 | Threescore, and other poems |  |
43
LISETTE.
A MUSICAL BALLAD.
A midnight strain—so warm and bold
The rooms dilated with its might—
Loosed on the sleepers sleep's soft hold
To pale them first with wonder's fright.
The rooms dilated with its might—
Loosed on the sleepers sleep's soft hold
To pale them first with wonder's fright.
Athrough the open door they crept;
And there Lisette, with nimblest ease,—
While still her outward senses slept,—
Struck with a master-hand the keys:
And there Lisette, with nimblest ease,—
While still her outward senses slept,—
Struck with a master-hand the keys:
Their little handmaid, meek Lisette,
She who three years their babe had nursed,
Herself a child, not thirteen yet,
In rhythmic fingering all unversed.
She who three years their babe had nursed,
Herself a child, not thirteen yet,
In rhythmic fingering all unversed.
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Swift the fresh harmonies of sound
Leap from the keys into the ear,
Piling up concord, mound on mound,
And clasping th' air so cordial near,
Leap from the keys into the ear,
Piling up concord, mound on mound,
And clasping th' air so cordial near,
The listener breathes but ravishment;
Then tenderly afar they sink
(As sense, dissolved, with thought were blent)
Almost to very stillness' brink;
Then tenderly afar they sink
(As sense, dissolved, with thought were blent)
Almost to very stillness' brink;
Thence to rebound with fugue of thunder,
Rolling athwart the raptured strings,
To flush the soul with tuneful wonder,
Lifted on unapparent wings.—
Rolling athwart the raptured strings,
To flush the soul with tuneful wonder,
Lifted on unapparent wings.—
Uprose she sudden with the grace
Of ripened womanhood, her hair
About her childish, dreamy face
Dressed with a former fashion's care;
Of ripened womanhood, her hair
About her childish, dreamy face
Dressed with a former fashion's care;
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“I am the mother of Lisette:
Start not, dear friends; to me how dear!
Loved guardians of my orphaned pet.
By law of life and love I'm here;
Start not, dear friends; to me how dear!
Loved guardians of my orphaned pet.
By law of life and love I'm here;
“For soul with soul is so compact,
It leaps of fleshly form the fence
To interfuse, in thought and act,
Being with being, sense with sense.
It leaps of fleshly form the fence
To interfuse, in thought and act,
Being with being, sense with sense.
“On earth sweet music was the food
Of all my life. My head and heart
It filled, resounding through my blood
To heal in me my daily smart.
Of all my life. My head and heart
It filled, resounding through my blood
To heal in me my daily smart.
“'Tis three years since the earth I left,
And pain and hunger's agony,
And worse, thinking she was bereft
Of mother's help, of all in me.
And pain and hunger's agony,
And worse, thinking she was bereft
Of mother's help, of all in me.
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“But O! the blessed privilege
Of death, which is not death, but life
Released,—life sharpened with the edge
Of higher thought, with freedom rife.
Of death, which is not death, but life
Released,—life sharpened with the edge
Of higher thought, with freedom rife.
“Soon as earth's film passed from my soul
I saw my child, afar, afar,
Dim as a hope flashed through the dole
Of black despair, or mist-held star.
I saw my child, afar, afar,
Dim as a hope flashed through the dole
Of black despair, or mist-held star.
“Still higher joy, delightful wonder!
Scarce had I thought me of the wide,
Gross distance that us two did sunder,
Scarce had I willed me by her side,
Scarce had I thought me of the wide,
Gross distance that us two did sunder,
Scarce had I willed me by her side,
“When I was there; and there have been
Each minute since; my life, my joy,
My heaven, to be with her, and wean
From earth her gentle thoughts, and buoy
Each minute since; my life, my joy,
My heaven, to be with her, and wean
From earth her gentle thoughts, and buoy
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“Her heavenward. Could she live here,
I 'd help her live; but she is doomed;
And even now the day is near
When she her last will here have bloomed.”
I 'd help her live; but she is doomed;
And even now the day is near
When she her last will here have bloomed.”
She ceased; then like a woman went
Forth from the room up to her bed,
Lisette's small cot, the two still blent
In one, daughter by mother led.—
Forth from the room up to her bed,
Lisette's small cot, the two still blent
In one, daughter by mother led.—
Lisette woke late, without or ken
Or conscience of that tuneful hour;
Weaker than wont, and daily then
She paled and drooped, like smitten flower.
Or conscience of that tuneful hour;
Weaker than wont, and daily then
She paled and drooped, like smitten flower.
One morning lonely in the bed
They found her body; gone the gem.
Herself, her spirit, away had sped
To help her mother watch o'er them.
They found her body; gone the gem.
Herself, her spirit, away had sped
To help her mother watch o'er them.
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While they were weeping for Lisette
They heard a song, as though the spheres,
Choiring in joy above, had let
Their rapture reach to human ears.
They heard a song, as though the spheres,
Choiring in joy above, had let
Their rapture reach to human ears.
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