A Prison Vision.

BY GEO. W. H. HARRISON.

'Tis midnight in these prison walls, And even the sentry's muffled tread

Sepulchral sounds, as if he trod The silent confines of the dead.

In vain I close my weary eyes, I cannot sleep tonight;

I hear an angel's rustling wings Fresh from the realms of light.

A sacred presence haunts the air, A messenger from Heaven's own land;

And memory awakes again, Touched by an angel's wand.

I seem to hear, deep in my soul, The music of a heavenly choir,

While each pulsation of my heart Awakes in me the old desire

To see once more that lovely form Death vanished in my arms;

To hear again her melting voice And revel in her charms.

To feel the tender, soft caress Of a loved tho' vanished hand,

And hear from her departed lips The mysteries of that land

That lies beyond Time's rugged shore, To all unknown, save those

Whom angels capture for the skies At life's uncertain close.

I muse again, with loving thought, Of a sinless wife long dead,

And live again our buried past, By an angel presence led.

I view again the pleasing scene Of a school house on the hill,

Where happy scholars daily met, Whose law was the teacher's will.

I see again the old armchair Where the Master daily sat

With watchful eye and helpful hand, Yet sleepless as a cat.

I hear again the sleepless hum Of voices low and sweet,

Of students pouring o'er the books With wisdom's germs replete.

Amid that happy, guileless throng, There was one peerless face

That held in the Master's tender heart An undisputed place.

It was a face, O God! how fair! No words can ever paint;

More fit for heaven than for earth. It bore the contour of a saint.

The brow was high and broad and white, With a radiance all its own;

The cheeks, like lilies dipped in blood, Were oft as a rose full blown.

Eyebrows dark and delicately arched, Were penciled in Nature's play;

The ruby ripeness of her lips Seemed never to melt away.

Her lustrous eyes, whose depths were brown, Yet seemed a darker hue,

Were windows of a spotless soul That scorned to be untrue.

Abundant tresses of dark brown hair That almost swept the ground,

Enveloped as chaste and lovely form As e'er on earth was found.

A voice so soft, so sweet, so low That every accent woke

Sweet notes of blissful melody, As if an angel spoke.

None could look upon that face And deem that aught of earth

Could chill the rapture of a soul Where sin could know no birth.

Her mind had wondrous power and scope; It grasped the sea, the earth, the sky,

And rightly understood and loved The God who ruled on high.

Contentment, truth and virtue Was part of Nature's dower;

Self-sacrifice to her was joy, And prayer was conscious power.

While yet a child her spirit soared Above the things of earth,

And mused with soulful tenderness On the heaven that gave it birth.

The teacher's stern, imperious heart Yearningly worshipped this child,

And 'neath her hallowed influence Grew tender, warm and mild.

The haughty heart, that never sought The plaudits of the world,

Poured its richest tribute At the feet of this faultless girl.

The face, that never even blanched 'mid war's terrific strife,

Grew pale as death the hour he asked This child to be his wife.

No word she spake, but simply laid Her head upon his breast.

He folded her in warm embrace And knew that he was blest.

Each lived a life of conscious joy; Earth seemed a garden fair;

The lover sought earth's fairest flowers To braid in her shining hair.

Deeply they drank at the font of love; Draughts few natures can hold;

The hours were seasons of perfect bliss; Each moment more precious than gold.

Days and months flew swiftly by On the wings of happiness sped,

And two sweet babes were garnered As the fruit of their marriage bed!

They neither thought nor dreamed of aught Save their babes and coming bliss;

They greeted the morn with soft caress And welcomed night with a kiss.

Till, thundering on the wings of Time, Fate dealt the cruel blow

That dashed a home in pieces And laid a child-wife low.

The husband pressed her to his breast And fondly kissed his bride;

But with the parting of that kiss The sinless child-wife died.

The kindred angels joyful flew From the realms of endless day,

And gently wafted her soul above, But left to us her clay.

