 | Poems |  |
129
A CHRISTMAS VISION.
Sadly before the window
The floating snow-flakes fell,
Along the air all cold and fair,
And on my heart as well.
The floating snow-flakes fell,
Along the air all cold and fair,
And on my heart as well.
The dreary weary winter,
Held up his mighty spear,
My blood ran chill with winter cold
And slow with winter's fear.
Held up his mighty spear,
My blood ran chill with winter cold
And slow with winter's fear.
But suddenly a sun-beam
Across the snow-storm shone,
And strange to tell, like any spell,
The snow-flakes all were flown!
Across the snow-storm shone,
And strange to tell, like any spell,
The snow-flakes all were flown!
They vanished like a vision
Before the sunny flame,
And in their place a sudden crowd
Of smiling angels came.
Before the sunny flame,
And in their place a sudden crowd
Of smiling angels came.
A million little angels
With faces dazzling fair,
And eyes as bright as starry light
Beneath their shining hair:
With faces dazzling fair,
And eyes as bright as starry light
Beneath their shining hair:
130
And through the moaning tempest
As suddenly there fell
A tiny, tinkling, laughing sound,
Like some sweet silver bell:
As suddenly there fell
A tiny, tinkling, laughing sound,
Like some sweet silver bell:
Another, and another,
Till all the frosty sky
With soft repeat was ringing sweet,
And words came wandering by.
Till all the frosty sky
With soft repeat was ringing sweet,
And words came wandering by.
“We are Love's little angels;
When earth is bare and brown
We cover all her wounds and scars
With mantles soft as down.
When earth is bare and brown
We cover all her wounds and scars
With mantles soft as down.
“The rocks that hid their faces
In summer, green and deep,
But frown to-day severe and grey,
We cover up to sleep.
In summer, green and deep,
But frown to-day severe and grey,
We cover up to sleep.
“The long and lonely meadows
That lose their blossoms bright,
And weep for all their loveliness,
We veil with glittering white:
That lose their blossoms bright,
And weep for all their loveliness,
We veil with glittering white:
“The forest boughs that shudder
All knotted, black, and bare,
We hang with flowers like bridal bowers,
The blossom bells of air.
All knotted, black, and bare,
We hang with flowers like bridal bowers,
The blossom bells of air.
131
“The drear and silent solitudes
We veil with tender grace,
There is no blight we do not hide,
On all the sad earth's face.
We veil with tender grace,
There is no blight we do not hide,
On all the sad earth's face.
“Above the sleeping roses,
Above the wild-wood flowers,
We spread our warm and shining robes
Through all the winter hours.
Above the wild-wood flowers,
We spread our warm and shining robes
Through all the winter hours.
“We are Love's little angels,
But mortal eyes are dim;
Men cannot see how fair we be,
Nor hear our joyful hymn:
But mortal eyes are dim;
Men cannot see how fair we be,
Nor hear our joyful hymn:
“We are Love's shrouded angels,
But birds and blossoms know,
When God's dear love falls from above,
Though men may call it snow!”
But birds and blossoms know,
When God's dear love falls from above,
Though men may call it snow!”
| Poems | |