 | [Poems by Cary in] The poems of Alice and Phoebe Cary with introduction and notes |  |
THE BAPTISM.
From the waters of affliction,
From her baptism of dark woe,
With her sweet eyes very mournful,
And her forehead like the snow,
From her baptism of dark woe,
With her sweet eyes very mournful,
And her forehead like the snow,
Came she up; and, O, how many
In such hours of trial are seen,
When they faint with mortal weakness,
Knowing not whereon to lean!
In such hours of trial are seen,
When they faint with mortal weakness,
Knowing not whereon to lean!
With her face upon my bosom,
Said she then in accent sad,
As she wound her arms about me,
I was all the friend she had.
Said she then in accent sad,
As she wound her arms about me,
I was all the friend she had.
445
And I told her—pushing backward
From her forehead like the snow,
All her tear-wet tresses, dripping
With that baptism of dark woe—
From her forehead like the snow,
All her tear-wet tresses, dripping
With that baptism of dark woe—
How, in all that great affliction,
Loving hands had led her on,
When she came up from the waters,
Led her when her feet went down,—
Loving hands had led her on,
When she came up from the waters,
Led her when her feet went down,—
And that only the good Father,
He who thus her faith had tried,
Could have brought her through the billows
Safely to the other side.
He who thus her faith had tried,
Could have brought her through the billows
Safely to the other side.
And I told her how life's pilgrims
Crossed that solemn stream beneath,
To a brighter pathway leading,
Up the living hills of faith.
Crossed that solemn stream beneath,
To a brighter pathway leading,
Up the living hills of faith.
Lifting upward from my bosom
Then her forehead like the snow,
I will weep, she said, no longer,
Therefore rise and let us go!
Then her forehead like the snow,
I will weep, she said, no longer,
Therefore rise and let us go!
And, as one who walks untroubled
By no mortal doubt or fear,
Oft we heard her far above us,
Singing hymns of lofty cheer,—
By no mortal doubt or fear,
Oft we heard her far above us,
Singing hymns of lofty cheer,—
Till with feet that firmly balanced
On faith's summit-rock she trod,
And beheld the shining bastions
Of the city of our God.
On faith's summit-rock she trod,
And beheld the shining bastions
Of the city of our God.
Then her voice was tenderer, holier,
She grew gentler all the while;
It was like a benediction
But to see her patient smile.
She grew gentler all the while;
It was like a benediction
But to see her patient smile.
As she walked with cheerful spirit
Where her daily duties led,
“Father, keep me from temptation,”
Was the only prayer she said.
Where her daily duties led,
“Father, keep me from temptation,”
Was the only prayer she said.
446
Often made she earnest pleading,
As she went from us apart,
To be saved through all her lifetime
From the weakness of her heart.
As she went from us apart,
To be saved through all her lifetime
From the weakness of her heart.
And she prayed that she might never,
Never in her trials below,
Bring her soul before the altar,
Wailing in unchastened woe.
Never in her trials below,
Bring her soul before the altar,
Wailing in unchastened woe.
So her hands of faith were strengthened,
And when clouds about her lay,
From her bosom all the darkness
She could softly put away.
And when clouds about her lay,
From her bosom all the darkness
She could softly put away.
Smilingly she went unaided,
When we would have led her on,
Saying always to our pleading,
Better that I go alone.
When we would have led her on,
Saying always to our pleading,
Better that I go alone.
Turned she from the faces dearest
When her feet more feebly trod,
That she might not then be tempted
By a mortal love from God.
When her feet more feebly trod,
That she might not then be tempted
By a mortal love from God.
So the Father, for her pleading,
Kept her safe through all life's hours,
And her path went brightly upward
To eternity through flowers.
Kept her safe through all life's hours,
And her path went brightly upward
To eternity through flowers.
| [Poems by Cary in] The poems of Alice and Phoebe Cary with introduction and notes | |