登陆注册
5419700000208

第208章

My heart is heavy with fear and doubt That she may not live till the year is out.

She is so strange,--so strange,--so strange!

GOTTLIEB.

I am not troubled with any such fear;

She will live and thrive for many a year.

ELSIE'S CHAMBER

Night.ELSIE praying.

ELSIE.

My Redeemer and my Lord, I beseech thee, I entreat thee, Guide me in each act and word, That hereafter I may meet thee, Watching, waiting, hoping, yearning, With my lamp well trimmed and burning!

Interceding With these bleeding Wounds upon thy hands and side, For all who have lived and erred Thou hast suffered, thou hast died, Scourged, and mocked, and crucified, And in the grave hast thou been buried!

If my feeble prayer can reach thee, O my Saviour, I beseech thee, Even as thou hast died for me, More sincerely Let me follow where thou leadest, Let me, bleeding as thou bleedest, Die, if dying I may give Life to one who asks to live, And more nearly, Dying thus, resemble thee!

THE CHAMBER OF GOTTLIEB AND URSULA

Midnight.ELSIE standing by their bedside, weeping.

GOTTLIEB.

The wind is roaring; the rushing rain Is loud upon roof and window-pane, As if the Wild Huntsman of Rodenstein, Boding evil to me and mine, Were abroad to-night with his ghostly train!

In the brief lulls of the tempest wild, The dogs howl in the yard; and hark!

Some one is sobbing in the dark, Here in the chamber!

ELSIE.

It is I.

URSULA.

Elsie! what ails thee, my poor child?

ELSIE.

I am disturbed and much distressed, In thinking our dear Prince must die;I cannot close mine eyes, nor rest,GOTTLIEB.

What wouldst thou? In the Power Divine His healing lies, not in our own;It is in the hand of God alone,ELSIE.

Nay, He has put it into mine, And into my heart!

GOTTLIEB.

Thy words are wild!

URSULA.

What dost thou mean? my child! My child!

ELSIE.

That for our dear Prince Henry's sake I will myself the offering make, And give my life to purchase his.

URSULA.

Am I still dreaming, or awake?

Thou speakest carelessly of death, And yet thou knowest not what it is.

ELSIE.

'T is the cessation of our breath.

Silent and motionless we lie;

And no one knoweth more than this.

I saw our little Gertrude die;

She left off breathing, and no more I smoothed the pillow beneath her head.

She was more beautiful than before.

Like violets faded were her eyes;

By this we knew that she was dead.

Through the open window looked the skies Into the chamber where she lay, And the wind was like the sound of wings, As if angels came to bear her away.

Ah! when I saw and felt these things, I found it difficult to stay;I longed to die, as she had died, And go forth with her, side by side.

The Saints are dead, the Martyrs dead And Mary, and our Lord; and IWould follow in humility The way by them illumined!

URSULA.

My child! my child! thou must not die!

ELSIE.

Why should I live? Do I not know The life of woman is full of woe?

Toiling on and on and on, With breaking heart, and tearful eyes, And silent lips, and in the soul The secret longings that arise, Which this world never satisfies!

Some more, some less, but of the whole Not one quite happy, no, not one!

URSULA.

It is the malediction of Eve!

ELSIE.

In place of it, let me receive The benediction of Mary, then.

GOTTLIEB.

Ah, woe is me! Ah, woe is me!

Most wretched am I among men!

URSULA.

Alas! that I should live to see Thy death, beloved, and to stand Above thy grave! Ah, woe the day!

ELSIE.

Thou wilt not see it.I shall lie Beneath the flowers of another land, For at Salerno, far away Over the mountains, over the sea, It is appointed me to die!

And it will seem no more to thee Than if at the village on market-day I should a little longer stay Than I am wont.

URSULA.

Even as thou sayest!

And how my heart beats, when thou stayest!

I cannot rest until my sight Is satisfied with seeing thee, What, then, if thou wert dead?

GOTTLIEB.

Ah me!

Of our old eyes thou art the light!

The joy of our old hearts art thou!

And wilt thou die?

URSULA.

Not now! not now!

ELSIE.

Christ died for me, and shall not!

Be willing for my Prince to die?

You both are silent; you cannot speak This said I at our Saviour's feast After confession, to the priest, And even he made no reply.

Does he not warn us all to seek The happier, better land on high, Where flowers immortal never wither;And could he forbid me to go thither?

GOTTLIEB.

In God's own time, my heart's delight!

When He shall call thee, not before!

ELSIE.

I heard Him call.When Christ ascended Triumphantly, from star to star, He left the gates of heaven ajar.

I had a vision in the night, And saw Him standing at the door Of his Father's mansion, vast and splendid, And beckoning to me from afar.

I cannot stay!

GOTTLIEB.

She speaks almost As if it were the Holy Ghost Spake through her lips, and in her stead:

What if this were of God?

URSULA.

Ah, then Gainsay it dare we not.

GOTTLIEB.

Amen!

Elsie! the words that thou hast said Are strange and new for us to hear, And fill our hears with doubt and fear.

Whether it be a dark temptation Of the Evil One, or God's inspiration, We in our blindness cannot say.

We must think upon it, and pray;

For evil and good it both resembles.

If it be of God, his will be done!

May He guard us from the Evil One!

How hot thy hand is! how it trembles!

Go to thy bed, and try to sleep.

URSULA.

Kiss me.Good night; and do not weep!

ELSIE goes out.

Ah, what an awful thing is this!

I almost shuddered at her kiss, As if a ghost had touched my cheek, I am so childish and so weak!

As soon as I see the earliest gray Of morning glimmer in the east, I will go over to the priest, And hear what the good man has to say.

A VILLAGE CHURCH

A woman kneeling at the confessional.

