THE DREAM OF CHRIST.

I saw her twins of eyelids listless swoon

Mesmeric eyes,

Like the mild lapsing of a lulling tune

On wide surprise,

While slow the graceful presence of a moon

Mellowed the purple skies.

And had she dreamed or had in fancy gone

As one who sought

To hail the influx of a godly dawn

Of heavenly thought,

Trod trembling o'er old sainted hill and lawn

With intense angels fraught?

Sailed thro’ majestic domes of the deep night

By isles of stars,

Wand'ring like some pure blessing warm with light

From worldly jars

To the high halls of morning, pearly white,

And heaped with golden bars.

Past temples vast, deluged with sandy seas,

Whose ruins stand

Like bleaching bones of dead monstrosities

Crashed to the land,

Stupendous homes of cursed idolatries

Fallen to dust and sand.

Ugly and bestial gods caked thick with gold —

Their hideousness

Blaspheming Christ —‘ mid shattered altars rolled

To rottenness,

Their slaves abolished and their priests of old

Trodden to nothingness.

Thro’ Syrian plains curtained with curling mist

The grass she trailed,

Where the shy floweret; by the dew-drop kissed,

Sweet blushing quailed;

And drowned in purple vales of amethyst

The moon-mad bulbuls wailed.

On glimmering wolds had seemed to hear the bleat

Of folded flocks;

Seen broad-browed sages pass with sandaled feet

And hoary locks,

While swimming in a bath of molten heat

A great star glorious rocks.

In fancy o'er a beaming baby bent —

Cradled amiss

In a rude manger — on its brow to print

One holy kiss,

While down the slant winds faint aromas went

And anthems deep of bliss....

And then she woke. The winter moon above

Burst on her sight;

And with strange sweetness all her dream was wove

In its far flight,

For jubilant bells rocked booming “peace and love”

Down all the aisles of night.