Eleëmon, Eleëmon !" then said the Demon, "The girl shall be thine, By the tie she holds divine, III. Look at yon silent dwelling now! She is not loth to leave the world; For she hath been taught with joy To think that prayer and praise thenceforth Will be her life's employ. And thus her mind hath she inclined, (An only child and motherless,) To do her Father's will. The moonlight falls upon her face, That duty done, the harmless maid No sin, no sorrow in her soul, But when upon the pillow then, Composed, she laid her head, She little thought what unseen Powers Kept watch beside her bed. A double ward had she that night, Their charge it was to keep her safe And o'er her while she slept, they spread So when an Evil Dream drew nigh They barr'd him from access, Nor suffer'd him to reach her with A breath of sinfulness. But with his instigations they Thus while in troubled sleep she lay, And now the nightingale hath ceased The storks on roof and dome and tower As now the motions and the sounds Then as from dreams that seem'd no dreams A low sweet voice was in her ear; According with her dreams, it said, The duties of a wedded life Hath Heaven ordain'd for thee." This was no dream full well she knew ; For open-eyed she lay, Conscious of thought and wakefulness, And in the light of day; And twice it spake, if doubt had been, To do all doubt away. Alas! but how shall she make known Or how obtain belief for what How will her Father brook a turn That must to all seem shame? How bear to think that vulgar tongues Are busy with her name? That she should for a voice, . . a dream, Of wonder and of scorn; . . The Nuns even now are all alert ; And there the sable vest. M 3 And there the Priests are robing now; The Singers in their station; Hark in the city she can hear The stir of expectation! Thro' every gate the people pour, And guests on roof and porch and tower Expectant take their place; The streets are swarming, and the church Already fills apace. Speak, then, she must: her heart she felt This night had changed its choice; Nor dared the Maiden disobey,.. Nor did she wish to (sooth to say), . . That sweet and welcome voice. Her Father comes: she studies not The plain straight course will Cyra take, (Which none without remorse forsake,) Of truth and innocence. "O Father, hear me patiently!" |