The Mistress of the Manse Part 10

The evening fell on field and street; The glow-worm lit his phosphor lamp, For fairy forms and fairy feet, That gathered for their nightly tramp Where gra.s.s was green and flowers were sweet.

In devious circles, round and round, The night-hawk coursed the twilight sky, Or shot like lightning the profound, With breezy thunder in the cry That marked his furious rebound!

The zephyrs breathed through elm and ash From new-mown hay and heliotrope, And came through Philip's open sash With sheen of stars that lit the cope, And twinkling of the fire-fly's flash.

He thought of Mildred and his boy; And something moved him more than pride, And purer than his manly joy; For while these swelled with turbid tide, His grat.i.tude had no alloy.

He heard the baby's weary plaint; He heard the mother's soothing words; And sitting in his hushed restraint, One voice was murmur of the birds, And one the hymning of a saint!

And as he sat alone, immersed In the fond fancies of the time, Her voice in mellow music burst, And by a rhythmic stair of rhyme Led down to sleep the child she nursed.

"Rockaby, lullaby, bees in the clover!-- Crooning so drowsily, crying so low-- Rockaby, lullaby, dear little rover!

Down into wonderland-- Down to the under-land-- Go, oh go!

Down into wonderland go!

"Rockaby, lullaby, rain on the clover!

Tears on the eyelids that waver and weep!

Rockaby, lullaby--bending it over!

Down on the mother-world, Down on the other world!

Sleep, oh sleep!

Down on the mother-world sleep!

"Rockaby, lullaby, dew on the clover!

Dew on the eyes that will sparkle at dawn!

Rockaby, lullaby, dear little rover!

Into the stilly world-- Into the lily world, Gone! oh gone!

Into the lily-world, gone!"

VI.

They sprouted like the prophet's gourd; They grew within a single night; So swift his busy years were scored That, ere he knew, his hope was white With harvest bending round his board!

And eyes were black, and eyes were blue, And blood of mother and of sire, Each to its native humor true, Blent Northern force with Southern fire In strength and beauty, strange and new.

The Gallic brown, the Saxon snow, The raven locks, the flaxen curls, Were so commingled in the now Of the new blood of boys and girls, That Puritan and Huguenot

In love's alembic were advanced To higher types and finer forms; And ardent humors thrilled and danced Through veins, that tempered all their storms, Or held them in restraint entranced.

Oh! many times, as flew the years, The dainty cradle-song was sung; And bore its balm to restless ears, As one by one the nested young Slept in their willows and their tears.

To each within the reedy glade, Hid from some tyrant's cruel schemes, It was a princess, or her maid, Who bore him to the realm of dreams, And made him seer by accolade

Of flaming bush and parted deep, Of gus.h.i.+ng rocks and raining corn, And fire and cloud, and lengthened sweep Of thousands toward the promised morn, Across the wilderness of sleep!

VII.

The years rolled on in grand routine Of useful toil and chastening care, Till Philip, grown to heights, serene Of conscious power, and ripe with prayer, Took on the strong and stately mien

Of one on whom had been conferred The doing of a knightly deed; And waited till it bade him gird The harness on him and his steed, For man and for his Master's word.

His name was spoken far and near, And sounded sweet on every tongue; Men knew him only to revere, And those who knew him nearest, flung Their hearts before his grand career,

And paved his way with loyal trust.

He was their strongest, n.o.blest man,-- Sworn foe of every selfish l.u.s.t, And brave to do as wise to plan, And swift to judge as pure and just.

VIII.

Against such foil the mistress stood-- A pearl upon a cross of gold-- White with consistent womanhood, And fixed with unrelaxing hold Upon the centre of the rood!

Through all those years of loving thrift, Nor blame nor discord marred their lot; Each to the lover-life was gift; And each was free from blur or blot That called for silence or for shrift.

Each bore the burden that it held With patient hands along the road; And though, with pa.s.sing years, it swelled Until it grew a weary load, Nor tongue complained, nor heart rebelled.

At length the time of trial came, And they were tried as gold is tried.

Their peace of life went up in flame, And what was good was vilified, And what was blameless came to blame.

IX.

The Southern sky was dun with cloud; And looming lurid o'er its edge The brows of awful forms were bowed, That forged in flame the fateful wedge Which waited in the angry shroud

The banner of the storm unfurled, And all the powers of death arrayed In black battalions, to be hurled Down through the rack--a blazing blade-- To cleave the realm, and shake the world!

The North was full of nameless dread; Wild portents flamed from out the pole; Old scars on Freedom's bosom bled, And sick at heart and vexed of soul She tossed in fever on her bed!

Pale Commerce hid her face and whined; The arms of Toil were paralyzed; The wise were of divided mind, And those who counselled and advised Were sightless leaders of the blind.

Men lost their faith in good and great; No captain sprang, or prophet bard, To win their trust, and save the state From the wild storm that, like a pard, On quivering haunches lay in wait!

The loyal only were not brave; E'en peace became a cringing dog; The patriot paltered like a knave, And partisan anti demagogue Quarrelled o'er Freedom's waiting grave.

X.

Amid the turmoil and disgrace, The voice was clear from first to last, Of one who, in the desert place Of barren counsels, held him fast His shepherd's crook, and made it mace

To bear before the Great Event Whose harbinger he chose to be, And called on all men to repent, And build a way from sea to sea, For Freedom's full enfranchis.e.m.e.nt.

For Philip, to his conscience leal, Conceived that G.o.d had chosen him With Treason's sophistries to deal, And grapple with the Anakim Whose menace shook the common weal.