She spake and half-vanish'd in air,

For she saw mild Religion appear With a smile that might banish despair,

And dry up the penitent tear.

Doubts and fears from my bosom were driven, And pressing the cross to her breast,

And pointing serenely to heaven,

She show'd the true Mansion of Rest!

Is steer'd, and full in view that port is seen Where all must answer what their course has

been,

And every work be tried if bad or good.
Now do those lofty dreams, my fancy's brood,
Which made of art an idol and a queen,
Melt into air; and now I feel, how keen!
That what I needed most I most withstood.
Ye fabled joys! ye tales of empty love!
What are ye now, if two-fold death be nigh?
The first is certain, and the last I dread.
Ah! what does sculpture, what does painting

prove?

When we have seen the cross and fix'd our eye,

On Him whose arms of love were there out

spread.

AVER!

Child's Faith.

O THAT I had thy faith, thou gentle child!
Thy trust in the bright future, and could see
Clearly, by human reasoning undefiled,
The spiritual land like thee.

Teach me thy love, thou meek philosopher! Show me thy nightly visions, bright-eyed seer! Give me thy faith!-why should I blindly err, And shrink with conscious fear?

CHILD'S FAITH.

135

Why should my soul be dark, while I can pour Forth from my feeble longings, light on thine? Why tremble I, when thou canst proudly soar? O that thy faith were mine!

Death cannot chill thy heart, nor dim thine eye, For thou dost fear it not; thou hast no dread In looking toward the future mystery

No dark fears for the dead.

With thee the dead are bless'd; they have gone forth

Thou know'st not whither, but to some fair

home,

Brighter, far brighter than our summer earth, Where sorrow cannot come.

It matters not to thee that angel guest

Nor spirit hath come down to tell thee where, In those delicious islands of the blest

Thou know'st that they are there.

What marvel then that thou shouldst shed no

tear,

Standing beside the dead that thou shouldst

wreathe

Thyself with flowers, and thy bright beauty wear E'en in the house of death!

O thou undoubting one! who from the Tree
Of Life hast pluck'd and eaten, well may'st

thou,

Unknowing evil, walk in spirit free
With thine unclouded brow!

Thy faith is knowledge-and without a fear
Lookest thou onward in the light reveal'd;
Thou blessed child! in thee will I revere
The truth which God hath seal'd.

I will not doubt-like thee I will arise,
And clothe my soul in light, nor more repine
That life, and death, and heaven are mysteries-
Thy strong faith shall be mine.

Then may I see the beautiful depart,

The fair flowers of my spring-time fade and die, With an unquestioning, unrebelling heart, Strong in God's certainty.