Somewhat back from the village street Stands the old-fashioned country-seat; Across its antique portico Tall poplar trees their shadows throw; And, from its station in the hall, An ancient timepiece says to all, "Forever--never!
Never--forever!"
Half-way up the stairs it stands, And points and beckons with its hands, From its case of ma.s.sive oak, Like a monk who, under his cloak, Crosses himself, and sighs, alas!
With sorrowful voice to all who pa.s.s, "Forever--never!
Never--forever!"
By day its voice is low and light; But in the silent dead of night, Distinct as a pa.s.sing footstep"s fall, It echoes along the vacant hall, Along the ceiling, along the floor, And seems to say at each chamber door, "Forever--never!
Never--forever!"
Through days of sorrow and of mirth, Through days of death and days of birth, Through every swift vicissitude Of changeful time, unchanged it has stood, And as if, like G.o.d, it all things saw, It calmly repeats those words of awe, "Forever--never!
Never--forever!"
In that mansion used to be Free-hearted Hospitality; His great fires up the chimney roared; The stranger feasted at his board; But, like the skeleton at the feast, That warning timepiece never ceased,-- "Forever--never!
Never--forever!"
There groups of merry children played; There youths and maidens dreaming strayed; Oh, precious hours! oh, golden prime And affluence of love and time!
Even as a miser counts his gold, Those hours the ancient timepiece told,-- "Forever--never!
Never--forever!"
From that chamber, clothed in white, The bride came forth on her wedding night; There, in that silent room below, The dead lay, in his shroud of snow; And, in the hush that followed the prayer, Was heard the old clock on the stair,-- "Forever--never!
Never--forever!"
All are scattered, now, and fled,-- Some are married, some are dead; And when I ask, with throbs of pain, "Ah! when shall they all meet again?"
As in the days long since gone by, The ancient timepiece makes reply,-- "Forever--never!
Never-forever!"
Never here, forever there, Where all parting, pain, and care, And death, and time, shall disappear,-- Forever there, but never here!
The horologe of Eternity Sayeth this incessantly,-- "Forever--never!
Never--forever!"
_H.W. Longfellow._
Christ in Flanders
We had forgotten You, or very nearly-- You did not seem to touch us very nearly-- Of course we thought about You now and then; Especially in any time of trouble-- We knew that you were good in time of trouble-- But we were very ordinary men.
And there were always other things to think of-- There"s lots of things a man has got to think of-- His work, his home, his pleasure, and his wife; And so we only thought of You on Sunday-- Sometimes, perhaps, not even on a Sunday-- Because there"s always lots to fill one"s life.
And, all the while, in street or lane or byway-- In country lane, in city street, or byway-- You walked among us, and we did not see.
Your feet were bleeding as You walked our pavements-- How did we miss Your footprints on our pavements?-- Can there be other folk as blind as we?
Now we remember; over here in Flanders-- (It isn"t strange to think of You in Flanders)-- This hideous warfare seems to make things clear.
We never thought about You much in England-- But now that we are far away from England-- We have no doubts, we know that You are here.
You helped us pa.s.s the jest along the trenches-- Where, in cold blood, we waited in the trenches-- You touched its ribaldry and made it fine.
You stood beside us in our pain and weakness-- We"re glad to think You understand our weakness-- Somehow it seems to help us not to whine.
We think about You kneeling in the Garden-- Ah, G.o.d, the agony of that dread Garden-- We know You prayed for us upon the cross.
If anything could make us glad to bear it-- "Twould be the knowledge that You willed to bear it-- Pain--death--the uttermost of human loss.
Though we forgot You--You will not forget us-- We feel so sure that You will not forget us-- But stay with us until this dream is past.
And so we ask for courage, strength, and pardon-- Especially, I think, we ask for pardon-- And that You"ll stand beside us to the last.
_L.W. in London "Spectator."_
We Are Seven
--A simple Child, That lightly draws its breath, And feels its life in every limb, What should it know of death?
I met a little cottage Girl: She was eight years old, she said; Her hair was thick with many a curl That cl.u.s.tered round her head.
She had a rustic, woodland air, And she was wildly clad: Her eyes were fair, and very fair; --Her beauty made me glad.
"Sisters and brothers, little Maid, How many may you be?"
"How many? Seven in all," she said, And wondering looked at me.
"And where are they? I pray you tell."
She answered, "Seven are we; And two of us at Conway dwell, And two are gone to sea.
"Two of us in the church-yard lie, My sister and my brother; And, in the church-yard cottage, I Dwell near them with my mother."
"You say that two at Conway dwell, And two are gone to sea, Yet ye are seven!--I pray you tell, Sweet Maid, how this may be."
Then did the little Maid reply, "Seven boys and girls are we; Two of us in the church-yard lie, Beneath the church-yard tree."
"You run about, my little Maid, Your limbs they are alive; If two are in the church-yard laid, Then ye are only five."
"Their graves are green, they may be seen,"
The little Maid replied, "Twelve steps or more from my mother"s door, And they are side by side.
"My stockings there I often knit, My kerchief there I hem; And there upon the ground I sit, And sing a song to them.
"And often after sunset, Sir, When it is light and fair, I take my little porringer, And eat my supper there.
"The first that died was sister Jane; In bed she moaning lay, Till G.o.d released her of her pain; And then she went away.
"So in the church-yard she was laid; And, when the gra.s.s was dry, Together round her grave we played, My brother John and I.
"And when the ground was white with snow, And I could run and slide, My brother John was forced to go, And he lies by her side."