第 13 节
作者:大热      更新:2022-11-23 12:13      字数:9283
  Heavens themselves look brighter; love; Since thy sweet soul is there。
  And if my heart is once more calm; My step is once more free; It is
  because   each   hour   I   feel   Thou   prayest   still   for   me;   Because   no   fate   or
  change can come Between my soul and thee。
  It is because my heart is stilled。 Not broken by despair; Because I see
  the grave is bright; And death itself is fair … I dread no more the wrath of
  Heaven … I have an angel there!
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  VERSE:                    A LETTER
  Dear; I tried to write you such a letter As would tell you all my heart
  to…day。 Written Love is poor; one word were better; Easier; too; a thousand
  times; to say。
  I can tell you all:     fears; doubts unheeding; While I can be near you;
  hold   your   hand;   Looking   right   into   your   eyes;   and   reading   Reassurance
  that you understand。
  Yet   I  wrote it through;  then   lingered;  thinking Of  its   reaching   you;
  what   hour;   what   day;   Till   I   felt   my   heart   and   courage   sinking   With   a
  strange; new; wondering dismay。
  〃Will    my   letter  fall;〃  I  wondered     sadly;   〃On   her   mood    like  some
  discordant   tone;   Or   be   welcomed   tenderly   and   gladly? Will   she   be   with
  others; or alone?
  〃It may find her too absorbed to read it; Save with hurried glance and
  careless air: Sad and weary; she may scarcely heed it; Gay and happy; she
  may hardly care。
  〃Shall Idare Irisk the chances?〃 slowly Something;was it shyness;
  love; or pride? … Chilled my heart; and checked my courage wholly; So I
  laid it wistfully aside。
  Then I leant against the casement; turning Tearful eyes towards the far…
  off   west;   Where     the   golden   evening   light   was   burning;    Till   my   heart
  throbbed back again to rest。
  And I thought:       〃Love's soul is not in fetters; Neither space nor time
  keep souls   apart;   Since I   cannotdare notsend   my  letters; Through the
  silence I will send my heart。
  〃If; perhaps now; while my tears are falling; She is dreaming quietly
  alone;   She   will hear   my  Love's   far   echo   calling;   Feel   my  spirit   drawing
  near her own。
  〃She will hear; while twilight shades enfold her; All the gathered Love
  she knows so well … Deepest Love my words have ever told her; Deeper
  stillall I could never tell。
  〃Wondering   at   the   strange   mysterious   power   That   has   touched   her
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  heart; then she will say:… 'Some one whom I love; this very hour; Thinks of
  me; and loves me; far away。'
  〃If; as well may be; to…night has found her Full of other thoughts; with
  others   by; Through   the  words and   claims   that   gather  round   her  She   will
  hear just one; half…smothered sigh;
  〃Or will marvel why; without her seeking; Suddenly the thought of me
  recurs;   Or;   while   listening   to   another   speaking;   Fancy   that   my   hand   is
  holding hers。〃
  So I dreamed; and watched the stars' far splendour Glimmering on the
  azure   darkness;   start;   …   While   the   star   of   trust   rose   bright   and   tender;
  Through the twilight shadows of my heart。
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  VERSE:                  A COMFORTER
  I。
  Will she come   to me;  little Effie; Will she come   in my  arms to   rest;
  And   nestle   her   head   on   my   shoulder;   While   the   sun   goes   down   in   the
  west?
  II。
  〃I and Effie will sit together; All alone; in this great arm…chair:… Is it
  silly to mind it; darling; When Life is so hard to bear?
  III。
  〃No one comforts me like my Effie; Just I think that she does not try; …
  Only looks with a wistful wonder Why grown people should ever cry;
  IV。
  〃While     her  little  soft  arms  close  tighter  Round   my   neck   in  their
  clinging hold:… Well; I must not cry on your hair; dear; For my tears might
  tarnish the gold。
  V。
  〃I am tired of trying to read; dear; It is worse to talk and seem  gay:
  There are some kinds of sorrow; Effie; It is useless to thrust away。
  VI。
  〃Ah; advice may be wise; my darling; But one always knows it before;
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  And the reasoning down one's sorrow Seems to make one suffer the more。
  VII。
  〃But   my   Effie   won't   reason;   will   she?   Or   endeavour   to   understand;
  Only holds up her mouth to kiss me; As she strokes my face with her hand。
  VIII。
  〃If you break your plaything yourself; dear; Don't you cry for it all the
  same? I don't think it is such a comfort; One has only oneself to blame。
  IX。
  〃People say things cannot be helped; dear; But then that is the reason
  why; For if things could be helped or altered; One would never sit down to
  cry:
  X。
  〃They say; too; that tears are quite useless To undo; amend; or restore;
  … When I think HOW useless; my Effie; Then my tears only fall the more。
  XI。
  〃All to…day I struggled against it; But that does not make sorrow cease;
  And now; dear; it is such a comfort To be able to cry in peace。
  XII。
  〃Though wise people would call that folly; And remonstrate with grave
  surprise; We won't mind what they say; my Effie; … We never professed to
  be wise。
  〃But my comforter knows a lesson Wiser; truer than all the rest:… That
  to help and to heal a sorrow; Love and silence are always best。
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  XIV。
  〃Well;   who   is   my   comfortertell   me?   Effie   smiles;   but   she   will   not
  speak; Or look up through the long curled lashes That are shading her rosy
  cheek。
  XV。
  〃Is   she   thinking   of   talking   fishes;   The   blue   bird;   or   magical   tree?
  Perhaps I am thinking; my darling; Of something that never can be。
  XVI。
  〃You longdon't you; dear?for the Genii; Who were slaves of lamps
  and of rings; And II am sometimes afraid; dear; … I want as impossible
  things。
  XVII。
  〃But hark! there is Nurse calling Effie! It is bedtime; so run away; And
  I must go back; or the others Will be wondering why I stay。
  XVIII。
  〃So good…night to my darling Effie; Keep happy; sweetheart; and grow
  wise:…   There's   one   kiss   for   her   golden   tresses;   And   two   for   her   sleepy
  eyes。〃
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  VERSE:                   UNSEEN
  There are more things in Heaven and Earth; than we Can dream of; or
  than nature understands; We learn not through our poor philosophy What
  hidden chords are touched by unseen hands。
  The present hour repeats upon its strings Echoes of some vague dream
  we have forgot; Dim voices whisper half…remembered things; And when
  we pause to listen;answer not。
  Forebodings      come:     we    know    not  how;   or  whence;    Shadowing      a
  nameless   fear   upon   the   soul; And   stir   within   our   hearts   a   subtler   sense;
  Than light may read; or wisdom may control。
  And   who   can   tell   what   secret   links   of   thought   Bind   heart   to   heart?
  Unspoken things   are heard; As   if within our  deepest selves   was   brought
  The soul; perhaps; of some unuttered word。
  But; though a veil of shadow hangs between That hidden life; and what
  we see and hear; Let us revere the power of the Unseen; And know a world
  of mystery is near。