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136
THE TWO STARS.
I, the Mistress of the Valley,
In the twilight soft and dim,
Hold the headway of my fancies
'Gainst the evening shadows grim.
In the twilight soft and dim,
Hold the headway of my fancies
'Gainst the evening shadows grim.
In the distance strives the streamlet
With the neighbor's rustic flute,
In the boughs the breeze doth nestle,
And all other things are mute.
With the neighbor's rustic flute,
In the boughs the breeze doth nestle,
And all other things are mute.
In the little, silent cottage
Where, as to the palace door,
Comes the sunshine, every morning,
To be slowly darkened o'er;
Where, as to the palace door,
Comes the sunshine, every morning,
To be slowly darkened o'er;
Gathered lie the pretty babies,
In the silken snood of sleep,
While the angels keep above them,
Folded wing and noiseless sweep.
In the silken snood of sleep,
While the angels keep above them,
Folded wing and noiseless sweep.
137
Straight before me rise twin hillocks
Like to brothers, matched in size,
Shutting out the distant landscape,
And the flush of evening skies.
Like to brothers, matched in size,
Shutting out the distant landscape,
And the flush of evening skies.
While the doubtful face of heaven
Looks beyond me and above,
As with one red eye of justice,
And one lenient eye of love.
Looks beyond me and above,
As with one red eye of justice,
And one lenient eye of love.
Far to Sight though near to Reason,
The new risen moon appears,
Like a martyr-scar of glory
Shining through eternal years.
The new risen moon appears,
Like a martyr-scar of glory
Shining through eternal years.
So! be merciful, thou Heaven!
Do not crush me as I stand
In the dark and narrow defile,
With the hills on either hand.
Do not crush me as I stand
In the dark and narrow defile,
With the hills on either hand.
Where the shadows grew perplexing,
And no outlet was to see,
Bear this witness to my weakness,
That my striving was to thee.
And no outlet was to see,
Bear this witness to my weakness,
That my striving was to thee.
138
Smile upon my latest struggle,
Tenderly my fault reprove,
With thy fiery eye of justice,
And thy lenient eye of love.
Tenderly my fault reprove,
With thy fiery eye of justice,
And thy lenient eye of love.
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