"She is dead! Kiss her and come away. Your cries and prayers are all in vain,

Your May-Bell is cold, senseless clay; In heaven above you'll meet again."

They smoothed her tresses of dark brown hair Back from her marble forehead fair;

Over her eyes, that oped too much, They closed the lids with a tender touch.

They closed with tender touch, that day, The thin, pale lips where beauty lay;

About her brow and her sweet pale face They tied her veil and bridal lace;

Placed on her feet the white silk shoes That May-Bell for her marriage chose;

Over her bosom crossed her hands; "Come away," they said, "God understands."

With bowed heads they left the room, Still shuddering at its silent gloom;

And naught, save silence, lingered there Around the corpse of May-Bell Clare.

But I loved her far too well to dread The silent, stately, beautiful dead.

I cautiously opened the chamber door And was alone with my dead once more.

I kissed her lips, I kissed her cheek, But 'twas in vain, she could not speak.

I called her names, she loved, awhile, But she was dead and could not smile.

And not one passionate whisper of love Could call her back from her home above.

"Cold lips," I murmured, "breast without breath, Is there no voice, no language in death?"

Dull to ear and still to the sense, Yet to the soul of love intense!

See, I listen with soul, not ear; What is the secret of dying, my dear?

Was it the infinite wonder of all That you could let life's flower fall?

Or was it a greater marvel to feel The perfect calm o'er agony steal?

Was the miracle greatest to find how deep Beyond all dreams sank down that sleep?

Did life roll back its record, my dear, Showing all past deeds dark and clear?

Oh, did love, sweet mistress of bliss, Affrighted, vanish to shun death's kiss?

For radiant ones in the world above Forget those whom on earth they love?

Oh, perfect death! Oh, dead most dear, I hold the breath of my soul to hear!

I listen as deep as fathomless hell, As high as heaven, nor will you tell!

There must be pleasure in dying, my sweet, To make you so placid from head to feet!

I'd tell you, darling, if I were dead And your hot tears on my cheeks shed,

I'd speak, though the angel of death had laid His sword on my lips, their accents to shade.

Not in vain should you, with streaming eyes, Beg to know Death's chief surprise.

Oh, foolish world! Oh, precious dead! Tho' you tell me, who will believe 'twas said?

Who will believe I heard you say In your own dear, kind familiar way:

"I can speak now—you listen with soul alone: To the eyes of your soul all shall be shown.

In this land of infinite bliss The utmost wonder, dear one, is this:

"I see and love and kiss you again; I smile at your triumph over pain;

I know your heart is honest and true; I'm a guardian angel to you!

"What a strange, delicious amusement is death! To live without being, to breathe without breath!

I should laugh did you not cry; Listen, dear one, love never can die!

"I am now your heaven-decked bride; My body and not my love has died!

Dear one, it lies there, I know, Pale and silent, cold as snow.

"And you say, 'May-Bell is dead.' Weeping o'er my silent head!

I can see your falling tears, Hear your sighs and know your fears!

"Yet I smile and whisper this: I am not the clay you kiss;

Cease your tears and let it lie, It was mine, but 'tis not I!

"Dear one, what the women love For its silent home, the grave,

Is a garment I have quit, As a tent no longer fit.

"'Tis a cage from which, at last, My enraptured soul has passed.

Love the inmate, not the room, Love the wearer, not the plume!

"Love my spirit, not the bars, That kept your May-Bell from the stars;

Be wise, dear one, and quickly dry From every tear your laden eye.

"What you place upon the bier Is not worth a lover's tear;

'Tis an empty shell at last, Out of which the soul has passed.

"The shell is broken, it lies there, But the pearl, the soul, is here!

'Tis an earthen jar, whose lid God sealed when it faintly hid

"The soul He made to live on high; The mind that did not, cannot die.

Let the dross be earth's once more, Since the gold is in His store.

"God is glorious! God is good! Now His word is understood!

Life's ceaseless wonder is at an end, Yet you weep, my erring friend!

