XVI

Our shadowy congregation rested still,
As musing on that m.essage we had heard
And brooding on that " End it when you will ; "
Perchance awaiting yet some other word ',
When keen as lightning through a muffled sky
Sprang forth a shrill and lamentable cry : —

The man speaks sooth, alas ! the man speaks sooth :
We have no personal life beyond the grave ;
There is no God ; Fate knows nor wrath nor ruth :
Can I find here the comfort which I crave ?

In all eternity I had one chance,
One few years' term of gracious human life :
The splendours of the intellect's advance,
The sweetness of the home with babes and wife ;

The social pleasures with their genial wit ;
The fascination of the worlds of art,
The glories of the worlds of nature, lit
By large imagination's glowing heart ;

The rapture of mere being, full of health ;
The careless childhood and the ardent youth,
The strenuous manhood winning various wealth.
The reverend age serene with life's long truth :

All the sublime prerogatives of Man ;
The storied memories of the times of old.
The patient tracking of the world's great plan
Through sequences and changes myriadfold.

This chance was never offered me before ;
For me the infinite Past is blank and dumb :
This chance recurreth never, nevermore ;
Blank, blank for me the infinite To-come.

And this sole chance was frustrate from my birth,
A mockery, a delusion ; and my breath
Of noble human life upon this earth
So racks me that I sigh for senseless death.

My wine of life is poison mixed with gall,
My noonday passes in a nightmare dream,
I worse than lose the years which are my all :
What can console me for the loss supreme ?

Speak not of comfort where no comfort is,
Speak not at all : can words make foul things fair ?
Our life's a cheat, our death a black abyss :
Husli and be mute envisaging despair. —

This vehement voice came from the northern aisle
Rapid and shrill to its abrupt harsh close ;
And none gave answer for a certain while.
For words must shrink from these most wordless woes ;
At last the pulpit speaker simply said,
With humid eyes and thoughtful drooping head : —

My Brother, my poor Brothers, it is thus ;
This life itself holds nothing good for us.
But it ends soon and nevermore can be ;
And we knew nothing of it ere our birth,
And shall know nothing when consigned to earth :
I ponder these thoughts and they comfort me.