52 The Night-Voices. 



A song of peace I hear, 



A song of affection, calm and clear. 



The full eye dimmed with its hallowed joy, 



A mother bends o'er her sleeping boy ; 



She has murmured her nightly prayer. 



There shall no dark thing hover there ; 



Blight shall not canker the budding flower, 



For the world's worst poison has lost its power 



In the light of that fond affection's ray 



Trusting and fervent away, away ! 



Swift o'er the shining foam 



A bark is bounding in triumph home ; 



Many a weary day and night 



Her prow hath striven with the tempest's might ; 



She has brought back the spoil of the deep green sea. 



Hark to the voices of infant glee '. 



Hail to those kindly looks of light ; 



Love shall sit at their feast to-night : 



Virtue shall prompt them when they pray 



Away, sweet sisters away, away! 



The tasks we love are done ; 



Many a heart to its home has gone : 



We have taken the weight from the captive's chain ; 



We have closed the eyelid of grief and pain : 



Sorrow, and falsehood, and harrowing fear, 



These have no power in our calmer sphere. 



Ours are all blessings the twilight brings, 



Gentle and soothing all beautiful things, 



Unseen in the glare of the garish day 



Away, sweet sisters away, away ! 



Above, in silver light, 



Hangs the rich robe of our mistress, Night. 



Stars are whispering round her throne 



Tales of the world they are gazing upon, 



Calm as the mantling clouds above. 



Look, how she bends to the earth in love ! 



While the pale Moon, wrapt in her glowing pall, 



Changes her tears to gold as they fall. 



All things rejoice in that gentle sway; 



Let us not linger away, away ! 



And a bright sweep of white and glistening wings 



Shed round a sudden glory, as they burst 



Through the thick roof of intertwining boughs, 



And floated in the moonlight. They are gone 



The airy messengers, with many gifts 



Which are of heaven rest to the wailing breeze, 



And life and beauty to the fainting flower ; 



And messages of peace to human hearts, 



To stand, perchance, betwixt them and despair. 



O, for such fair companionship to trace 



Beyond the sounds of grief, or sense of guile, 



Those heavenward footsteps. Hold ! a chilling cloud 



Enwraps my soaring soul ; around me rise 



The moonlight, and the woodlands, and the shore 



I have been dreaming To the world again. 



