'TWAS a wild dream!-I had
Dim was my aching sight-and cold-
The blood that crept, in langid course,
Through each dried vein. Tired Nature's force
Was spent; yet, yet I longed to live-
To mingle in earth's crowd-to give
Another sigh, another tear,
To those who were by kindred dear-
To those my heart best loved. I wept,
In the dark thought that Time had swept,
Remorseless many a blooming flower,
The sunshine of my spirit's hour
Of happiness, away!-Alone
I wandered forth: no soothing tone
No blessing breathed, in accents dear
No "Speed thee, Heaven!" to charm and cheer-
Was mine. I came-and went; a sigh
Hailed me with its sad minstrelsy;
Shrieks of despair the rude gale swelled,
And demons of the night-storm yelled,
At my departure.-Could it be-
She, the beloved one!-where was SHE?
Ha! 'twas a sudden flash! that spire,
Seen through the lightning's lurid fire,
Had met my gaze before! Deep, deep,
In Memory's page, awake, asleep,
It dwelt in sacred vividness,
Through weal, through woe, my soul to bless.
MARY!-My Vows!-The bright, bright ray
That shone upon our favoured day—
The joyous peal that on our ear
Rang its glad changes, full and clear-
The words that, 'neath that sacred shrine,
Proclaimed thee mine-for ever mine!-
Yet sweetly haunted me,—when, lo!
A change came o'er my dream of woe!
It was a rapid, sudden change,
To darkness-mist-moonlight-a range
Of mountains in the distance; then,
A desert heath, from press of men
Removed; and then, a fitful sky
Of battling clouds-of anarchy-
From which the moon, with sullen ray,
Looked down on mortal man's decay.
The place of tombs was frowning there:
Beneath that beam, so coldly fair,
The bones of beauty, youth, and age,
Were bleaching. Winter's fiercest rage,
And summer's gale-the breeze, the blast-
O'er that lone scene unheeded passed,
Nor waked the sleepers.
Damp graves-and night's pale flowers, diffuse
A chilling sadness.-Hark! What sound
Is that from yonder humble mound
Of ungrassed carth ?-Poor FIDO here?
Man's fond unfailing friend, whose fear,
Whose hope, joy, sorrow, peace, and love,
Dwell in his master's eye! Above
The world's cold Janus-smile I greet
Thy honest welcome at my feet!
What means that look-that piteous moan?
Ah, 'tis a recent grave! The stone-
Sad land-mark, reared by hands of earth
O'er the last home of buried worth
The name-the story-may reveal,
Of him who now has ceased to feel
The thrill of bliss-the throb of woe-
The pang young minds are doomed to know,
When Disappointment's withering glance
Dissolves the spell of fond romance
That on her heart's proud beatings hung,
And songs of hope and gladness sung-
Pæans that told of future fame-
The heaven-born lay-the deathless name!
I read :-" MARY, the honoured wife”—
MARY!-my worshipped love! the life
Of life! My Mary-art thou gone?
Another change.-Lo, now there shone
A glorious sun in Heaven ;—and yet
The yew-tree's sable pall was wet
With tears of night;—and yet the mound-
Not grassless now, but osier-bound-
Was there; and still the moaning gale
Sighed o'er that stone-that tribute frail,
But time had dimmed its freshness-moss
Crept o'er the words that spoke the loss
My widowed soul had known.-Beneath
A rank and deadly nightshade wreath
These broken lines I read :-"Here sleeps
Her husband"_"LIFE'S ASSURANCE"_"weeps"__
I was no more amongst the dead—
The world's swift stream-the rushing throng
Carried me with its tide along,
Like a seared leaf that yet lives on,
When all its kindred leaves are gone.-
Strange, that amidst the ceaseless strife,
Though joy was dead, I longed for life!
Those words-those words-that vision still
Haunted my heart and brain. The will,
Without the power to live, was mine!
O, for some voice-some voice divine-
To whisper to my secret ear,
"Life-Life's ASSURANCE-waits thee HERE!"
That instant, smiling through the storm,
My mental glance descried a form,
Attired in robes of dazzling white,
With lip of rose, and eye of light.
That lip that eye-had blessed my gaze
In other, brighter, happier days-
When love was warm, when life was new,
And years like minutes swiftly flew!
|