Poems by Cecil Frances Alexander Edited, with a preface, by William Alexander |
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| 9 | | III. |
 | IV. |
IN MEMORIAM.
THE HONOURABLE ARTHUR O'NEIL,
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| V. |
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 | Poems by Cecil Frances Alexander |  |
IN MEMORIAM. THE HONOURABLE ARTHUR O'NEIL,
Who Died at Suez, 1870.
The hills are stained with purple dyes,
And crimson, such as only come
Sun-silver'd out of northern skies;
And round our home.
And crimson, such as only come
Sun-silver'd out of northern skies;
And round our home.
The broad breeze-wrinkled inland sea
Breaks on a thousand ripples bright,
The shadowy lines of hill and tree;
In the calm light,
Breaks on a thousand ripples bright,
The shadowy lines of hill and tree;
In the calm light,
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At distance mass'd, the woodlands melt
Into huge heaps of green, and gold,
Round that grim fortress, where the Celt
Held state of old.
Into huge heaps of green, and gold,
Round that grim fortress, where the Celt
Held state of old.
The wild woods gleam, the Castle hears
No sound save voice of happy life.
O wild Red Sea, that all the years
Hast heard the strife
No sound save voice of happy life.
O wild Red Sea, that all the years
Hast heard the strife
Of those two Continents that lock
In hard embrace thy restless deep,
Was thine a bosom fit to rock
Our Arthur's sleep?
In hard embrace thy restless deep,
Was thine a bosom fit to rock
Our Arthur's sleep?
Still by thy low grey-sanded shore
Dark nomad tribes at random stray,
And Europe's sons pass o'er and o'er,
Restless as they.
Dark nomad tribes at random stray,
And Europe's sons pass o'er and o'er,
Restless as they.
Still from the reed-encumber'd creek
The lazy land breeze curls the tide,
Where hour by hour he grew more weak,
And sank and died.
The lazy land breeze curls the tide,
Where hour by hour he grew more weak,
And sank and died.
Oh fading eye that wont to strain
Tenderly toward the dim north land,
Thin hand that long'd to press again
A father's hand
Tenderly toward the dim north land,
Thin hand that long'd to press again
A father's hand
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And take the hallowed bread and wine,
That while the kneeling kindred pray
His soul with words of love divine
Might pass away.
That while the kneeling kindred pray
His soul with words of love divine
Might pass away.
Dear heart, to faith and duty true,
That simply worked and meekly died;
Pale lips that thro' that aching blue,
Unbroken, wide,
That simply worked and meekly died;
Pale lips that thro' that aching blue,
Unbroken, wide,
Above, around them, long'd instead
For cools, and calms, and clouds of home,
And waked from feverish dreams, and said,
“I see her come.”
For cools, and calms, and clouds of home,
And waked from feverish dreams, and said,
“I see her come.”
In vain,—'Tis Suez,—new hope beguiles,
Poor lips, fond heart, in vain they pant
For Europe's old poetic Isles,
Her blue Levant.
Poor lips, fond heart, in vain they pant
For Europe's old poetic Isles,
Her blue Levant.
For when the ship, her sails unfurled,
Saw that the cloven strait was free,
And boldly plunged from world to world,
Ah, where was he?
Saw that the cloven strait was free,
And boldly plunged from world to world,
Ah, where was he?
Yet better thus—though love makes home—
To die upon this God-touched main,
Where Israel went into the foam
And rose again.
To die upon this God-touched main,
Where Israel went into the foam
And rose again.
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Sure the tired soul, life's journey done,
Had here a dying chamber grand,
Close by the isthmus that leads on
To God's own land,
Had here a dying chamber grand,
Close by the isthmus that leads on
To God's own land,
Under the sky in whose blue breast,
A little way on Charran's sod,
The ladder of the dream did rest,
By angels trod—
A little way on Charran's sod,
The ladder of the dream did rest,
By angels trod—
That everlasting sky whose light
Look'd on the long spice-laden train,
The camels of the Ishmaelite,
And Joseph's pain—
Look'd on the long spice-laden train,
The camels of the Ishmaelite,
And Joseph's pain—
The same that after heard the great
Wail of the Egyptians night and day,
When the embalm'd went back in state
To Machpelah.—
Wail of the Egyptians night and day,
When the embalm'd went back in state
To Machpelah.—
The same that all her star lamps lit
For child, and mother, wandering lone
When out of Egypt, as 'twas writ,
God call'd His Son.
For child, and mother, wandering lone
When out of Egypt, as 'twas writ,
God call'd His Son.
For what is home, and what is love?
But God's broad presence, and the sense
Of Christ's great work beneath, above,
Tender, immense,
But God's broad presence, and the sense
Of Christ's great work beneath, above,
Tender, immense,
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Making all climes, and every age,
One to the saved soul, that in faith
Treads after life's sore pilgrimage
The isthmus Death.—
One to the saved soul, that in faith
Treads after life's sore pilgrimage
The isthmus Death.—
That which no human hand may cleave:—
Thou hast gone up it to thy rest,
Thee in that bright new world we leave
On Jesus' breast.
Thou hast gone up it to thy rest,
Thee in that bright new world we leave
On Jesus' breast.
Safe from life's restless, passionate tide,
No wave can whelm, no foe pursue,
God made a wall on either side,
And led thee through.
No wave can whelm, no foe pursue,
God made a wall on either side,
And led thee through.
Sleep well, thy Machpelah is found
'Mid kindred dust, 'neath northern skies,
And only love shall watch the ground
Where Arthur lies.
'Mid kindred dust, 'neath northern skies,
And only love shall watch the ground
Where Arthur lies.
| Poems by Cecil Frances Alexander | |