A little longer yet- -a little longer,

The voices thou hast loved shall

charm thine ear; And thy true heart, that now beats quick to hear them, A little longer yet shall hold them dear.

A little longer yet-joy while thou mayest;

Love and rejoice! for time has

naught in store :

And soon the darkness of the

grave shall bid thee Love and rejoice and feel and know no more.

A little longer still-Patience, Beloved:

A little longer still, ere Heaven unroll

The Glory, and the Brightness, and the Wonder,

Eternal, and divine, that waits thy Soul !

75

Then our pale joys will seem a dream forgotten,

Our Sun a darkness, and our Day a Night.

A little longer, and thy Heart, Beloved,

Shall beat forever with a Love divine;

And joy so pure, so mighty, so eternal,

No creature knows and lives, will then be thine.

A little longer yet - and angel voices

Shall ring in heavenly chant upon thine ear;

Angels and Saints await thee, and God needs thee: Beloved, can we bid thee linger here!

GRIEF.

AN ancient enemy have I,

mortal,

(Not this our shadowy Life,) will

be thine own;

And thou shalt stand where

winged Archangels worship, And trembling bow before the Great White Throne.

A little longer still, and Heaven awaits thee,

And fills thy spirit with a great delight;

For he never leaveth me,
Never gives my soul relief,
Never lets my sorrow cease,
Never gives my spirit peace,
For mine enemy is Grief!
Pale he is, and sad and stern;
And whene'er he cometh nigh,
Blue and dim the torches burn,
Pale and shrunk the roses turn;
While my heart that he has pierced
Many a time with fiery lance,
Beats and trembles at his glance

So I read their deepest pages,
And I strove to think in vain!
Wisdom's cold, calm words I
tried,

But he was seated by my side;-
Learning I have won in vain ;
She cannot rid me of my pain.

When at last soft sleep comes o'er me,

A cold hand is on my heart; Stern sad eyes are there before me;

Not in dreams will he depart:
And when the same dreary vision
From my weary brain has fled,
Daylight brings the living phan-
tom,

He is seated by my bed,
Bending o'er me all the while,
With his cruel, bitter smile,
Ever with me, ever nigh ;-
And either he or I must die!

Where Thessalian mountains rise Up against the purple skies; Where a haunting memory liveth

In each wood and cave and rill; But no dream of gods could help me,

He went with me still!

I have been where Nile's broad river

Flows upon the burning sand; Where the desert monster broodeth,

Where the Eastern palm-trees stand;

I have been where pathless forests
Spread a black eternal shade;
Where the lurking panther hiding
Glares from every tangled glade ;
But in vain I wandered wide,
Ile was always by my side!

Then I fled where snows eternal
Cold and dreary ever lie;
Where the rosy lightnings gleam,
Flashing through the northern
sky;

Where the red sun turns again
Back upon his path of pain;
But a shadowy form was with

me,

I had fled in vain!

I have thought, "If I can gaze
Sternly on him he will fade,
For I know that he is nothing
But a dim ideal shade."
As I gazed at him the more,
He grew stronger than before!

Then Isaid, "Mine arm is strong, I will make him turn and flee "; I have struggled with him longBut that could never be!

Once I battled with him so
That I thought I laid him low;
Then in trembling joy I fled,
While again and still again
Murmuring to myself I said,
"Mine old enemy is dead!"
And I stood beneath the stars,
When a chill came on my frame,
And a fear I could not name,
And a sense of quick despair,
And, lo! mine enemy was
there!

Listen, for my soul is weary,
Weary of its endless woe;

I have called on one to aid me

Mightier even than my foe.

77