after year with purest gold;
The beauty of your mind behold
In this fair palace; aye, and more,
Waits farther on, so vast your store.
| was not worthy when l died
To take my place here at your side;
/ toiled through long and weary years
From lower planes to these high spheres,
And through the love you sent from earth
/ have attained second birth.
Oft when my erring soul would tire
| felt the strength of your desire;
] heard you breathe my name in prayer,
And courage conquered weak despair
All! earth needs heaven; but heaven indeed,
OF earth has just as great need
Across the terrace with bound
There sped 1ambkin and a hound
dumb comrades of the old earth land)
And found her glad caressing hand
you LOVED THEM INTO PARADISE"
Was answered to her questioning eyes;
You taught them love; love has no end!
Nor does loves life on form depend
If there be mortal without love
He wakes TO no new life above.
If love in humber things exist
1t must through other realms persist
Until all love rays merge in HIM
Harkl Hear the heavenly cherubim.
Then hushed and awed, with JOY so vast
1t knew no future and no past
She stood amidst the radiant throng
That to swell loves welcoming song
This humble soul from earths far coast
The center of the heavenly host
On earth they see her grave and say:
"She lies there till the judgment day;
Nor dream ESQ limited their thought),
What miracles by love are wrought