FullReads

He laid the letter in his desk, with seal
And superscription. When his sister came,
He said, “You’ll find a note there–afterwards–.
Take it yourself to the town, and let it go.
But do not see the name, my sister true–
I’ll tell you all about it, when you come.”

And as the eve, through paler, darker shades,
Insensibly declines, and is no more,
The lordly day once more a memory,
So died he. In the hush of noon he died.
Through the low valley-fog he brake and climbed.
The sun shone on–why should he not shine on?
The summer noises rose o’er all the land.
The love of God lay warm on hill and plain.
‘Tis well to die in summer.

When the breath,
After a long still pause, returned no more,
The old man sank upon his knees, and said:
“Father, I thank thee; it is over now;
And thou hast helped him well through this sore time.
So one by one we all come back to thee,
All sons and brothers, thanking thee who didst
Put of thy fatherhood in our poor hearts,
That, having children, we might guess thy love.
And at the last, find all loves one in thee.”
And then he rose, and comforted the maid,
Who in her brother lost the pride of life,
Weeping as all her heaven were full of rain.

When that which was so like him–so unlike–
Lay in the churchyard, and the green turf soon
Would grow together, healing up the wounds
Of the old Earth who took her share again,
The sister went to do his last request.
Then found she, with his other papers, this,–
A farewell song, in lowland Scottish tongue:–

Greetna, father, that I’m gaein’.
For fu’ weel ye ken the gaet.
I’ the winter, corn ye’re sawin’–
I’ the hairst, again ye hae’t.

I’m gaein’ hame to see my mither–
She’ll be weel acquant or this,
Sair we’ll muse at ane anither,
‘Tween the auld word an’ new kiss.

Love, I’m doubtin’, will be scanty
Roun’ ye baith, when I’m awa’;
But the kirk has happin’ plenty
Close aside me, for you twa.

An’ aboon, there’s room for mony–
‘Twas na made for ane or twa;
But it grew for a’ an’ ony
Countin’ love the best ava’.

Here, aneath, I ca’ ye father:
Auld names we’ll nor tyne nor spare;
A’ my sonship I maun gather,
For the Son is King up there.

Greetna, father, that I’m gaein’;
For ye ken fu’ weel the gaet:
Here, in winter, cast yer sawin’–
There, in hairst, again ye hae’t.

What of the lady? Little more I know.
Not even if, when she had read the lines,
She rose in haste, and to her chamber went,
And shut the door; nor if, when she came forth,
A dawn of holier purpose shone across
The sadness of her brow; unto herself
Convicted; though the great world, knowing all,
Might call her pure as day–yea, truth itself.
Of these things I know nothing–only know
That on a warm autumnal afternoon,
When half-length shadows fell from mossy stones,
Darkening the green upon the grassy graves,
While the still church, like a said prayer, arose
White in the sunshine, silent as the graves,
Empty of souls, as is the tomb itself;
A little boy, who watched a cow near by
Gather her milk from alms of clover fields,
Flung over earthen dykes, or straying out
Beneath the gates upon the paths, beheld
All suddenly–he knew not how she came–
A lady, closely veiled, alone, and still,
Seated upon a grave. Long time she sat
And moved not, “greetin’ sair,” the boy did say;
“Just like my mither whan my father deed.
An’ syne she rase, an’ pu’d at something sma’,
A glintin’ gowan, or maybe a blade
O’ the dead grass,” and glided silent forth,
Over the low stone wall by two old steps,
And round the corner, and was seen no more.
The clang of hoofs and sound of carriage wheels
Arose and died upon the listener’s ear.