The Reliquary By Bernard and Lucy Barton. With A Prefatory Appeal for Poetry and Poets |
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| II. |
THE METEOR. |
 | The Reliquary |  |
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THE METEOR.
A shepherd on the silent moor
Pursued his lone employ,
And by him watch'd, at midnight hour,
His lov'd and gentle boy.
Pursued his lone employ,
And by him watch'd, at midnight hour,
His lov'd and gentle boy.
The night was still, the sky was clear,
The moon and stars were bright;
And well the youngster lov'd to hear
Of those fair orbs of light.
The moon and stars were bright;
And well the youngster lov'd to hear
Of those fair orbs of light.
When lo! an earth-born meteor's glare
Made stars and planets dim;
In transient splendour thro' the air
Its glory seem'd to swim.
Made stars and planets dim;
In transient splendour thro' the air
Its glory seem'd to swim.
No more could star's or planet's spell
The stripling's eye enchant:
He only urged his sire to tell
Of this new visitant.
The stripling's eye enchant:
He only urged his sire to tell
Of this new visitant.
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But ere the shepherd found a tongue,
The meteor's gleam was gone;
And in their glory o'er them hung
The orbs of night alone.
The meteor's gleam was gone;
And in their glory o'er them hung
The orbs of night alone.
Canst thou the simple lesson read
My artless muse hath given?
The only lights that safely lead
Are those that shine from heaven.
My artless muse hath given?
The only lights that safely lead
Are those that shine from heaven.
One far more bright than sun or star
Is lit in every soul;
To guide, if nothing earthly mar,
To heaven's eternal goal!
Is lit in every soul;
To guide, if nothing earthly mar,
To heaven's eternal goal!
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