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49
TENT OF ABRAHAM.
The shadows of an eastern day
Lengthened along the sandy way,—
When, toiling faint and lone,
An aged wanderer cross'd the plain,—
As if his every step were pain,
His every breath a groan!
Till Abraham's tent appear'd in view,
And slowly towards its rest he drew.
Lengthened along the sandy way,—
When, toiling faint and lone,
An aged wanderer cross'd the plain,—
As if his every step were pain,
His every breath a groan!
Till Abraham's tent appear'd in view,
And slowly towards its rest he drew.
And Abraham met his way-worn look
With pity,—for the old man shook
With years, at every tread;
For he the wrinkled impress bore
Of full one hundred years, or more,
Upon his silvery head;
Then Abraham washed his aching feet,—
Assauged their pain,—and brought him meat.
With pity,—for the old man shook
With years, at every tread;
For he the wrinkled impress bore
Of full one hundred years, or more,
Upon his silvery head;
Then Abraham washed his aching feet,—
Assauged their pain,—and brought him meat.
50
Ye should have known the burning glare
Of soil, and sun, and sultry air,
To tell how sweet the draught
That bless'd those lips, so parch'd and old;
Oh! water,—not a world of gold
Could buy the joy he quaff'd!
Ye should have toiled the burning waste
To know how sweetly food can taste!
Of soil, and sun, and sultry air,
To tell how sweet the draught
That bless'd those lips, so parch'd and old;
Oh! water,—not a world of gold
Could buy the joy he quaff'd!
Ye should have toiled the burning waste
To know how sweetly food can taste!
But Abraham saw, with deep amaze,
The old man's strange and godless ways;
For ere he bent to eat,
Nor praise, nor thanks, he utter'd there,
Nor raised his grateful eyes in prayer
To God who sent him meat;
Sudden he sat in eager mood,
And call'd no blessing on the food!—
The old man's strange and godless ways;
For ere he bent to eat,
Nor praise, nor thanks, he utter'd there,
Nor raised his grateful eyes in prayer
To God who sent him meat;
Sudden he sat in eager mood,
And call'd no blessing on the food!—
“Owneth thou not the God of Heaven,
That unto thee these things hath given?”
Said Abraham, in his ire;
He answer'd,—“Five score years I've trod,
Yet worshipp'd but one only God,—
The eternal God of Fire!”
And Abraham wroth, his anger spent,
And thrust him, storming, from his tent!
That unto thee these things hath given?”
Said Abraham, in his ire;
He answer'd,—“Five score years I've trod,
Yet worshipp'd but one only God,—
The eternal God of Fire!”
And Abraham wroth, his anger spent,
And thrust him, storming, from his tent!
51
Then there was sudden awe on Night,—
The pale west quivered with wild light,
The stars apart were thrown;
And all the air around the sky
Seem'd like a glory hung on high,—
A gleam of worlds unknown;
And from that glory, high install'd,
A voice,—God's voice,—to Abraham call'd!
The pale west quivered with wild light,
The stars apart were thrown;
And all the air around the sky
Seem'd like a glory hung on high,—
A gleam of worlds unknown;
And from that glory, high install'd,
A voice,—God's voice,—to Abraham call'd!
“Why went the Stranger from thy board!”
And Abraham answer'd,—“Know, O Lord,
That he denied Thy name;
Neither would worship Thee, nor bless:
So forth, unto the wilderness,
I drove him, in his shame!”
And God said,—“If I still allow
Peace to his errors,—could'st not thou?
And Abraham answer'd,—“Know, O Lord,
That he denied Thy name;
Neither would worship Thee, nor bless:
So forth, unto the wilderness,
I drove him, in his shame!”
And God said,—“If I still allow
Peace to his errors,—could'st not thou?
“If I, these hundred years have borne
This wanderer's sin, neglect, and scorn,
Yet ne'er did vengeance seek,
How is't that thou, for one poor night,
Could'st bear him not within thy sight?—
Look up to me,—and speak!”
Then towards the Voice, with trembling steps, he trod,
And Abraham stood rebuked before his God.
This wanderer's sin, neglect, and scorn,
Yet ne'er did vengeance seek,
How is't that thou, for one poor night,
Could'st bear him not within thy sight?—
Look up to me,—and speak!”
Then towards the Voice, with trembling steps, he trod,
And Abraham stood rebuked before his God.
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