Debris | Page 3

ling'ring yet of when
Each bounding pulse beat
faster with its joy;
A something that allured, and won, and then

With waking fled, and years may not destroy
The impress which it left upon thy brain
But seek thee, child, grief's
ravaging to stay?
Thy tears might fall as falls the show'ring rain,

They could not wash the heart's deep scars away.
Repine thee not; shroud not they faith in gloom;
Shrink not to meet a
disappointment's frown;
Away beyond the narrow bordered tomb,

Who here have borne the cross may wear the crown.
SANSON.
TO SANSON
Whisper to him, fairies, whisper--
Whisper softly in his ear
That
some one is waiting, waiting,
Listening his step to hear.
Fairies, if he knew his presence
Would a demon's spell allay,


Would he heed your timid whisperings?
Would he--will he come
to-day?
REVENITA.
TO REVENITA
Fairies whisper, every whisper,
In the silence of the night,
And he
catches the soft murmurs
Floating in the starry light.
And they tell him; yes, they tell him,
All in accents sweet and clear,

Of the beautiful Hereafter
That is ever drawing near.
There are loved ones, waiting, waiting,
For his footfall on the shore;

They will welcome his appearing--
They will greet him o'er and
o'er.
SANSON.
TO SANSON
Oh, would the fairies to her whisper
The truths which they to him
impart,
Teach her a beautiful hereafter,
A Heaven to bless a tired
heart.
Yet thinks she that the dear ones waiting
Would envy not the boon
she craves--
To rear fair friendship's sacred alter
Where love and
hope sleep in their graves.
She knows not that a loving welcome
Will wait her in a realm of light,

Nought of a future meeting whispers,
No faith illumes her soul's
dark night.
But oh! she knows, has by experience,
The saddest of all lessons
learned;
Knows that she gathered dead-sea apples,
Which in her
hands to ashes turned.

She knows into a trammelled torrent,
Is changed her life's free
flowing tide;
Knows that her hand no oar is holding,
With which
her drifting bark to guide.
She knows, yes, knows that, like the mirage,
Which for the thirsty
traveler gleamed,
The sweet ideal she fondly cherished
Was never
there; it only seemed.
If what she knows is to her proven
A false, deluding, fleeting show,

Can she, generous spirit, can she
Trust blindly what she does not
know?
But if for this he shuts against her
The heart that's shining in his eyes,

She'll bring the gift that for the Peri
Unbarred the gate of paradise.
REVENITA.
TO REVENITA
If she'll left him be her teacher
In the mysteries of life,
In the spirit's
grand unfoldment
Far beyond this world of strife,
A sacred altar he will build her,
And dedicate to friendship true,

And this shall be their bond of union,
More constant that all others
knew.
SANSON.
TO SANSON
Kind teacher, henceforth be it mine,
To kneel at friendship's sacred
shrine,
And hope's bright budding flowers entwine
Into a garland for they brow.
And thou shalt wait not for the hours

That gem creation's radiant towers,
To woo thee to elysian bowers,
But wear it now.

Too long a dreamer have I been,
Too long life's dark side only seen;

And if thou canst, while thus I kneel,
The mystery of life reveal,
Then gladly will I learn of thee.
For as on flowers the dewdrops fall,

As sunbeams break the storm-cloud's pall,
As pardon comes to
lives which blame
Has crushed beneath its weight, so came
Thy sympathy to me.
REVENITA.
TO REVENITA
Life is love, and only love,
Love that had its source above.
It
wreathes with flowers the chastening rod,
And diamond decks the
throne of God.
SANSON.
TO SANSON
If "life is love, and only love,"
Then never have I lived before;
But
for love's sack I'll sit me down
And careful con the lesson o'er.
I fain would win the shining goal,
So far away, so seeming fair,
But
could not reach its hights alone;
Then, teacher, take me, take me
there.
REVENITA.
TO REVENITA
Thy teacher, then, will take thee there,
And ever watch with tender
care,
To guard they way to loftiest aim,
And his reward thy love
shall claim.
SANSON.

TO SANSON
O, inconsistent teacher,
He'd knowledge give away;
Fill head and
heart, from tome of art,
Then take me for his pay.
He'd kindly lead me to the realm
Where joyous freedom reigns,

He'd teach my soul love's sweet control,
Then claim it for his pains.
REVENITA.
TO REVENITA
Ah! Reyenita, do not charge
To selfishness thy teacher's plea,
He
seeks thine every wish to bless,
His deepest fault is loving thee.

"Heaven's kingdom," said the Nazerene,
"Is in the heart;" sweet fairy
queen
Thou rulest along this realm of mine,
Canst say I have no
place in thine?
SANSON.
TO SANSON
They boast of Ormuz's milk-white pearls,
The ruby's magic art,
And
proudly wear the crystal drop
That fires the diamond's heart.
And these may admiration claim,
And countless wealth may sway,

But rarer gem was given to me,
One golden summer day.
Its wondrous tints, a brilliant glow,
Emit in darkest gloom,
A
sweeter fragrance 'round it clings,
Than breath of eastern bloom.
Were all earth's costly jewels thrown
In one great glittering heap,

They could not buy for ev'n a day
The gem I'd selfish keep.
Yet