Remembrance

With Copies of the Author’s Writings

FRIEND of mine! whose lot was cast

With me in the distant past;

Where, like shadows flitting fast,

Fact and fancy, thought and theme,

Word and work, begin to seem

Like a half-remembered dream!

Touched by change have all things been,

Yet I think of thee as when

We had speech of lip and pen.

For the calm thy kindness lent

To a path of discontent,

Rough with trial and dissent;

Gentle words where such were few,

Softening blame where blame was true,

Praising where small praise was due;

For a waking dream made good,

For an ideal understood,

For thy Christian womanhood;

For thy marvellous gift to cull

From our common life and dull

Whatsoe’er is beautiful;

Thoughts and fancies, Hybla’s bees

Dropping sweetness; true heart’s-ease

Of congenial sympathies;—

Still for these I own my debt;

Memory, with her eyelids wet,

Fain would thank thee even yet!

And as one who scatters flowers

Where the Queen of May’s sweet hours

Sits, o’ertwined with blossomed bowers,

In superfluous zeal bestowing

Gifts where gifts are overflowing,

So I pay the debt I ’m owing.

To thy full thoughts, gay or sad,

Sunny-hued or sober clad,

Something of my own I add;

Well assured that thou wilt take

Even the offering which I make

Kindly for the giver’s sake.

1851.