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ke, And lead them round and round to break Obedient to her drawings dim; So may the movements of His mind, The first Great Father of mankind, Affect with answering movements blind, And draw the souls that breathe by Him. "We had a message long ago That like a river peace should flow, And Eden bloom again below. We heard, and we began to wait: Full soon that message men forgot; Yet waiting is their destined lot, And waiting for they know not what They strive with yearnings passionate. "Regret and faith alike enchain; There was a loss, there comes a gain; We stand at fault betwixt the twain, And that is veiled for which we pant. Our lives are short, our ten times seven; We think the councils held in heaven Sit long, ere yet that blissful leaven Work peace amongst the militant. "Then we blame God that sin should be; Adam began it at the tree, 'The woman whom THOU gavest me; And we adopt his dark device. O long Thou tarriest! come and reign, And bring forgiveness in Thy train, And give us in our hands again The apples of Thy Paradise." "Far-seeing heart! if that be all The happy things that did not fall," I sighed, "from every coppice call They never from that garden went. Behold their joy, so comfort thee, Behold the blossom and the bee, For they are yet as good and free As when poor Eve was innocent "But reason thus: 'If we sank low, If the lost garden we forego, Each in his day, nor ever know But in our poet souls its face; Yet we may rise until we reach A height untold of in its speech-- A lesson that it could not teach Learn in this darker dwelling-place. "And reason on: 'We take the spoil; Loss made us poets, and the soil Taught us great patience in our toil, And life is kin to God through death. Christ were not One with us but so, And if bereft of Him we go; Dearer the heavenly mansions grow, HIS home, to man that wandereth.' "Content thee so, and ease thy smart." With that she slept again, my heart, And I admired and took my part With crowds of happy things the while: With open velvet butterflies That swung and spread their peacock eyes, As if they cared no more to rise From off their beds of camomile. The blackcaps in an orchard met, Praising the berries while they ate: The finch that flew her beak to whet Before she joined them on the tree; The water mouse among the reeds-- His bright eyes glancing black as beads, So happy with a bun
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