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99
THE FALL OF THE LEAF.
I lay this charge upon you,
My truest, tenderest friend,
That to these words, when I am dead,
You for my sake attend.
My truest, tenderest friend,
That to these words, when I am dead,
You for my sake attend.
I have not seen you for so long,
In all my grief and pain;
And now I think I never
Shall see your face again.
In all my grief and pain;
And now I think I never
Shall see your face again.
For I am far in stranger-land,
And sinking heart and flesh;
The rain streams down my lattice,
My tears stream down afresh.
And sinking heart and flesh;
The rain streams down my lattice,
My tears stream down afresh.
100
I have not one to turn to,
God has forsaken me quite;
And I am going all alone
Into the empty night.
God has forsaken me quite;
And I am going all alone
Into the empty night.
I never had a tender hand
Of mother, sister, friend,
About me in my sicknesses;
But when my life shall end,
Of mother, sister, friend,
About me in my sicknesses;
But when my life shall end,
Oh, if you can, come to me then,
Kiss me before I die;
There will be no one at that hour
Will want you so much as I.
Kiss me before I die;
There will be no one at that hour
Will want you so much as I.
So for the last time, dearest,
Bear with me, and forgive
A sick child's foolish fancies,
Who has not long to live.
Bear with me, and forgive
A sick child's foolish fancies,
Who has not long to live.
I give you this last trouble
And labour for my sake,
That with your own hands, dearest,
You shall my white robe make.
And labour for my sake,
That with your own hands, dearest,
You shall my white robe make.
101
All straightly gathered to the throat,
And worked with simple bands
Of delicate ruffled edging
Around the neck and hands.
And worked with simple bands
Of delicate ruffled edging
Around the neck and hands.
Let it be fine and delicate,
Because I once would lie
Lovely and tender to behold
Unto a loving eye.
Because I once would lie
Lovely and tender to behold
Unto a loving eye.
And if my hair be still as long
And bright as it is now;
Smooth back the tresses either side,
And lay them from my brow,
And bright as it is now;
Smooth back the tresses either side,
And lay them from my brow,
And let them flow down over me
In long, loose, shining fold,
As they do in these desolate nights,
Wrapping me from the cold.
In long, loose, shining fold,
As they do in these desolate nights,
Wrapping me from the cold.
And then take from my finger
The pearl ring that I wear,
And place it over your wedding-ring,
And keep it always there.
The pearl ring that I wear,
And place it over your wedding-ring,
And keep it always there.
102
Lay in my hands no token
Of laurel or of palm;
Will it not be enough for me
Not victory, but calm?
Of laurel or of palm;
Will it not be enough for me
Not victory, but calm?
Lay them together on my breast,
There let them folded lie,
As one whose best deed was a prayer,
Whose life was but a cry.
There let them folded lie,
As one whose best deed was a prayer,
Whose life was but a cry.
And once at last smooth over
My forehead with your hand;
I shall wish to be alive again
To feel it and understand.
My forehead with your hand;
I shall wish to be alive again
To feel it and understand.
Here I lie sobbing in the dark,
Stretching out my hands in vain;
Knowing I never can find yours
To clasp and kiss again.
Stretching out my hands in vain;
Knowing I never can find yours
To clasp and kiss again.
Oh, will you not be sorrowful?
Alas! I know you will.
Sweetest, if I could comfort you,
I would be living still.
Alas! I know you will.
Sweetest, if I could comfort you,
I would be living still.
103
And once before you leave me,
Kiss me that I may rest;
And then when it comes over you,
I, too, am crown'd and blest,
Kiss me that I may rest;
And then when it comes over you,
I, too, am crown'd and blest,
Kneel down to God our Father,
And say, if thou canst say,
‘He bringeth the outcasts home again,
And those that are out of the way.’
And say, if thou canst say,
‘He bringeth the outcasts home again,
And those that are out of the way.’
And I will not be buried here
Among the long dank grass,
And shiver of the falling leaves,
Where only strangers pass.
Among the long dank grass,
And shiver of the falling leaves,
Where only strangers pass.
But there, where I have lived my life,
And dreamed my dreams, and sung,
And wandered, through my fitful youth,
The well-known ways among.
And dreamed my dreams, and sung,
And wandered, through my fitful youth,
The well-known ways among.
There is a churchyard off the road,
Down to the stream inclin'd,
Crowded with stones and shapes in front,
But quieter behind.
Down to the stream inclin'd,
Crowded with stones and shapes in front,
But quieter behind.
104
A little while ago it was
A fair and quiet spot;
It may be but a crowded place,
When I shall be forgot.
A fair and quiet spot;
It may be but a crowded place,
When I shall be forgot.
There, looking for the minnows,
The town-bred children play,
The only witnesses to them
Of sweet streams far away.
The town-bred children play,
The only witnesses to them
Of sweet streams far away.
And I know every step of the way
That leads from it to your door;
I have walked there so often,
As I shall walk no more.
That leads from it to your door;
I have walked there so often,
As I shall walk no more.
There let me be laid lowly
Where the short grass grows green:
No stone, no token—who will care
For what I might have been?
Where the short grass grows green:
No stone, no token—who will care
For what I might have been?
Only you will come there sometimes,
The dearest that I had;
And think of me in the sunshine,
And my spirit will be glad.
The dearest that I had;
And think of me in the sunshine,
And my spirit will be glad.
105
And perhaps on Easter Sunday,
When sweet winds begin to blow;
When the pear-trees in the valley
Are white with blossom-snow,
When sweet winds begin to blow;
When the pear-trees in the valley
Are white with blossom-snow,
My father may come there slowly,
And hear no other sound
But the little birds all singing,
And the young leaves bursting round,
And hear no other sound
But the little birds all singing,
And the young leaves bursting round,
And my voice miss'd for ever—
And feel as the shadows fall,
That I cannot walk back home with him,
Nor meet him in the hall:
And feel as the shadows fall,
That I cannot walk back home with him,
Nor meet him in the hall:
And dim through tears behold me,
A sweeter, happier child;
At last no shadow in the home
Where all are reconcil'd.
A sweeter, happier child;
At last no shadow in the home
Where all are reconcil'd.
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