 | [Poems by Cary in] The Coronal And Young Lady's Remembrancer |  |
290
THE TOMBS.
[With an Engraving.]
Busy, hopeful, eager mortals,
Where the blessed sunshine falls,
Scarcely glancing on the portals,
Walk beside those dismal walls.
Where the blessed sunshine falls,
Scarcely glancing on the portals,
Walk beside those dismal walls.
Women bowed with mortal anguish,
Men in dark remorse for sin,
Weep, and groan, and pine, and languish,
In their wretchedness within.
Men in dark remorse for sin,
Weep, and groan, and pine, and languish,
In their wretchedness within.
Men in pride and honor living,
Women innocent and fair,
To the guilty be forgiving:
They have woe enough to bear.
Women innocent and fair,
To the guilty be forgiving:
They have woe enough to bear.
Look not on them only seeing
Sinners on the downward way;
Look on them as fellow-beings,
As God's children gone astray.
Sinners on the downward way;
Look on them as fellow-beings,
As God's children gone astray.
Pass not bitter condemnation,
If ye cannot know nor tell
All the strength of man's temptation,
His resistence ere he fell.
If ye cannot know nor tell
All the strength of man's temptation,
His resistence ere he fell.
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And though in a path forbidden
He have walked with sin apart,
Think, oh, think of what is hidden
In thy weak and erring heart.
He have walked with sin apart,
Think, oh, think of what is hidden
In thy weak and erring heart.
God's own law he may have broken,
Yet his guiding light was dim;
And if all thy sins were spoken,
Thou wert scorned as well as him.
Yet his guiding light was dim;
And if all thy sins were spoken,
Thou wert scorned as well as him.
O my sister, O my brother,
We are weak, are tempted, all;
Judge we kindly one another:
They have fallen, we may fall!
We are weak, are tempted, all;
Judge we kindly one another:
They have fallen, we may fall!
328
A DIRGE.
When along the sunset ridges
Golden flowers, with flame-like edges,
Blossomed on the fiery hedges
Evening planted in the sky;
Waiting till the light grew dimmer,
Watching for the faintest shimmer
Of the star that first should glimmer,
Walked a maiden pensively.
Golden flowers, with flame-like edges,
Blossomed on the fiery hedges
Evening planted in the sky;
Waiting till the light grew dimmer,
Watching for the faintest shimmer
Of the star that first should glimmer,
Walked a maiden pensively.
Walked she where a brook was flowing,
Where the summer flowers were growing,
Hoping, trusting, almost knowing
She should hear the welcome tone;
Through the fading twilight, cheerful,
As the shadows deepened, fearful,
When the night grew darker, tearful,
Lo! she kept her watch alone.
Where the summer flowers were growing,
Hoping, trusting, almost knowing
She should hear the welcome tone;
Through the fading twilight, cheerful,
As the shadows deepened, fearful,
When the night grew darker, tearful,
Lo! she kept her watch alone.
When the last sweet star was paling,
And with tresses, amber, trailing,
The glad morn her cheek was veiling
From the glances of the sun;
Striving, like some modest maiden,
To conceal the blissful Aden
Of a heart with love o'erladen,
When its trusting faith is won.
And with tresses, amber, trailing,
The glad morn her cheek was veiling
From the glances of the sun;
Striving, like some modest maiden,
To conceal the blissful Aden
Of a heart with love o'erladen,
When its trusting faith is won.
329
Then, as soft the day was breaking,
And each pillow dreams forsaking,
One who passed the night in waking,
Hushed in quiet slumber lay.
Through the darkness, with no cover
But the skies that bent above her,
Watching, waiting for her lover,
She had slept not till the day.
And each pillow dreams forsaking,
One who passed the night in waking,
Hushed in quiet slumber lay.
Through the darkness, with no cover
But the skies that bent above her,
Watching, waiting for her lover,
She had slept not till the day.
Feeling not the air that chilled her,
Strong in trusting love that filled her,
Faith and expectation stilled her
Often rising doubts and fears;
Yet when morning, glory bringing,
Sunshine o'er her head was flinging,
Heavy wet her locks were clinging,
Heavy wet with night's sad tears.
Strong in trusting love that filled her,
Faith and expectation stilled her
Often rising doubts and fears;
Yet when morning, glory bringing,
Sunshine o'er her head was flinging,
Heavy wet her locks were clinging,
Heavy wet with night's sad tears.
But the day that came, revealing
To her heart its wasted feeling,
Kind her earthly doom was sealing,
Pitying such mournful fate;
Left not through each night's returning,
O'er a broken idol yearning,
Passed she through the gates of morning,
Where they never watch and wait.
To her heart its wasted feeling,
Kind her earthly doom was sealing,
Pitying such mournful fate;
Left not through each night's returning,
O'er a broken idol yearning,
Passed she through the gates of morning,
Where they never watch and wait.
And, for him she blessed in dying,
Far away a heart was sighing,
And kind glances were replying
To his fond looks bent above;
Fairer eyes, and fairer tresses,
Won from faith his light caresses:
God protect her whom he blesses
With his traitor lip of love!
Far away a heart was sighing,
And kind glances were replying
To his fond looks bent above;
Fairer eyes, and fairer tresses,
Won from faith his light caresses:
330
With his traitor lip of love!
Where the shadows dull are creeping
O'er the green mounds of the sleeping,
And the mournful night is weeping
For the beauty from us gone;
Years on years I would not number,
One earth's cares no more will cumber
Has been lying in that slumber,
Never broken by the dawn.
O'er the green mounds of the sleeping,
And the mournful night is weeping
For the beauty from us gone;
Years on years I would not number,
One earth's cares no more will cumber
Has been lying in that slumber,
Never broken by the dawn.
Once did sweet dreams round her hover,
Once fond eyes were bent above her,
Once she had a tender lover—
Then what happy dreams were hers!
Now the stars shine just as brightly
O'er the love troths plighted nightly,
But that heart which beat so lightly
Never in its cerement stirs.
Once fond eyes were bent above her,
Once she had a tender lover—
Then what happy dreams were hers!
Now the stars shine just as brightly
O'er the love troths plighted nightly,
But that heart which beat so lightly
Never in its cerement stirs.
| [Poems by Cary in] The Coronal And Young Lady's Remembrancer | |