 | Ballads and Other Poems |  |
183
THE BOY OF HEAVEN.
One summer eve, seven little boys
Were playing at the ball,
Seven little boys so beautiful,
Beside a castle wall.
Were playing at the ball,
Seven little boys so beautiful,
Beside a castle wall.
And, whilst they played, another came,
And stood among them there;
A little boy, with gentle eyes
And thick and curling hair.
And stood among them there;
A little boy, with gentle eyes
And thick and curling hair.
The clothes he on his body wore
Were linen fine and white;
The girdle that was round his waist
Was like the morning light.
Were linen fine and white;
The girdle that was round his waist
Was like the morning light.
A little while he looked on them,
Looked lovingly, and smiled,
When unto him the eldest said,
“Whence comest thou, fair child?
Looked lovingly, and smiled,
184
“Whence comest thou, fair child?
“Art thou the son of some great king,
And in a hidden place
Hast been concealed; for until now
I never saw thy face?
And in a hidden place
Hast been concealed; for until now
I never saw thy face?
“Dost dwell among the lonely hills,
Or in the forest low;
Or dost thou chase the running deer,
A hunter with thy bow?
Or in the forest low;
Or dost thou chase the running deer,
A hunter with thy bow?
“And tell us what wild, woodland name
Have they unto thee given?”
“They called me Willie,” said he, “on earth;
They call me so in heaven.
Have they unto thee given?”
“They called me Willie,” said he, “on earth;
They call me so in heaven.
“My father with King David dwells,
In the land of heaven dwells he;
And my gentle mother, meek and mild,
Sits at the Virgin's knee.
In the land of heaven dwells he;
And my gentle mother, meek and mild,
Sits at the Virgin's knee.
185
“Seven years ago to heaven we went;
'T was in the winter chill,
When icy cold the winds did blow,
And mists were on the hill.
'T was in the winter chill,
When icy cold the winds did blow,
And mists were on the hill.
“But, when we reached the land of heaven,
'T was like a summer's day;
The skies were blue, and fragrant flowers
All round about us lay.
'T was like a summer's day;
The skies were blue, and fragrant flowers
All round about us lay.
“The land of heaven is beautiful:
There no cold wind doth blow;
And fairer apples than e'er ye saw
Within its gardens grow.
There no cold wind doth blow;
And fairer apples than e'er ye saw
Within its gardens grow.
“I've seen the patriarchs face to face;
The wise of every land;
And with the heavenly little ones
Have wandered, hand in hand,
The wise of every land;
And with the heavenly little ones
Have wandered, hand in hand,
“Down by the golden streams of life,
All through the forests old,
And o'er the boundless hills of heaven,
The sheep of God's own fold.”
All through the forests old,
186
The sheep of God's own fold.”
Then up and spoke a little boy,
Thy youngest of the seven:
“My mother is dead, so let me go
With thee, dear child, to heaven.
Thy youngest of the seven:
“My mother is dead, so let me go
With thee, dear child, to heaven.
“My mother is dead, and my father loves
His dogs far more than me;
No one would miss me if I went:
Oh, let me go with thee!
His dogs far more than me;
No one would miss me if I went:
Oh, let me go with thee!
“No one would miss me if I went;
Dame Bertha loves me not;
And for old crabbed Hildebrand
I do not care a jot.”
Dame Bertha loves me not;
And for old crabbed Hildebrand
I do not care a jot.”
“Alas!” the heavenly child replied,
“That home thou canst not win,
If thou have an ill word on they tongue,
Or in thy heart a sin.
“That home thou canst not win,
If thou have an ill word on they tongue,
Or in thy heart a sin.
187
“The way is long and wearisome,
Through peril great it lies:
With any sin upon thy soul
From earth thou couldst not rise.
Through peril great it lies:
With any sin upon thy soul
From earth thou couldst not rise.
“There are waters deep and wild to pass;
And who hath a load of sin,
Like the heavy rock that will not float,
Is tumbled headlong in.
And who hath a load of sin,
Like the heavy rock that will not float,
Is tumbled headlong in.
“There are red and raging fires to pass;
And like the iron stone
Is sin; red-hot as a hurning share,
It scorcheth to the bone.
And like the iron stone
Is sin; red-hot as a hurning share,
It scorcheth to the bone.
“Darest go with me? Wilt try the path,
Now thou its pain dost know?”
The motherless boy turned round and wept,
And said, “I dare not go.”
Now thou its pain dost know?”
The motherless boy turned round and wept,
And said, “I dare not go.”
The boy of heaven to a chamber came
Ere rosy day was peeping,
And marveled if his sister 'twere
Who on the ground lay sleeping.
Ere rosy day was peeping,
188
Who on the ground lay sleeping.
She used to have a bed of down,
And silken curtains bright;
But he knew her by her dainty foot,
And little hand so white;
And silken curtains bright;
But he knew her by her dainty foot,
And little hand so white;
He knew her by the long fair hair
That on her shoulders lay,
Though the pleasant things about the room
Were taken all away.
That on her shoulders lay,
Though the pleasant things about the room
Were taken all away.
And “Oh!” sighed he, “my sister dear,
Art thou left all alone?”
Just then she spoke in troubled dreams,
And made a gentle moan.
Art thou left all alone?”
Just then she spoke in troubled dreams,
And made a gentle moan.
“They have ta'en from me my bed of down,
And given me straw instead;
They have ta'en from me the wheaten cakes,
And given me barley bread.
And given me straw instead;
They have ta'en from me the wheaten cakes,
And given me barley bread.
189
“The pearls which my dear mother wore
They have ta'en from me away,
And the little book with silver clasps
Wherefrom I learned to pray.
They have ta'en from me away,
And the little book with silver clasps
Wherefrom I learned to pray.
“My heart is grown as heavy as lead,
And pale and thin my cheek;
I sit in corners of the house,
And hardly dare to speak.
And pale and thin my cheek;
I sit in corners of the house,
And hardly dare to speak.
“For they are stern, and love me not;
No gentle hearts are here.
I wish I were in heaven above,
With my own brother dear!”
No gentle hearts are here.
I wish I were in heaven above,
With my own brother dear!”
Then Willie bent down unto the ground,
And knelt upon his knee;
He breathed heaven's breath upon her lips,
And gave her kisses three.
And knelt upon his knee;
He breathed heaven's breath upon her lips,
And gave her kisses three.
And tenderly he looked on her,
And yet he looked not long,
Ere he spoke three words into her ear,
Three awful words and strong.
And yet he looked not long,
190
Three awful words and strong.
Then Annie rose from her bed of straw
A joyful angel bright,
And the chamber late so dark and drear
Was full of heavenly light.
A joyful angel bright,
And the chamber late so dark and drear
Was full of heavenly light.
Amazed she looked one moment's space,
One moment made a stand;
But she knew it all in a moment more,
And away to the heavenly land,
Like the morning lark when it rises up,
Went they two hand in hand.
One moment made a stand;
But she knew it all in a moment more,
And away to the heavenly land,
Like the morning lark when it rises up,
Went they two hand in hand.
| Ballads and Other Poems | |