THE PARISH PRIEST, from within.

Go, sin no more! Thy penance o'er, A new and better life begin!

God maketh thee forever free From the dominion of thy sin!

Go, sin no more! He will restore The peace that filled thy heart before, And pardon thine iniquity!

The woman goes out.The Priest comes forth, and walks slowly up and down the church.

O blessed Lord! how much I need Thy light to guide me on my way!

So many hands, that, without heed, Still touch thy wounds and make them bleed!

同类推荐
  • 圣金刚手菩萨一百八名梵赞

    圣金刚手菩萨一百八名梵赞

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 震泽长语

    震泽长语

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • A Wasted Day

    A Wasted Day

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 崇陵传信录

    崇陵传信录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 大乘六情忏悔

    大乘六情忏悔

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 跨越时空之我是水若灵

    跨越时空之我是水若灵

    “水若灵,本王要让你知道,你,究竟是谁.”南宫泽说完,就一掌击碎了水若灵的衣服.“放开我,你这个怪物,呜呜,放开我!”水若灵竭力地哭喊着。“放开你,哼,休想,这辈子你也甭想逃离本王。”我本是留日博士,带着忐忑的心情准备回国开创一番事业,却不料飞机失事,致使我穿越到陌生的时空,变成了当朝丞相的小女儿。情节虚构,切勿模仿。
  • 三千位面大抽奖

    三千位面大抽奖

    苦逼男杨凡意外获得了穿梭位面的能力,从此他的人生开始绚丽多彩……赌神位面任务完成,杨凡抽奖获得了超高科技机器人管家一位。于是,从赌神位面开始,无数电影位面随之而来,任务也开始不断,抽奖更是不能断!“恭喜宿主完成任务,获得抽奖机会一次!”“恭喜宿主抽得星际战舰……”穿梭不同位面,完成任务就可以抽奖,这就是杨凡的牛逼人生。
  • 木叶之无双鬼神

    木叶之无双鬼神

    他带着鬼神之力进入这个世界。当过木叶的双子星,也做过木叶的罪人。曾站在荣耀下,也曾坠入黑暗。若黑夜注定是他的宿命,那他也要成为黑夜的王者。
  • 有妻徒刑:妖女赖上美人夫

    有妻徒刑:妖女赖上美人夫

    一不小心惹错神,那就一次一次接着骗下去!眼前这画面,让某仙陷入了忧郁的沉思…记得当初,她是本着要收了这妖孽的雄心壮志,想刺激一下他。这性质却成了,没收了妖,倒被妖收了,这真是让仙好生无赖(奈)。
  • 侠客奇缘

    侠客奇缘

    落难少年流落于山中,风雪夜被救起,加入俗世江湖门派从此走进了“江湖”。目睹了江湖门派间的斗争,也因祸得福逐渐成长起来,得到了门派中大能的重视,在门派高层辛勤的培养下少年屡次大显身手。在江湖上名声大噪,成为了江湖人茶余饭后的交谈的焦点,他开始踏上了独步江湖之路。在江湖上掀起了腥风血雨……机缘巧合之下再次回归故乡,走上了一条前途大道……
  • 腹黑狂盗之邪王太撩人

    腹黑狂盗之邪王太撩人

    凌珞羽,二十四世纪一代怪盗,全球通缉的小贼,竟然因为一条手链穿到了一个玄幻的世界。你说穿就穿吧,还是身穿,身穿就身穿吧,可从手链里出来的某位大爷,你老缠着我是怎么回事(?o?)还有那一群不靠谱的小伙伴,额????无语了。女主是个怪盗,很绅士(当然,这是我想的设定,至于后期人设会不会就不是本人控制的了。)男主妖孽不渣。没有痴情男二。没有强大的白莲因男主屡次加害女主,而且男主还暂时不能动那个白莲。希望读到这本书的人,不喜勿骂,非常感谢。各位读者,请看完第一章的时候评论一下啦!
  • 进化之季

    进化之季

    这里没有四季交替,却万物勃发,是福地?还是万恶之源?是谁造就了这里?谁又从这里出发,走向无底的深渊····
  • 快穿之盈满

    快穿之盈满

    (新文《快穿之带着刀剑穿越》求收藏求推荐)在所有人都选择抛弃一切带着金手指穿越的时候,只有她选择留了下来,想要陪祖父母终老,结果她的金手指却是最强大的。快穿小世界,修正扭曲的因果链。一周目世界:穿越剧情开始前。二周目世界:因果扭曲,重生穿书者横行。N周目世界:女主的一切都已经被看穿。
  • 打造心态(影响你一生的成功励志书)

    打造心态(影响你一生的成功励志书)

    心态决定一切!智慧创造一切!这是一个人人追求成功的时代,心智的力量具有创造成功态势的无穷魔力!即具有成功暗示的随着灵感牵引的成功力。
  • 小城畸人Winesburg, Ohio

    小城畸人Winesburg, Ohio

    书中安德森刻画了一座小城镇中的人物,这群人被他称之为畸人,畸人的“畸”并不表现在外表上,而体现在他们的个性上。他们都具有“奇异美丽的个性”,有着常人没有的某一行为动作或是某一坚定信念,因而他们的行为或信念在常人看来是不可思议的、奇怪的,被看作是畸人。书中体现的不是洋溢着对生命、大自然赞美的乐观主义情绪,而是生命中的种种困境和无助的情绪。这部作品由二十五个既相互独立又彼此联系的短篇小说组成,年轻记者乔治·威拉德贯穿全书。作为首先把潜意识写进小说里的美国作家之一,安德森在本书中成功地将现实主义和意识流这两种手法结合在一起,也正是凭借这部作品奠定了其“现代美国文学的先驱者之一”的地位。