第 4 节
作者:大热      更新:2022-11-23 12:13      字数:9322
  when great deeds cry out in vain On coward heart and trembling hand; …
  Then   will   a   seeming Angel   speak:       …   〃The   hours   are   fleetinggreat
  the need … If thou art strong and others weak; Thine be the effort and the
  deed。
  〃Deaf are their ears who ought to hear; Idle their hands; and dull their
  soul; While sloth; or ignorance; or fear; Fetters them with a blind control。
  〃Sort   thou   the   tangled   web   aright;   Take   thou   the   toiltake   thou   the
  pain:   For   fear   the   hour   begin   its   flight;   While   Right   and   Duty   plead   in
  vain。〃
  And   now   it   is   I   bid   thee   pause;   Nor   let   this   Tempter   bend   thy   will:
  There are diviner; truer laws That teach a nobler lesson still。
  Learn that each duty makes its claim Upon one soul:                 not each on all。
  How;   if   God   speaks   thy   Brother's   name;   Dare   thou   make   answer   to   the
  call?
  The greater peril in the strife; The less this evil should be done; For as
  in battle; so in life; Danger and honour still are one。
  Arouse him then:… this is thy part: Show him the claim; point out the
  need; And nerve his arm; and cheer his heart; Then stand aside; and say
  〃God speed!〃
  Smooth   thou   his   path   ere   it   is   trod;   Burnish   the   arms   that   he   must
  wield; And pray; with all thy strength; that God May crown him Victor of
  the field。
  And   then;   I   think;   thy  soul   shall   feel A  nobler   thrill   of   true   content;
  Than if presumptuous; eager zeal Had seized a crown for others meant。
  And even that very deed shall shine In mystic sense; divine and true;
  More wholly and more purely thine … Because it is another's too。
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  VERSE:                  A LOST CHORD
  Seated   one   day   at   the   Organ;   I   was   weary   and   ill   at   ease;   And   my
  fingers wandered idly Over the noisy keys。
  I do not know what I was playing; Or what I was dreaming then; But I
  struck one chord of music; Like the sound of a great Amen。
  It flooded the crimson twilight Like the close of an Angel's Psalm; And
  it lay on my fevered spirit With a touch of infinite calm。
  It quieted pain and sorrow; Like love overcoming strife; It seemed the
  harmonious echo From our discordant life。
  It linked all perplexed meanings Into one perfect peace; And trembled
  away into silence As if it were loth to cease。
  I have sought; but I seek it vainly; That one lost chord divine; Which
  came from the soul of the Organ; And entered into mine。
  It may be that Death's bright angel Will speak in that chord again; … It
  may be that only in Heaven I shall hear that grand Amen。
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  VERSE:                    TOO LATE
  Hush! speak low; tread softly; Draw the sheet aside; … Yes; she does
  look peaceful; With that smile she died。
  Yet   stern   want   and   sorrow   Even   now   you   trace   On   the   wan;   worn
  features Of the still white face。
  Restless; helpless; hopeless; Was her bitter part; … Nowhow still the
  Violets Lie upon her Heart!
  She    who    toiled  and   laboured    For   her  daily   bread;   See  the   velvet
  hangings Of this stately bed。
  Yes;  they  did   forgive   her;   Brought   her home   at   last;   Strove to   cover
  over Their relentless past。
  Ah; they would have given Wealth; and home; and pride; To see her
  just look happy Once before she died!
  They strove hard to please her; But; when death is near All you know
  is deadened; Hope; and joy; and fear。
  And   besides;   one   sorrow   Deeper   stillone   pain   Was   beyond   them:
  healing Came to…dayin vain!
  If   she   had   but   lingered   Just   a   few   hours   more;   Or   had   this   letter
  reached her Just one day before!
