Classic Poem

Once on a lovely summer eve,
Deep in a wood I strayed;
Far had I roamed o'er towering hills,
Through field and forest glade:
And as the sun was waning fast,
All nature sank to rest;
The setting sun the fleecy clouds
In gold and crimson dressed.

No habitation near me rose;
I feared to lose my way,
So sought a green and mossy bank,
And down to rest I lay:
And lo! it seemed while lying there
The night had passed away,
And once more shone the glorious sun
And sweetly smiled the day.

But oh! how changed was all around;
What wonders rose to view!
For with the sombre shades of night
The wood had vanished too;
And in its place a wondrous scene
Of beauty met the eye,
In all the rich diversity
Of hill and dale and sky.

No clouds obscured the bright blue vault;
The hills with sunlight glowed:
Across the meadows green and bright
Pellucid streamlets flowed:
While through the valley's fertile plains
A mighty river rolled
Its winding course 'tween emerald banks
And fields of waving gold.

And stately trees high o'er my head
Their branches widely flung;
While luscious fruit on every side
In tempting clusters hung:
And fragrant flowers of ev'ry hue
Bloomed in profusion there,
And poured their grateful perfumes forth,
Sweet incense to the air.

While countless birds around me flew
And carolled forth their lays,
Their little throats were swelling with
A thousand notes of praise:
From tree to tree with glist'ning plumes
They gayly coursed along,
And made the whole expanse of air
Melodious with their song.

Then o'er the landscape's wide extent
I saw, with spellbound eyes,
From out the midst of shady groves
And blooming gardens, rise,
With stately grandeur, mansions bright
And temples vast and high,
Whose shining domes and flashing spires
Rose upward to the sky.

The walls, inlaid with precious stones,
Shone with refulgent light;
The domes and spires were burnished gold
And silver pure and bright;
Of massive pearl the gates were formed,
And ever open stood,
To welcome to their portals wide
The noble and the good.

And through the gates in ceaseless streams
Passed happy, radiant bands;
With robes of white, and golden crowns,
And harps within their hands;
And as along the silv'ry meads
And flower-strewn paths they trod,
The air resounded with their sweet
Thanksgiving hymns to God!

While over all this peaceful scene,
Through all the ambient air,
A holy presence seemed to shed
Its peaceful influence there.
A heavenly calm prevailed around;
My heart with joy o'erflowed;
I longed to make that paradise
My future blest abode!

When lo! before me soon there stood
A being bright and fair!
Thick clust'ring o'er his shoulders fell
A wealth of golden hair;
While love, such as no mortal knows,
Illumed his clear blue eyes;
I could not doubt the presence of
An inmate of the skies!

Descending to his feet there flowed
A robe of purest white,
And radiate from his heavenly head
Shone beams of living light;
He seemed to move within a sphere
Of light and peace and love,
Such as alone encompasses
Perfected souls above!

But when he turned his love-lit eyes
In steadfast gaze on me
A tremor ran through all my frame
From deep humility
Beneath that searching glance I knew
My inmost heart lay bare:
No skill could hide the record dark
That sin had written there.

And with conflicting hope and fear
I hung upon each word,
When thus, in accents soft and low,
His gentle voice I heard:
" If thou wouldst win these peaceful scenes
For thine eternal home;
If to these realms of light and love
Thy spirit yearns to come —

" Then strive, while yet thou hast the power,
To choose the better part,
And let thy loving Lord create
In thee a purer heart!
From sin and self and worldly lusts
Oh, set thy spirit free,
And do to others as thou wouldst
That they should do to thee.

" Forget not that the Master's voice
Is ever heard within
With silent, solemn warnings fraught
To shun the paths of sin!
In times of doubt 'twill ever prove
A sure, unerring guide,
An anchor strong, a beacon bright
Whenever storms betide!

" No hopeless task for mortal aims
Has God decreed shall be
The talisman that opens wide
The gates of heaven to thee;
But tread, with humble feet, the path
The lowly Jesus trod:
With justice act, and mercy love —
Walk humbly with thy God! "

His words sank deep within my heart;
In fear, I sought to pray;
When lo! before my waking eyes
The vision passed away!
'Twas all a dream! but while I live
Its teachings let me prize,
That when this earthly life is o'er
My soul to God may rise.