Part 496 (1/2)

Within a vale, each infant year, When earliest larks first carol free, To humble shepherds cloth appear A wondrous maiden, fair to see.

Not born within that lowly place-- From whence she wandered, none could tell; Her parting footsteps left no trace, When once the maiden sighed farewell.

And blessed was her presence there-- Each heart, expanding, grew more gay; Yet something loftier still than fair Kept man's familiar looks away.

From fairy gardens, known to none, She brought mysterious fruits and flowers-- The things of some serener sun-- Some Nature more benign than ours.

With each her gifts the maiden shared-- To some the fruits, the flowers to some; Alike the young, the aged fared; Each bore a blessing back to home.

Though every guest was welcome there, Yet some the maiden held more dear, And culled her rarest sweets whene'er She saw two hearts that loved draw near. [43]

THE HONORABLE.

Ever honor the whole; individuals only I honor; In individuals I always discover the whole.

PARABLES AND RIDDLES.

I.

A bridge of pearls its form uprears High o'er a gray and misty sea; E'en in a moment it appears, And rises upwards giddily.

Beneath its arch can find a road The loftiest vessel's mast most high, Itself hath never borne a load, And seems, when thou draw'st near, to fly.

It comes first with the stream, and goes Soon as the watery flood is dried.

Where may be found this bridge, disclose, And who its beauteous form supplied!

II.

It bears thee many a mile away, And yet its place it changes ne'er; It has no pinions to display, And yet conducts thee through the air.

It is the bark of swiftest motion That every weary wanderer bore; With speed of thought the greatest ocean It carries thee in safety o'er; One moment wafts thee to the sh.o.r.e.

III.

Upon a s.p.a.cious meadow play Thousands of sheep, of silvery hue; And as we see them move to-day, The man most aged saw them too.

They ne'er grow old, and, from a rill That never dries, their life is drawn; A shepherd watches o'er them still, With curved and beauteous silver horn.

He drives them out through gates of gold, And every night their number counts; Yet ne'er has lost, of all his fold, One lamb, though oft that path he mounts.

A hound attends him faithfully, A nimble ram precedes the way; Canst thou point out that flock to me, And who the shepherd, canst thou say?

IV.

There stands a dwelling, vast and tall, On unseen columns fair; No wanderer treads or leaves its hall, And none can linger there.

Its wondrous structure first was planned With art no mortal knows; It lights the lamps with its own hand 'Mongst which it brightly glows.

It has a roof, as crystal bright, Formed of one gem of dazzling light; Yet mortal eye has ne'er Seen Him who placed it there.

V.

Within a well two buckets lie, One mounts, and one descends; When one is full, and rises high, The other downward wends.