“O Life ! hast thou misled me with thy smiles?”
I said, “Are all thy gifts so vain—
Mirages of the fabled Happy Isles,
Hung over wide, bleak seas of pain?
Unfathomable Doom! if in thy deeps,
Some compensating secret sleeps,
Oh, let it not be wholly lost;
Give me to see and know thine uttermost!”

Then came two Spirits, like in form and face—
So very like that one might seem
The younger sister with a fresher grace,
And eyes of brighter hue and gleam;
And one with matron movement, grave and slow,
Pale, beautiful, unsmiling brow,
And lips that trembled half apart,
As if with still, sad tenderness of heart.

“Mysterious Sisters, who are ye?” I cried,
“Ye came responsive to no call!”
“Know'st thou not me?” the elder one replied;
“My name is Death, the all-in-all.
I am the uttermost, the solace sweet
For aching hearts and weary feet;
Come thou to me, upon this breast,
Beloved, find life's golden secret, Rest!”

“Not so,” the other cried, “oh, stay awhile!
It was on me that thou didst call;
Thou has not seen the splendor of my smile,
Nor known that Love is all in all.
I am the uttermost, in my clear eyes
The compensating secret lies;
Belovèd, press thy lips to mine
And thou hast made life's crowning glory thine.”

Then bending her deep, tender eyes on me,
With more of love than Love's own smile,
Death spake: “Farewell! I came for love of thee,
But thou may'st wait my kiss awhile;
O favored one! the uttermost is thine—
'Tis Love, immortal and divine.
For when I claim thee, thou shalt prove
That Death is but a sweeter name for Love.”