  I can almost pity Even him to…day; Though he let this anguish Eat her
  heart away。
  Yet she never blamed him:… One day you shall know How this sorrow
  happened; It was long ago。
  I have read the letter: Many a weary year; For one word she hungered …
  There are thousands here。
  If she could but hear it; Could but understand; SeeI put the letter In
  her cold white hand。
  Even these words; so longed for; Do not stir her rest; WellI should
  not murmur; For God judges best。
  She   needs   no   more   pity;   …   But   I   mourn   his   fate;   When   he   hears   his
  letter Came a day too late。
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  VERSE:                   THE REQUITAL
  Loud     roared   the   Tempest;   Fast  fell  the  sleet;   A   little  Child   Angel
  Passed down the street; With trailing pinions; And weary feet。
  The moon was hidden; No stars were bright; So she could not shelter
  In heaven that night; For the Angels' ladders Are rays of light。
  She beat her wings At each window pane; And pleaded for shelter; But
  all in vain:   … 〃Listen;〃 they said; 〃To the pelting rain!〃
  She sobbed; as the laughter And mirth grew higher; 〃Give me rest and
  shelter Beside your fire; And I will give you Your heart's desire。〃
  The   dreamer   sat   watching   His   embers   gleam;   While   his   heart   was
  floating Down hope's bright stream; 。 。 。 So he wove her wailing Into his
  dream。
  The worker toiled on; For his time was brief; The mourner was nursing
  Her own pale grief: They heard not the promise That brought relief。
  But fiercer the Tempest Rose than before; When the Angel paused At a
  humble door; And asked for shelter And help once more。
  A  weary   woman;   Pale;   worn;   and   thin;   With   the   brand   upon   her   Of
  want and sin; Heard the Child Angel And took her in。
  Took her in gently; And did her best To dry her pinions; And made her
  rest With tender pity Upon her breast。
  When the eastern morning Grew bright and red; Up the first sunbeam
  The Angel fled; Having kissed the woman And left herdead。
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  VERSE:                 RETURNED
  〃MISSING〃 (FIVE YEARS AFTER)
  Yes; I was sad and anxious; But now; dear; I am gay; I know that it is
  wisest To put all hope away:… Thank God that I have done so And can be
  calm to…day。
  For hope deferredyou know it; Once made my heart so sick: Now; I
  expect no longer; It is but the old trick Of hope; that makes me tremble;
  And makes my heart beat quick。
  All day I sit here calmly; Not as I did before; Watching for one whose
  footstep Comes never; never more 。 。 。 Hush! was that someone passing;
  Who paused beside the door?
  For years I hung on chances; Longing for just one word; At last I feel
  it:… silence Will never more be stirred 。 。 。 Tell me once more that rumour;
  You fancied you had heard。
  Life has more things to dwell on Than just one useless pain; Useless
  and past for ever; But noble things remain; And wait us all:      。 。 。 you too;
  dear; Do you think hope quite vain?
  All others have forgotten; 'Tis right I should forget; Nor live on a keen
  longing Which shadows forth regret:       。 。 。 Are not the letters coming? The
  sun is almost set。
  Now that my restless legion Of hopes and fears is fled; Reading is joy
  and comfort 。 。 。 。 。 。This very day I read; Oh; such a strange returning Of
  one whom all thought dead!
  Not that _I_ dream or fancy; You know all that is past; Earth has no
  hope to give me; And yet:… Time flies so fast That all but the impossible
  Might be brought back at last。
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  VERSE:                 IN THE WOOD
  In the wood where shadows are deepest From the branches overhead;
  Where the wild wood…strawberries cluster And the softest moss is spread; I
  met to…day with a fairy; And I followed her where she led。
  Some magical words she uttered; I alone could understand; For the sky
  grew bluer and brighter; While there rose on either hand The cloudy walls
  of a palace That was built in Fairy…land。
  And I stood in a strange enchantment; I had known it all before: In my
  heart of hearts was the magic Of days that will come no more; The manic
  of joy departed; That Time can never res