Classic Poem

From house to house, from street to street,
The rapid rumor flies;
Incredulous ears it found, and hands
Are lifted in surprise;
And tongues through all the astonish'd town
Are busier now than eyes.
" So sudden and so strange a change!
A Freedman, too, the choice!
The shame, — the scandal, — and for what?
A vision and a voice!
" Had she not chosen the strait gate, —
The narrow way, — the holy state, —
The Sanctuary's abode?
Would Heaven call back its votary
To the broad and beaten road?
" To carnal wishes would it turn
The mortified intent?
For this are miracles vouchsafed?
For this are Angels sent?
" A plain collusion! a device
Between the girl and youth!
Good easy man must the Father be,
To take such tale for truth! "
So judged the acrid and the austere,
And they whose evil heart
Inclines them, in whate'er betides,
To take the evil part.
But others, whom a kindlier frame
To better thoughts inclined,
Preserved, amid their wonderment,
An equitable mind.
They would not of Proterius thus
Injuriously misdeem, —
A grave, good man, and with the wise
For wisdom in esteem.
No easy ear, or vain belief,
Would he to falsehood lend;
Nor ever might light motive him
From well-weigh'd purpose bend.
And surely on his pious child,
The gentle Cyra, meek and mild,
Could no suspicion rest;
For in this daughter he had been
Above all fathers blest.
As dutiful as beautiful,
Her praise was widely known,
Being one who, as she grew in years,
Had still in goodness grown.
And what though Eleimon were
A man of lowly birth?
Enough it was if Nature had
Ennobled him with worth.
" This was no doubtful thing, " they said,
" For he had in the house been bred,
Nor e'er from thence removed;
But there from childhood had been known,
And trusted, and approved.
" Such as he was, his qualities
Might to the world excuse
The Maid and Father for their choice,
Without the vision and the voice,
Had they been free to choose.
" But Heaven by miracle had made
Its pleasure manifest;
That manifested will must set
All doubtful thoughts to rest.
Mysterious though they be, the ways
Of Providence are best. "
The wondering City thus discoursed;
To Abibas alone
The secret truth, and even to him
But half the truth, was known.
Meantime the Church hath been prepared
For spousal celebration;
The Sisters to their cells retire,
Amazed at such mutation.
The habit and hood of camel's hair,
Which with the sacred scissors there
On the altar were display'd,
Are taken thence, and in their stead
The marriage rings are laid.
Behold, in garments gay with gold,
For other spousals wrought,
The Maiden from her Father's house
With bridal pomp is brought.
And now before the Holy Door
In the Ante-nave they stand;
The Bride and Bridegroom side by side,
The Paranymphs, in festal pride,
Arranged on either hand.
Then from the Sanctuary the Priests,
With incense burning sweet,
Advance, and at the Holy Door
The Bride and Bridegroom meet.
There to the Bride and Bridegroom they
The marriage tapers gave;
And to the altar as they go,
With cross-way movement to and fro,
The thuribule they wave.
For fruitfulness, and perfect love,
And constant peace, they pray'd,
On Eleimon, the Lord's Servant,
And Cyra, the Lord's Handmaid.
They call'd upon the Lord to bless
Their spousal celebration,
And sanctify the marriage rite
To both their souls' salvation.
A pause at every prayer they made;
Whereat, with one accord,
The Choristers took up their part,
And sung, in tones that thrill'd the heart,
Have mercy on us, Lord!
Then with the marriage rings the priest
Betroth'd them each to each,
And, as the sacred pledge was given,
Resumed his awful speech; —
Pronouncing them, before high Heaven
This hour espoused to be,
Now and forevermore, for time,
And for eternity.
This did he in the presence
Of Angels and of men;
And at every pause the Choristers
Intoned their deep Amen!
Then to that gracious Lord, the Priest
His supplication made,
Who, as our sacred Scriptures tell,
Did bring Rebecca to the well
When Abraham's servant pray'd.
He call'd upon that gracious Lord
To stablish with his power
The espousals made between them,
In truth and love, this hour; —
And with his mercy and his word
Their lot, now link'd, to bless,
And let his Angel guide them
In the way of righteousness.
With a Christian benediction,
The Priest dismiss'd them then,
And the Choristers, with louder voice,
Intoned the last Amen!
The days of Espousals are over;
And on the Crowning-day,
To the sacred fane the bridal train,
A gay procession, take again
Through thronging streets their way.
Before them, by the Paranymphs,
The coronals are borne,
Composed of all sweet flowers of spring
By virgin hands that morn.
With lighted tapers in array
They enter the Holy Door,
And the Priest with the waving thuribule
Perfumes the way before.
He raised his voice, and call'd aloud
On Him who from the side
Of our first Father, while he slept,
Form'd Eve to be his bride; —
Creating Woman thus for Man
A helpmate meet to be,
For youth and age, for good and ill,
For weal and woe, united still
In strict society, —
Flesh of his flesh; appointing them
One flesh to be, one heart.
Whom God hath joined together,
Them let not man dispart!
And on our Lord he call'd, by whom
The marriage feast was blest,
When first by miracle he made
His glory manifest.
Then, in the ever-blessed Name,
Almighty over all,
From the man's Paranymph he took
The marriage coronal; —
And crowning him therewith, in that
Thrice holy Name, he said,
" Eleimon, the Servant of God, is crown'd
For Cyra, the Lord's Handmaid! "
Next, with like action and like words,
Upon her brow he set
Her coronal, intwined wherein
The rose and lily met;
How beautifully they beseem'd
Her locks of glossy jet!
Her he for Eleimon crown'd,
The Servant of the Lord; —
Alas, how little did that name
With his true state accord!
" Crown them with honor, Lord! " he said,
" With blessings crown the righteous head
To them let peace be given,
A holy life, a hopeful end,
A heavenly crown in Heaven! "
Still as he made each separate prayer
For blessings that they in life might share,
And for their eternal bliss,
The echoing Choristers replied,
" O Lord, so grant thou this! "
How differently, meantime, before
The altar as they knelt,
While they the sacred rites partake
Which endless matrimony make,
The Bride and Bridegroom felt!
She, who possess'd her soul in peace
And thoughtful happiness,
With her whole heart had inly join'd
In each devout address.
His lips the while had only moved
In hollow repetition;
For he had steel'd himself, like one
Bound over to perdition.
In present joy he wrapp'd his heart,
And resolutely cast
All other thoughts beside him,
Of the future, or the past.