 | A Tale of Eternity and Other Poems |  |
254
THE ASPEN.
I went out into the wistful night,
Along with my little Daughter;
Down in the valley the weird Moonlight
With an Elfin shine lit the wan water.
Along with my little Daughter;
Down in the valley the weird Moonlight
With an Elfin shine lit the wan water.
The Trees stood dark in a flame of white;
A Nightingale sang in the stillness;
It seemed the husht heart of the sweet spring night
Brimmed over because of its fulness.
A Nightingale sang in the stillness;
It seemed the husht heart of the sweet spring night
Brimmed over because of its fulness.
Not a breath of air in the region wide;
Not a ripple upon the river;
Yet all of a sudden the Aspens sigh'd
And thro' all their leaves ran a shiver.
Not a ripple upon the river;
Yet all of a sudden the Aspens sigh'd
And thro' all their leaves ran a shiver.
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My darling she nestled quite close to me
For such shield as mine arms could give her;
“There went not the least waft of wind thro' the Tree;
Then why did the Aspens shiver?”
For such shield as mine arms could give her;
“There went not the least waft of wind thro' the Tree;
Then why did the Aspens shiver?”
I told her the tale, how, by Kedron's Brook
Our Saviour one evening wander'd;
A cloud came over His glorified look
As he paused by the way and ponder'd.
Our Saviour one evening wander'd;
A cloud came over His glorified look
As he paused by the way and ponder'd.
The trees felt his sighing; their heads all bow'd
Towards Him in solemn devotion,
Save the Aspen, that stood up so stately and proud;
It made neither murmur nor motion.
Towards Him in solemn devotion,
Save the Aspen, that stood up so stately and proud;
It made neither murmur nor motion.
Then the Holy One Lifted His face of pain:
“The Aspen shall quake and shiver,
From this time forth till I come again,
Whether growing by Brook or by River.”
“The Aspen shall quake and shiver,
From this time forth till I come again,
Whether growing by Brook or by River.”
And oft in the listening hush of night
The Aspen will secretly shiver;
With all its tremulous leaves turn white,
Like a guilty thing by the River.
The Aspen will secretly shiver;
With all its tremulous leaves turn white,
Like a guilty thing by the River.
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So the souls that look on His sorrow and pain
For their sake, and bow not, may quiver
Like Aspens, and quake when He comes again,
Thro' the night for ever, for ever!
For their sake, and bow not, may quiver
Like Aspens, and quake when He comes again,
Thro' the night for ever, for ever!
| A Tale of Eternity and Other Poems | |