University of Virginia Library

And hath time gone with thee right well,
Gentle Friend of mine—Oh! tell,
Have the years—the months—the days
Sped lightly on their 'missioned ways?
Whether on that lovely shore
We together trod of yore,
By that blue and balmy Bay
Where the Syren wont to stay,
By that Sun-bright, Sky-like Sea,
Purpling round Parthenope!
With its clustering islands bright,
Little rosy Worlds of Light—
Worlds within the World—apart—
Warmed at the great Sun's deep heart,
Orphans of Creation wide,
Cast away on the outstretched tide!
Or whether 'midst those ancient Halls,
(Those ruined Towers, those crumbling Walls)
Where that Imperial City old
Sad but glorious to behold,
Standeth in her Seven-hill'd Pride,
She that long a World defied!
Where now Time's deepest shadow falls,
That Capital of Capitals!
Or whether where luxuriant bowers,
Screens for Summer's sultriest hours,
In the glorious bloom expand,
Making Earth a Fairy-land!—
'Mid the haunts where rose and vine
At the green base of the Appennine
Beautify the scene around,
Or where the Alps the prospect bound,
And with their deep eternal snows
Dwell in a dazzling cold repose,
Have the Hours—the Months—the Years—
(Oft so dimmed with doubts and fears)
Sped well with thee—dear friend of mine,
And laughed with joy's clear Summer-shine?
Flowers around thee have they shed?
Have they brightly lightly sped—
Have they o'er thee sweetly cast
Fair dreams that shall themselves outlast?
Have they brought thee treasures rare,
That shall be for ever fair,
Such as in the Spirit shrined
Must enrich the heart and mind,
Treasures not of mortal birth,
Not of this unsteadfast Earth?
Have they these on thee bestowed,
As they smoothly onwards flowed,
Have the Months—the Days—the Hours
Given thee such triumphant dowers?—
Have they thus presented thee
With riches of Eternity?
Oh! may they do thus, dear Friend,
Ever—ever—to the end!
Still may the Hours—the Months—the Days,
Which find thee in Life's wildering maze,
Bequeathe thee on their passage calm—
Dreams of bliss—and dews of balm,
Hopes that leave this world behind,
Strong as light, and free as wind,
Pure and deep expectancies
Like the Stars fixed in the Skies—
Heart-Beatitudes—that dwell
In the bosom's deepest cell,
Precious shadowings forth of those
That await Life's peaceful close,
That all gloomily await
The final crowning act of Fate—
When the Life hath blameless been,
Through every stage and every scene!
Yea! may the Hours—the Months—the Days,
Lit by ever-brightening rays,
Holy, high, and happy things,
Waft thee on their golden wings—
Until at length they brightly be
Melted in the Eternity,
Where the Days and where the Hours
See no fading of joy's flowers—
No drying up of Love's rich streams,
No waning of bright triumph's beams—
Where the Hours and where the Days
Roll on in one deep Sunny blaze,
Brightening on their glorious flight,
Where shall be no cloud—no Night,
Days—of ages length sublime,
Nay! mocking the whole course of time,
Hours, whose shining circles be
Each an Immortality!

Days—and Hours—and Months—and Years,
Known to human hopes and fears!—
Even as we use these below,
In their strong and silent flow—
Shall we those enjoy above.
Which in one bright tenour move,
Changeless, ceaseless, constant, clear,
Passing not, as they do here,
But accumulating still—
Without taint or touch of ill,
Without variance or decay,
Hour with hour—and day in day!
Without division—without pause,
This comes on—nor that withdraws!
Sun to Sun—and Light to Light,
All commingling there unite—
All at once are traced and told,
All at once we have and hold,
All combine and all still blend
In those ages without end!
Moments there mock centuried years,
'Mid the deathless changeless spheres,
Wide Milleniums seem as nought
To the Eternity of Thought.

May thy Days—thy Months—thine Hours,
Gentle Friend, while yet 'mid bowers
Of Earth thou art constrained to dwell,
Ever fairly speed and well!
May they as they onwards flow,
Marked and measured out below,
As they onwards flow and roll,
Bring glad tidings to thy Soul,
While Life's wonderous web they weave,
From them may'st thou still receive
Happy gifts, of price beyond
All Fancy's dreamings wild and fond,
Out of these may richly grow
While they calmly clearly flow,
Without suffering, wrong, or strife,
To make up thine Earthly Life—
Bright and blessed Eternities
Shining in the orbèd Skies—
Ah! moment still by moment must
Be taken as a solemn trust,
If we would have the hours and days
While the Pulse of Life yet plays,
Brightened with the smiles of bliss,
Even in such a World as this;
Moments, Hours, Days, Months, and Years,
Waves through which our swift bark steers,
Speeding, speeding evermore
To the All-receiving shore,
Should be on their rapid course,
(Sped with unabating force)
Prized by us as we should prize
Embassies from the opening Skies,
As we use them or abuse,
As they good or ill produce,
We shall triumph or shall mourn,
When Life's fragile thread is torn,
We must with unwearying care
(Nor toil, nor watch, nor labour spare)
To one great task ourselves devote
As adown the stream we float,
To one great task ourselves apply
For we only live to die—
For to us our time is given
By the o'erruling Power of Heaven—
Only that with it we may
Hour by hour—and day by day
Brightly purchase—nobly buy
The treasures of the Eternity!

Circling hours—how still, how mute
Ye just touch with silvery foot
This dim dull Earth, and then away
To the far off climes of day—
Bearing a momentous weight
Still of human acts and fate,
Big with awful secrets stern,
Which the Universe shall learn,
On that deep and dreadful Morn
When the dead shall rise new born,
Through Eternity to know
The worth of passing time below,
Oh! to those I love may ye
Come like angels smilingly,
Bearing unto them indeed
Messages from Heaven, to lead
Their faultering footsteps in the path
Which is free from gloom and wrath—
Charged with precious secrets deep
For them in their hearts to keep—
Ever whispering as ye pass,
Swift as the shadows o'er a glass—
“In ourselves we brief may seem
As the visions of a dream—
But Heaven's Daughters!—we shall be
Mothers of the Eternity!
Lo! from us shall yet descend
Times and Ages without end—
Cherish us on our swift flight,
Still, if precious in your sight
Everlasting Life can be—
We—Mothers of the Eternity!”