 | Song and Story |  |
133
SELF-DENIAL.
About her sweet majestic head
The locks are simply filleted;
Serene she stands, with starry eyes,
Profoundly meek, sublimely wise!
The locks are simply filleted;
Serene she stands, with starry eyes,
Profoundly meek, sublimely wise!
A goddess of surpassing fame,
She sees no stately altars flame;
Within her grove there looms alone
A shrine of harsh Druidic stone.
She sees no stately altars flame;
Within her grove there looms alone
A shrine of harsh Druidic stone.
But all the roads that hither wind
With splintry jeopardy are lined,
Where savage gales in shrouds of sleet
Like awful lovers wildly meet!
With splintry jeopardy are lined,
Where savage gales in shrouds of sleet
Like awful lovers wildly meet!
And through the years, to reach her home
A few pale silent pilgrims come;
On bleeding feet they bring to her
Their votive frankincense and myrrh!
A few pale silent pilgrims come;
On bleeding feet they bring to her
Their votive frankincense and myrrh!
134
And then the goddess in return,
Above her altar cold and stern,
Rewards their patient love, they say,
Through some divinely mystic way.
Above her altar cold and stern,
Rewards their patient love, they say,
Through some divinely mystic way.
None know the guerdon she confers
Except these tireless worshippers,
Who rather would its joys command
Than hold the world in their right hand!
Except these tireless worshippers,
Who rather would its joys command
Than hold the world in their right hand!
| Song and Story | |