"See, the lover you call dead To immortal bliss is wed!

Loves and homes you lost, 'tis true, To such light as shines for you.

"Yet deep in your inmost soul You shall feel my sweet control.

I'll be with you every hour, Commissioned by Almighty Power,

"To guard each moment of your life As best befits your angel wife!

At night I'll linger 'round your bed, With an angel's noiseless tread;

"And while you, slumbering, dream of me, I'll be present, love, with thee.

Where e'er you go, where e'er you stray, I'll be near thee night and day,

"Guarding you with zealous care, Pointing out life's every snare,

Chasing every tear away, Aiding every joy to stay.

"Chide you when you go astray; Bless you when you kneel to pray;

Lead you, with an unseen hand, To view the wonders of a land

"Where Peace and Love and Perfect Joy Tongue cannot name, nor peace destroy!

Shall ever bless the happy band, As radiant 'round the throne they stand!

"Once there, we'll never part again, But time, and love while God shall reign.

I cannot, dare not, say farewell; Where I am now you, too, shall dwell.

"I am gone before your face, A moment's time, a little space.

When you come where I have stepped You'll greatly wonder why you wept!

"You'll know by Love Eternal taught That Heaven is all, that earth is naught.

I beg you not to dread sweet death; 'Tis but the first and faintest breath

"Of the life that God hath given To fit immortal souls for heaven!

Be certain, darling, all seems love, Viewed from the higher courts above!

"The cares and troubles that arise Will prove sweet blessings in disguise;

They'll waft you to a home above, Where I'll await your coming, Love!"

I heard these words and fell on the breast Of the peerless bride that heaven had dressed.

I yearned for those blissful regions above With heart overflowed with passionate love.

My peerless flower, tho' nipped in youth, Perennial shall bloom in the Garden of Truth!

I see in the distance a roseleaf hand Beckoning me on to that glorious land.

Tho' parted on earth we'll meet in the sky, Where bliss cannot perish, and love cannot die.

Oh, bliss supernal! Oh, rapture complete, When earth-sundered ones in glory shall meet.

For years and years I've watched in vain To see that buried face again;

In vain I've tried, with mortal eyes, To pierce the mysteries of the skies!

Oh, sweetheart of the days of yore, Shall we meet on earth no more?

Shall I languish all alone Without one sympathetic tone—

One glance of love, one word of cheer From eyes and lips I hold so dear?

Oh, hearken to my piteous cries, Beloved one, and forsake the skies!

Oh, listen! Earth-born mortals, see! My angel bride has come to me!

The self-same face—divinely fair— And heaven-set jewels decked her hair.

Her laughing eye and glowing cheek Eternal youth and bliss bespeak;

My head is pillowed on her breast, My brow by her dear hands caressed!

The dulcet tones of her dear voice Bids my aching heart rejoice;

She folds me 'neath her dazzling wings, While all the heart within me sings!

Oh, list those melting tones of love, More soft than note of cooing dove!

Oh, hear the words her dear lips speak: "Death, dear one, is the boon to seek!

"False are the glittering gems of earth, Eternity's gold is the gold of worth;

One moment in heaven is worth a life Spent on earth 'mid care and strife!

"Death is but the dawn of day, Destroying naught save worthless clay!

The soul lives on in rapturous bliss More perfect than a virgin kiss!

"Oh, dear one, still your haunting fears; The love, tho' lost, of earlier years

Awaits your coming to the skies, And o'er you watch with jealous eyes,

"Lest earth detain you till too late To enter heaven's wide open gate.

Oh, tarry not on earth too long, But with me join immortal's song!"

She spake, and through the vaulted sky, Beyond the reach of mortal eye,

She wings her rapid noiseless flight And I am left alone tonight.

Nay, not alone; for in my soul I feel a new-born sweet control

That lures me to a higher life, Which will please an angel wife!

Farewell, prison blight and bars, Mine is a home beyond the stars.

Welcome, Death, at any hour, Since sin has lost her maddening power!