 | 'Twixt Kiss and Lip or Under the Sword. By the author of "Women Must Weep," [i.e. F. W. O. Ward] Third edition |  |
MISUNDERSTOOD.
Long she lived in her unuttered sorrow,
Within walls of frost,
Sanctified for some unearthly morrow,
Bought at bitter cost;
With herself, a snowy-mantled maiden,
Far from earthly mire,
Yet below the icy fetters laden
With a hidden fire;
In the hush of sacred sadness folded,
As in cloister hood,
Surely unto perfect beauty moulded,
If misunderstood.
Within walls of frost,
Sanctified for some unearthly morrow,
Bought at bitter cost;
With herself, a snowy-mantled maiden,
Far from earthly mire,
Yet below the icy fetters laden
With a hidden fire;
In the hush of sacred sadness folded,
As in cloister hood,
Surely unto perfect beauty moulded,
If misunderstood.
Others thought her proud and cold, and centered
But in idle ease,
Careful only of the joys that entered
Just herself to please;
Judged her harshly by unequal measure,
All unlike the true,
Grudged her trust the poorest claim as treasure,
Charity her due;
As she toiled and suffered, separated
Simply for the good,
And to God's great service consecrated,
Though misunderstood.
But in idle ease,
Careful only of the joys that entered
Just herself to please;
Judged her harshly by unequal measure,
All unlike the true,
Grudged her trust the poorest claim as treasure,
Charity her due;
377
Simply for the good,
And to God's great service consecrated,
Though misunderstood.
Others thought her hard, denied her human
Pathways for her feet,
While she had whatever makes a woman
Beautiful and sweet;
Called her callous, from her spirit spurning
Vulgar heed and hire,
Though within her throbbed that ever-burning
Heart of holy fire;
Deemed her stubborn, if, when weaklings faltered,
She unswerving stood,
Who had never with an evil paltered,
If misunderstood.
Pathways for her feet,
While she had whatever makes a woman
Beautiful and sweet;
Called her callous, from her spirit spurning
Vulgar heed and hire,
Though within her throbbed that ever-burning
Heart of holy fire;
Deemed her stubborn, if, when weaklings faltered,
She unswerving stood,
Who had never with an evil paltered,
If misunderstood.
One there was, who watched her long and lonely
Battling for the right,
Knew her mighty secret, as can only
Love with heavenly sight;
Saw beneath the ice the precious jewel,
Hatred could not see,
Took it to his heart with bondage cruel,
Set the angel free;
Gave her all that faith in reverence offers,
All devotion could
Lavish on her life, which, dark to scoffers,
Christ yet understood.
Battling for the right,
Knew her mighty secret, as can only
Love with heavenly sight;
Saw beneath the ice the precious jewel,
Hatred could not see,
Took it to his heart with bondage cruel,
Set the angel free;
Gave her all that faith in reverence offers,
All devotion could
Lavish on her life, which, dark to scoffers,
Christ yet understood.
| 'Twixt Kiss and Lip or Under the Sword. By the author of "Women Must Weep," [i.e. F. W. O. Ward] Third edition | |