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Our thoughts were sweetened with a sense
Of his benignant influence …
‘‘He giveth His beloved sleep。''
No splendid talents; which excite
Like music; songs; or floods of light;
Were his; but; rather; all those bright;
Calm qualities of soul which reap
A mute; but certain; fine respect;
Not only from a source elect;
But from the hearts of every sect …
‘‘He giveth His beloved sleep。''
Page: 121
He giveth His beloved rest!
The faithful soul that onward pressed;
Unswerving; from Life's east to west;
By paths austere and passes steep;
Is past all toil; and; over Death;
With reverent hands and prayerful breath;
I plant this flower; alive with faith …
‘‘He giveth His beloved sleep。''
Page: 122
ARALUEN
TAKE this rose; and very gently place it on the tender; deep
Mosses where our little darling; Araluen; lies asleep。
Put the blossom close to baby … kneel with me; my love; and pray;
We must leave the bird we've buried … say good…bye to her to…day。
In the shadow of our trouble we must go to other lands;
And the flowers we have fostered will be left to other hands:
Other eyes will watch them growing … other feet will softly tread
Page: 123
Where two hearts are nearly breaking; where so many tears are shed。
Bitter is the world we live in: life and love are mixed with pain;
We will never see these daisies … never water them again。
Ah! the saddest thought in leaving baby in this bush alone
Is that we have not been able on her grave to place a stone:
We have been too poor to do it; but; my darling; never mind …
God is in the gracious heavens; and His sun and rain are kind:
They will dress the spot with beauty; they will make the grasses grow:
Many winds will lull our birdie; many songs will come and go。
Page: 124
Here the blue…eyed Spring will linger; here the shining month will stay;
Like a friend; by Araluen; when we two are far away;
But beyond the wild; wide waters; we will tread another shore …
We will never watch this blossom; never see it any more。
Girl; whose hand at God's high altar in the dear; dead year I pressed;
Lean your stricken head upon me … this is still your lover's breast!
She who sleeps was first and sweetest … none we have to take her place;
Empty is the little cradle … absent is the little face。
Other children may be given; but this rose beyond recall;
But this garland of your girlhood; will be dearest of them all。
Page: 125
None will ever; Araluen; nestle where you used to be;
In my heart of hearts; you darling; when the world was new to me;
We were young when you were with us; life and love were happy things
To your father and your mother ere the angels gave you wings。
You that sit and sob beside me … you; upon whose golden head
Many rains of many sorrows have from day to day been shed;
Who because your love was noble; faced with me the lot austere
Ever pressing with its hardship on the man of letters here …
Let me feel that you are near me; lay your hand within mine own;
Page: 126
You are all I have to live for; now that we are left alone。
Three there were; but one has vanished。 Sins of mine have made you weep;
But forgive your baby's father now that baby is asleep。
Let us go; for night is falling; leave the darling with her flowers;
Other hands will come and tend them … other friends in other hours。
Page: 127
THE SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION
(A Prize Poem published with the kind permission of the
Proprietors of the ‘‘Sydney Morning Herald'')
NOW; while Orion; flaming south; doth set
A shining foot on hills of wind and wet …
Far haughty hills beyond the fountains cold
And dells of glimmering greenness manifold …
While August sings the advent of the Spring;
And in the calm is heard September's wing;
The lordly voice of song I ask of thee;
High; deathless radiance … crowned Calliope!
What though we never hear the great god's lays
Which made all music the Hellenic days …
Page: 128
What though the face of thy fair heaven beams
Still only on the crystal Grecian streams …
What though a sky of new; strange beauty shines
Where no white Dryad sings within the pines:
Here is a land whose large; imperial grace
Must tempt thee; goddess; in thine holy place!
Here are the dells of peace and plenilune;
The hills of morning and the slopes of noon;
Here are the waters dear to days of blue;
And dark…green hollows of the noontide dew;
Here lies the harp; by fragrant wood…winds fanned;
That waits the coming of thy quickening hand!
And shall Australia; framed and set in sea;
August with glory; wait in vain for thee?
Shall more than Tempe's beauty be unsung
Because its shine is strange … its colours young?
No! by the full; live light which puts to shame
The far; fair splendours of Thessalian flame …
By yonder forest psalm which sinks and swells
Like that of Phocis; grave with oracles …
Page: 129
By deep prophetic winds that come and go
Where whispering springs of pondering mountains flow …
By lute…like leaves and many…languaged caves;
Where sounds the strong hosanna of the waves;
This great new majesty shall not remain
Unhonoured by the high immortal strain!
Soon; soon; the music of the southern lyre
Shall start and blossom with a speech like fire!
Soon; soon; shall flower and flow in flame divine
Thy songs; Apollo; and Euterpe; thine!
Strong; shining sons of Delphicus shall rise
With all their father's glory in their eyes;
And then shall beam on yonder slopes and springs
The light that swims upon the light of things。
And therefore; lingering in a land of lawn;
I; standing here; a singer of the dawn;
With gaze upturned to where wan summits lie
Against the morning flowing up the sky …
Whose eyes in dreams of many colours see
Page: 130
A glittering vision of the years to be …
Do ask of thee; Calliope; one hour
Of life pre…eminent with perfect power;
That I may leave a song whose lonely rays
May shine hereafter from these songless days。
For now there breaks across the faint grey range
The rose…red dawning of a radiant change。
A soft; sweet voice is in the valleys deep;
Where darkness droops and sings itself to sleep。
The grave; mute woods; that yet the silence hold
Of dim; dead ages; gleam with hints of gold。
Yon eastern cape that meets the straitened wave …
A twofold tower above the whistling cave …
Whose strength in thunder shields the gentle lea;
And makes a white wrath of a league of sea;
Now wears the face of peace; and in the bay
The weak; spent voi