Puslapio vaizdai
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And when upon the conquered height | One feels that thumping of the heart

Died out the battle's hum,

Vainly mid living and the dead
We sought our leader dumb.
It seemed as if a spectre steed

To win that day had come.

And then the dusk and dew of night Fell softly o'er the plain,

As though o'er man's dread work of death

The angels wept again, And drew night's curtain gently round

A thousand beds of pain.

All night the surgeons' torches went,
The ghastly rows between,—
All night with solemn step I paced
The torn and bloody green.
But who that fought in the big war
Such dread sights have not seen?

At last the morning broke. The lark Sang in the merry skies,

As no prompt voice replies.

And as in faltering tone and slow
The last few names were said,
Across the field some missing horse
Toiled up the weary tread,
It caught the sergeant's eye, and
quick

Bay Billy's name he read.

Yes! there the old bay hero stood,
All safe from battle's harms,
And ere an order could be heard,
Or the bugle's quick alarms,
Down all the front, from end to end,
The troops presented arms!

Not all the shoulder-straps on earth
Could still our mighty cheer;
And ever from that famous day,
When rang the roll call clear,
Bay Billy's name was read, and
then

The whole line answered,"Here!"

RICHARD WATSON GILDER.

THERE IS NOTHING NEW UNDER | By iron, and to heaven laid bare:

THE SUN.

THERE is nothing new under the sun; There is no new hope or despair; The agony just begun

Is as old as the earth and the air. My secret soul of bliss

Is one with the singing star's,
And the ancient mountains miss
No hurt that my being mars.

I know as I know my life,
I know as I know my pain,
That there is no lonely strife,
That he is mad who would gain
A separate balm for his woe,
A single pity and cover:
The one great God I know

He shook the seed that he carried
He shook it, as God shakes hail
O'er that brown and bladeless piace.
Over a doomed land,

When lightnings interlace

The sky and the earth, and his wand Of love is a thunder flail.

Thus did that sower sow; His seed was human blood, And tears of women and men. And I, who near him stood, Said: When the crop comes, then There will be sobbing and sighing, Weeping and wailing and crying, Flame and ashes and woe.

It was an autumn day

Hears the same prayer over and When next I went that way.

over.

I know it because at the portal
Of heaven I bowed and cried,
And I said, "Was ever a mortal
Thus crowned and crucified!

My praise thou hast made my blame;
My best thou hast made my worst;
My good thou hast turned to shame;
My drink is a flaming thirst."

But scarce my prayer was said
Ere from that place I turned;
I trembled, I hung my head,

My cheek, shame-sinitten, burned; For there where I bowed down

In my boastful agony,

I thought of thy cross and crown,O Christ! I remembered thee.

THE SOWER.

A SOWER went forth to sow,
His eyes were dark with woe;

He crushed the flowers beneath his feet,

[sweet, Nor smelt the perfume warm and That prayed for pity everywhere. He came to a field that was harried

And what, think you, did I see?
What was it that I heard?
The song of a sweet-voiced bird?
Nay-but the songs of many,
Thrilled through with praise and
prayer.

Of all those voices not any
Were sad of memory:
And a sea of sunlight flowed,
And a golden harvest glowed!
On my face I fell down there;
And I said: Thou only art wise —
God of the earth and skies!
And I thank thee, again and again,
For the sower whose name is Pain.

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Thou in the virgin morning of thy days

Hast felt the bitter waters o'er thee roll.

Yet thou knowest, too, the terrible

delight,

Nor loss of faithful friends, nor any gain

Of growth by grief. I would not thee restrain

From needful death. But oh, thou other part

The still content, and solemn Of me!-through whom the whole

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world I behold,

As through the blue I see the stars

above!

In whom the world I find, hid fold on fold!

Thee would I save from this - nay, do not move!

Fear not, it may not flash, the air is cold;

Save thee from this-the lightning of my love.

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