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。