Startles the traveller, with a sound so drear, So full of hopeless agony and fear, His heart stands still and listens like his ear.
The guide, as if he heard a dead-bell toll, Starts, drops his oar against the gunwale's thole, Crosses himself, and whispers, "A lost soul!"
"No, Senor, not a bird. I know it well,-- It is the pained soul of some infidel Or cursed heretic that cries from hell.
"Poor fool! with hope still mocking his despair, He wanders, shrieking on the midnight air For human pity and for Christian prayer.
"Saints strike him dumb! Our Holy Mother hath No prayer for him who, sinning unto death, Burns always in the furnace of God's wrath!"
Thus to the baptized pagan's cruel lie, Lending new horror to that mournful cry, The voyager listens, making no reply.
Dim burns the boat-lamp: shadows deepen round, From giant trees with snake-like creepers wound, And the black water glides without a sound.
But in the traveller's heart a secret sense Of nature plastic to benign intents, And an eternal good in Providence,
Lifts to the starry calm of heaven his eyes; And to! rebuking all earth's ominous cries, The Cross of pardon lights the tropic skies!
"Father of all!" he urges his strong plea, "Thou lovest all: Thy erring child may be Lost to himself, but never lost to Thee!
"All souls are Thine; the wings of morning bear None from that Presence which is everywhere, Nor hell itself can hide, for Thou art there.
"Through sins of sense, perversities of will, Through doubt and pain, through guilt and shame and ill, Thy pitying eye is on Thy creature still.
"Wilt thou not make, Eternal Source and Goal!
In Thy long years, life's broken circle whole, And change to praise the cry of a lost soul?"
1862.
ANDREW RYKMAN'S PRAYER
Andrew Rykman's dead and gone; You can see his leaning slate In the graveyard, and thereon Read his name and date.
"_Trust is truer than our fears_,"
Runs the legend through the moss, "_Gain is not in added years, Nor in death is loss_."
Still the feet that thither trod, All the friendly eyes are dim; Only Nature, now, and God Have a care for him.
There the dews of quiet fall, Singing birds and soft winds stray: Shall the tender Heart of all Be less kind than they?
What he was and what he is They who ask may haply find, If they read this prayer of his Which he left behind.
Pardon, Lord, the lips that dare Shape in words a mortal's prayer!
Prayer, that, when my day is done, And I see its setting sun, Shorn and beamless, cold and dim, Sink beneath the horizon's rim,-- When this ball of rock and clay Crumbles from my feet away, And the solid shores of sense Melt into the vague immense, Father! I may come to Thee Even with the beggar's plea, As the poorest of Thy poor, With my needs, and nothing more.
Not as one who seeks his home With a step assured I come; Still behind the tread I hear Of my life-companion, Fear; Still a shadow deep and vast From my westering feet is cast, Wavering, doubtful, undefined, Never shapen nor outlined From myself the fear has grown, And the shadow is my own.
Yet, O Lord, through all a sense Of Thy tender providence Stays my failing heart on Thee, And confirms the feeble knee; And, at times, my worn feet press Spaces of cool quietness, Lilied whiteness shone upon Not by light of moon or sun.
Hours there be of inmost calm, Broken but by grateful psalm, When I love Thee more than fear Thee, And Thy blessed Christ seems near me, With forgiving look, as when He beheld the Magdalen.
Well I know that all things move To the spheral rhythm of love,-- That to Thee, O Lord of all!
Nothing can of chance befall Child and seraph, mote and star, Well Thou knowest what we are Through Thy vast creative plan Looking, from the worm to man, There is pity in Thine eyes, But no hatred nor surprise.
Not in blind caprice of will, Not in cunning sleight of skill, Not for show of power, was wrought Nature's marvel in Thy thought.
Never careless hand and vain Smites these chords of joy and pain; No immortal selfishness Plays the game of curse and bless Heaven and earth are witnesses That Thy glory goodness is.
Not for sport of mind and force Hast Thou made Thy universe, But as atmosphere and zone Of Thy loving heart alone.
Man, who walketh in a show, Sees before him, to and fro, Shadow and illusion go; All things flow and fluctuate, Now contract and now dilate.
In the welter of this sea, Nothing stable is but Thee; In this whirl of swooning trance, Thou alone art permanence; All without Thee only seems, All beside is choice of dreams.
Never yet in darkest mood Doubted I that Thou wast good, Nor mistook my will for fate, Pain of sin for heavenly hate,-- Never dreamed the gates of pearl Rise from out the burning marl, Or that good can only live Of the bad conservative, And through counterpoise of hell Heaven alone be possible.
For myself alone I doubt; All is well, I know, without; I alone the beauty mar, I alone the music jar.
Yet, with hands by evil stained, And an ear by discord pained, I am groping for the keys Of the heavenly harmonies; Still within my heart I bear Love for all things good and fair.
Hands of want or souls in pain Have not sought my door in vain; I have kept my fealty good To the human brotherhood; Scarcely have I asked in prayer That which others might not share.
I, who hear with secret shame Praise that paineth more than blame, Rich alone in favors lent, Virtuous by accident, Doubtful where I fain would rest, Frailest where I seem the best, Only strong for lack of test,-- What am I, that I should press Special pleas of selfishness, Coolly mounting into heaven On my neighbor unforgiven?
Ne'er to me, howe'er disguised, Comes a saint unrecognized; Never fails my heart to greet Noble deed with warmer beat; Halt and maimed, I own not less All the grace of holiness; Nor, through shame or self-distrust, Less I love the pure and just.
Lord, forgive these words of mine What have I that is not Thine?
Whatsoe'er I fain would boast Needs Thy pitying pardon most.
Thou, O Elder Brother! who In Thy flesh our trial knew, Thou, who hast been touched by these Our most sad infirmities, Thou alone the gulf canst span In the dual heart of man, And between the soul and sense Reconcile all difference, Change the dream of me and mine For the truth of Thee and Thine, And, through chaos, doubt, and strife, Interfuse Thy calm of life.
Haply, thus by Thee renewed, In Thy borrowed goodness good, Some sweet morning yet in God's Dim, veonian periods, Joyful I shall wake to see Those I love who rest in Thee, And to them in Thee allied Shall my soul be satisfied.
Scarcely Hope hath shaped for me What the future life may be.
Other lips may well be bold; Like the publican of old, I can only urge the plea, "Lord, be merciful to me!"
Nothing of desert I claim, Unto me belongeth shame.
Not for me the crowns of gold, Palms, and harpings manifold; Not for erring eye and feet Jasper wall and golden street.
What thou wilt, O Father, give I All is gain that I receive.
If my voice I may not raise In the elders' song of praise, If I may not, sin-defiled, Claim my birthright as a child, Suffer it that I to Thee As an hired servant be; Let the lowliest task be mine, Grateful, so the work be Thine; Let me find the humblest place In the shadow of Thy grace Blest to me were any spot Where temptation whispers not.
If there be some weaker one, Give me strength to help him on If a blinder soul there be, Let me guide him nearer Thee.
Make my mortal dreams come true With the work I fain would do; Clothe with life the weak intent, Let me be the thing I meant; Let me find in Thy employ Peace that dearer is than joy; Out of self to love be led And to heaven acclimated, Until all things sweet and good Seem my natural habitude.
So we read the prayer of him Who, with John of Labadie, Trod, of old, the oozy rim Of the Zuyder Zee.
Thus did Andrew Rykman pray.
Are we wiser, better grown, That we may not, in our day, Make his prayer our own?
THE ANSWER.
Spare me, dread angel of reproof, And let the sunshine weave to-day Its gold-threads in the warp and woof Of life so poor and gray.