Part 7 (2/2)
Prays she for some one far away, Or some one near and dear to-day, Or some poor, lorn, lost soul unknown?
It see To pray forever for one's self; It see
Why, I would rather stoop, and bear My load of sin, and bear it well And bravely down to burning hell, Than ever pray one selfish prayer!
VIII
The swift chaloolides to the ground, Then up, and lies across the toray as myrtle moss The tirief
The little creature's hues are gone; Here in the pale and ghostly light It lies so pale, so panting white,-- White as the tomb it lies upon
The two ht have said These twohere for rooh!
How tall was one, hoas one!
The one was as a journey done, The other as beginning now
And one was young,--young with that youth Eternal that belongs to truth; And one was old,--old with the years That follow fast on doubts and fears
And yet the habit of command Was his, in every stubborn part; No common knave was he at heart, Nor his the co man in the face, So full of hate, so frank of hate; The other, standing in his place, Stared back as straight and hard as fate
And now he sudden turned away, And now he paced the path, and now Cah Pale-broith lips as cold as clay
As mute as shadows on a wall, As silent still, as dark as they, Before that stranger, bent and gray, The youth stood scornful, proud, and tall
He stood, a tall pal it; Nor deed, nor word, to him seemed fit While she prayed on so silently
He slew his rival with his eyes; His eyes were daggers piercing deep,-- So deep that blood began to creep From their deep wounds and drop ise:
His eyes so black, so bright that they Might raise the dead, the living slay, If but the dead, the living, bore Such hearts as heroes had of yore:
Two deadly arrows barbed in black, And feathered, too, with raven's wing; Two arrows that could silent sting, And with a death-wound answer back
How fierce he was! how deadly still In that er there That drew to hi, Down, down, beneath a snake's bright eyes, He stood, a fascinated thing, That hopeless, unresisting, dies
He raised a hard hand as before, Reached out the gold, and offered it With hand that shook as ague-fit,-- The while the youth but scorned the more
”You will not touch it? In God's name Who are you, and what are you, then?
Coold, and be of old,--she must be mine She shall be mine! I do not fear Your scowl, your scorn, your soul austere, The living, dead, or your dark sign
”I saw her as she entered there; I saw her, and uncovered stood: The perfume of her womanhood Was holy incense on the air
”She left behind sweet sanctity, Religion lay the way she went; I cried I would repent, repent!
She passed on, all unheeding ladsome, as mine own are dim; But, oh, I felt ht!--