 | Rhymes with reason and without |  |
111
A VISION OF LIFE.
Amid the troubled fancies of my dreaming,
There rose a vision radiant and bright,
A world of sadness from its gloom redeeming,
And shedding on my path a blessed light.
There rose a vision radiant and bright,
A world of sadness from its gloom redeeming,
And shedding on my path a blessed light.
An angel boy to my embrace was given,
On whom my heart poured lavishly its love:
I felt he was a blessing sent from heaven—
An emanation from the home above.
On whom my heart poured lavishly its love:
I felt he was a blessing sent from heaven—
An emanation from the home above.
In his dark eyes my love saw its reflection,
His voice like music thrilled me with its tone,
His tender arms, in confident protection,
Entwined in fond conjunction with my own.
His voice like music thrilled me with its tone,
His tender arms, in confident protection,
Entwined in fond conjunction with my own.
His kiss! I feel it on my lip yet glowing,
As when his cheek unto my own I prest,
And my full heart, with tenderness o'erflowing,
Its great, its boundless happiness confessed.
As when his cheek unto my own I prest,
And my full heart, with tenderness o'erflowing,
Its great, its boundless happiness confessed.
112
And day by day I marked his mind's expansion,
A growing love I saw that met my own;
I thought not of the frailty of the mansion
Where his fair spirit had set up its throne.
A growing love I saw that met my own;
I thought not of the frailty of the mansion
Where his fair spirit had set up its throne.
There came a cloud across my dream, of sorrow,
And pain, and misery, and dying strife,
And effort vain from human aid to borrow,
To keep alive the beam we know as life.
And pain, and misery, and dying strife,
And effort vain from human aid to borrow,
To keep alive the beam we know as life.
The heavenly vision fled, and gloom succeeding
Arrayed my soul in bitterness of woe;
There seemed no solace for my heart left bleeding—
No voice to bid my tears to cease their flow.
Arrayed my soul in bitterness of woe;
There seemed no solace for my heart left bleeding—
No voice to bid my tears to cease their flow.
No voice! ah, yes, my drooping spirit heareth
A word of joy, as if an angel spake:
The accent glad my saddened soul now cheereth,
And all its crushed and wounded powers awake.
A word of joy, as if an angel spake:
The accent glad my saddened soul now cheereth,
And all its crushed and wounded powers awake.
It saith, the Mighty One who gave the blessing
Has called it, pure and holy, to his side;
Freed it from woes and cares of earth, oppressing,
To live for aye in joys beatified;—
Has called it, pure and holy, to his side;
Freed it from woes and cares of earth, oppressing,
To live for aye in joys beatified;—
That this dark cloud, called death, that closed my vision,
Is but the mist that hides from me the sun;
And living yet, in atmosphere elysian,
My boy awaits till my short race be run;—
Is but the mist that hides from me the sun;
And living yet, in atmosphere elysian,
My boy awaits till my short race be run;—
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That love burns brighter, in that realm eternal,
Enkindled in this care-bound world of ours—
Borrowing new strength, 'mid those pure airs supernal,
To bless us once again in heavenly bowers.
Enkindled in this care-bound world of ours—
Borrowing new strength, 'mid those pure airs supernal,
To bless us once again in heavenly bowers.
Blest is our faith, the mists of death dispelling,
And heavenly hope, that looks within the veil!
Bright lights to guide us until, these excelling,
Our faith and hope in glad fruition fail.
And heavenly hope, that looks within the veil!
Bright lights to guide us until, these excelling,
Our faith and hope in glad fruition fail.
| Rhymes with reason and without | |