Songs, Ballads, and Other Poems by the late Thomas Haynes Bayly; Edited by his Widow. With A Memoir of the Author. In Two Volumes |
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| II. |
 | Songs, Ballads, and Other Poems |  |
THE SELF-DEVOTED NUN.
I
When I hear the vesper bell,And the sisters bend the knee,
Breathing prayers for all the world,
In my heart I pray for thee.
Yes—for thee alone I pray;
But the novice they would blame,
Did they know that in her cell
She had dared to breathe thy name.
II
I have spurned thy proffer'd love,And thy presence still I shun;
I am blameless—what art thou
To the self-devoted nun!
272
With the gay—the false—the free—
And 'tis therefore on my knee
That I still must pray for thee.
III
We shall meet no more on earth,Thou wilt think of me no more;
But I'll pray that we may meet
When this transient life is o'er.
When this world has lost its charm,
May it sooth thy soul's despair,
To remember that thy name
Has been hallow'd by my prayer.
| Songs, Ballads, and Other Poems | |