DIVIDED. Bare grassy slopes, where the kids are tethered, A rose-flush tender, a thrill, a quiver, Broad and white, and polished as silver, And 'plaineth of love's disloyalties. Glitters the dew, and shines the river; But two are walking apart forever, And wave their hands for a mute farewell. VII. A braver swell, a swifter sliding; The river hasteth, her banks recede; Wing-like sails on her bosom gliding Bear down the lily, and drown the reed. Stately prows are rising and bowing- The tiny green ribbon that showed so fair. While, O my heart! as white sails shiver, And crowds are passing, and banks stretch wide, 253 Farther, farther-I see it-know it My eyes brim over, it melts away: Only my heart to my heart shall show it, As I walk desolate day by day. VIII. And yet I know past all doubting, truly,- And as I walk by the vast calm river, The awful river so dread to see, I say, “Thy breadth and thy depth forever JEAN INGELOW. To-day and To-morrow. H' IGH hopes that burn like stars sublime, And true hearts perish in the time We bitterliest need 'em! But never sit we down and say, "There's nothing left but sorrow:" We walk the Wilderness to-day- Our birds of song are silent now; And Freedom's spring is coming! TO-DAY AND TO-MORROW. Through all the long, drear night of years The people's cry ascendeth, And earth is wet with blood and tears, But our meek suffering endeth! The few shall not forever sway, The many toil in sorrow: The powers of hell are strong to-day, Though hearts brood o'er the past, our eyes For lo! our day bursts up the skies Lean out our souls and listen! Keep heart! who bear the cross to-day O Youth, flame-earnest, still aspire To many a heaven of desire Our yearning opes a portal! And though Age wearies by the way, Build up heroic lives, and all Be like the sheathen sabre, Ready to flash out at God's call- Triumph and Toil are twins-and aye Joy suns the cloud of sorrow; And 't is the martyrdom to-day Brings victory to-morrow! GERALD MASSEY. 255 D The Present. O not crouch to-day, and v orship The old Past whose life is fled: Hush your voice with tender reverence; Crowned he lies, but cold and dead: For the Present reigns our monarch, With an added weight of hours: Honor her, for she is mighty! Honor her, for she is ours! See, the shadows of his heroes But the Present shall fulfill them, What he promised, she shall do. She inherits all his treasures, Coward, can she reign and conquer Let us fight for her as nobly ADELAIDE A. PROCTER. IS IT COME? 257 Is Is it Come? S it come? they said, on the banks of the Nile, Who looked for the world's long-promised day, And saw but the strife of Egypt's toil With the desert's sand and the granite gray. From the Pyramid, temple, and treasured dead, We vainly ask for her wisdom's plan ; They tell us of the tyrant's dread: Yet there was hope when that day began. The Chaldee came with his starry lore, And built up Babylon's crown and creed; And bricks were stamped on the Tigris' shore With signs which our sages scarce can read. From Ninus' temple and Nimrod's tower, The rule of the old East's empire spread Unreasoning faith and unquestioned powerBut still, Is it come? the watcher said. The light of the Persian's worshiped flame When Greece to her freedom's trust was true: With human gods, and with god-like men, No marvel the far-off day seemed near To eyes that looked through her laurels then. The Romans conquered and reveled too, Till honor, and faith, and power were gone; And deeper old Europe's darkness grew As, wave after wave, the Goth came on. The gown was learning, the sword was law; The people served in the oxen's stead; But ever some gleam the watcher saw— And evermore, Is it come? they said. |