And, in his Order's kloster, He sat, in night-long parle, With Tauler of the Friends of God, And Nicolas of Basle.
And lo! the twain made answer "Yea, brother, even thus The Voice above all voices Hath spoken unto us.
"The world will have its idols, And flesh and sense their sign But the blinded eyes shall open, And the gross ear be fine.
"What if the vision tarry?
God's time is always best; The true Light shall be witnessed, The Christ within confessed.
"In mercy or in judgment He shall turn and overturn, Till the heart shall be His temple Where all of Him shall learn."
INSCRIPTIONS.
ON A SUN-DIAL.
FOR DR. HENRY I. BOWDITCH.
With warning hand I mark Time's rapid flight From life's glad morning to its solemn night; Yet, through the dear God's love, I also show There's Light above me by the Shade below.
1879.
ON A FOUNTAIN.
FOR DOROTHEA L. DIX.
Stranger and traveller, Drink freely and bestow A kindly thought on her Who bade this fountain flow, Yet hath no other claim Than as the minister Of blessing in God's name.
Drink, and in His peace go
1879
THE MINISTER'S DAUGHTER.
In the minister's morning sermon He had told of the primal fall, And how thenceforth the wrath of God Rested on each and all.
And how of His will and pleasure, All souls, save a chosen few, Were doomed to the quenchless burning, And held in the way thereto.
Yet never by faith's unreason A saintlier soul was tried, And never the harsh old lesson A tenderer heart belied.
And, after the painful service On that pleasant Sabbath day, He walked with his little daughter Through the apple-bloom of May.
Sweet in the fresh green meadows Sparrow and blackbird sung; Above him their tinted petals The blossoming orchards hung.
Around on the wonderful glory The minister looked and smiled; "How good is the Lord who gives us These gifts from His hand, my child.
"Behold in the bloom of apples And the violets in the sward A hint of the old, lost beauty Of the Garden of the Lord!"
Then up spake the little maiden, Treading on snow and pink "O father! these pretty blossoms Are very wicked, I think.
"Had there been no Garden of Eden There never had been a fall; And if never a tree had blossomed God would have loved us all."
"Hush, child!" the father answered, "By His decree man fell; His ways are in clouds and darkness, But He doeth all things well.
"And whether by His ordaining To us cometh good or ill, Joy or pain, or light or shadow, We must fear and love Him still."
"Oh, I fear Him!" said the daughter, "And I try to love Him, too; But I wish He was good and gentle, Kind and loving as you."
The minister groaned in spirit As the tremulous lips of pain And wide, wet eyes uplifted Questioned his own in vain.
Bowing his head he pondered The words of the little one; Had he erred in his life-long teaching?
Had he wrong to his Master done?
To what grim and dreadful idol Had he lent the holiest name?
Did his own heart, loving and human, The God of his worship shame?
And lo! from the bloom and greenness, From the tender skies above, And the face of his little daughter, He read a lesson of love.
No more as the cloudy terror Of Sinai's mount of law, But as Christ in the Syrian lilies The vision of God he saw.
And, as when, in the clefts of Horeb, Of old was His presence known, The dread Ineffable Glory Was Infinite Goodness alone.
Thereafter his hearers noted In his prayers a tenderer strain, And never the gospel of hatred Burned on his lips again.
And the scoffing tongue was prayerful, And the blinded eyes found sight, And hearts, as flint aforetime, Grew soft in his warmth and light.
1880.
BY THEIR WORKS.
Call him not heretic whose works attest His faith in goodness by no creed confessed.
Whatever in love's name is truly done To free the bound and lift the fallen one Is done to Christ. Whoso in deed and word Is not against Him labors for our Lord.
When He, who, sad and weary, longing sore For love's sweet service, sought the sisters' door, One saw the heavenly, one the human guest, But who shall say which loved the Master best?
1881.