THE IMAGE IN LAVA. Temple and tower have moulder'd, And childhood's fragile image, Thus fearfully enshrined, Babe! wert thou brightly slumbering A strange, dark fate o'ertook you, Haply of that fond bosom On ashes here impress'd, Thou wert the only treasure, child! Perchance all vainly lavish'd Its other love had been, And where it trusted, nought remain'd But thorns on which to lean. Far better, then, to perish, Thy form within its clasp, Than live and lose thee, precious one! $315 Oh! I could pass all relics Left by the pomps of old, Love, human love! what art thou? Immortal, oh! immortal Thou art, whose earthly glow Hath given these ashes holiness— It must, it must be so! CHRISTMAS CAROL. O LOVELY Voices of the sky, O clear and shining light, whose beams That hour Heaven's glory shed Around the palms, and o'er the streams, And on the shepherds' head; A FATHER READING THE BIBLE. Be near, through life and death, O star which led to him whose love In heaven thou art not set, Thy rays earth might not dim- 317 A FATHER READING THE BIBLE.' 'Twas early day, and sunlight stream'd That hush'd, but not forsaken seem'd, 1 This little poem, which, as its Author herself expressed in a letter to Mrs. Joanna Baillie, was to her "a thing set apart," as being the last of her productions ever read to her beloved mother, was written at the request of a young lady, who thus made known her wish "that Mrs. Hemans would embody in poetry a picture that so warmed a daughter's heart:" "Upon going into our dear father's sitting-room this morning, my sister and I found him deeply engaged reading his Bible, and being unwilling to interrupt such a holy occupation, we retired to the further end of the apartment, to gaze unobserved upon the serene picture. The bright morning sun was beaming on his For there, serene in happy age, Pure fell the beam, and meekly bright, And touch'd the page with tenderest light, With something lovelier far A radiance all the spirit's own, Some word of life e'en then had met Some ancient promise, breathing yet Of Immortality! Some martyr's prayer, wherein the glow venerable silver hair, while his defective sight increased the earnestness with which he perused the blessed book. Our fancy led us to believe that some immortal thought was engaging his mind, for he raised his fine open brow to the light, and we felt we had never loved him more deeply. After an involuntary prayer had passed from our hearts, we whispered to each other, Oh! if Mrs. Hemans could only see our father at this moment, her glowing pen would detain the scene, for even as we gaze upon it, the bright gleam is vanishing."" "December 9, 1826." THE MEETING OF THE BROTHERS. And silent stood his children by, Of thoughts o'ersweeping death. Oh! blest be those fair girls, and blest THE MEETING OF THE BROTHERS.1 "His early days Were with him in his heart." WORDSWORTH 319 THE Voices of two forest boys, In years when hearts entwine, Had fill'd with childhood's merry noise To rock and stream that sound was known, The sunny laughter of their eyes, 1 For the tale on which this little poem is founded, see L'Hermite en Italie. |