On the
Death of One of Our Companions
Requiem of the Departed One
The soft
wind fanned her gentle brow,
And
breathed among the veil's soft fall,
The Nuns' sweet chapel chants were low,
And
the light rays shone o'er all
Enveloped in a robe like snow,
And
kneeling near the altar stones,
A crown of roses on her brow,
Our
lost one's features shone.
I saw her there, Oh! fair young heart,
I
thought not, then, so soon to part,
With thee, our sainted one.
Again I
saw that marble brow,
But oh! convulsed with suffering now,
A
sudden joy had thrilled,
The long lost mother, whom she thought
Deep
in her grave, but not forgot,
Was midst the living still.
The deep, the sudden, thrilling joy,
More
than her slender life could bear,
Oh! sooner joy can life destroy,
Than
might of grief, than deep despair.
Once more,
I saw that smiling face,
So
peaceful, still and white,
Death could take life, but not erase
Those
features living light.
The taper light shone soft and clear,
Upon
her sainted brow,
I knelt to pray beside her bier,
But
cannot mourn her now.
Again the rose wreath on her head,
Again there fell that veil's soft fall,
Again that robe, but on the dead,
Again shone the light, but o'er the pall.
Our angel
was indeed a spirit,
Upon
the bier she lay,
She fled from earth, but to inherit,
The
land of everlasting day.
They told when the eve drew nigh,
"Thou
wilt not die, life will be given,"
"Oh! no," she cried, "I want to die,
I
want to go to Heaven!"
God heard that prayer, she hath gained the eternal goal,
Loosed
is the silver cord, broken the golden bowl.
Oh! Mother,
where are all thy hopes of joy?
Where
are those love bright dreams?
The past hath borne them to destroy,
And
drown them in Phlegethon's streams,
Oh, Mother, what is now thy heart?
What
is thy life to thee?
God willed it thus, Oh! bear thy part,
For
thy angel's spirit is free!
Yes, free to soar in eternal flight,
Free,
to scorn this sod,
Free, to live in eternal light,
Free,
to worship God!
Oh! Mother,
'ere you met ye parted,
Never,
never on earth,
Shall see that mother brokenhearted,
The
child of her love and mirth.
To part, 'ere ye have met,
To
weep, 'ere ye have smiled,
To lose, when life seems brightest yet
To
mourn, an unknown child.
Oh! sunshine,
beam in deeper cast,
Oh!
shadows, shade your eyes,
Oh! tears withheld, now fall ye fast,
Bruised
heart, Oh! seek the skies,
That grief, should touch thee in thy joy,
That Death, should steal thy new found one,
Oh!
raise thy heart where all is joy,
And
weep, God's Will be Done!
_____
From one
of Annie's friends
- MAY SHE REST IN PEACE -