The writings of John Greenleaf Whittier, Volume 4.
John Greenleaf Whittier, Ed.

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[70]
     Dropped only at its side, methinks doth shine,
Of thy beatitude the radiant sign!
     No sob of grief, no wild lament be there,
To break the Sabbath of the holy air;
     But, in their stead, the silent-breathing prayer
Of hearts still waiting for a rest like thine.
     O spirit redeemed! Forgive us, if henceforth,
With sweet and pure similitudes of earth,
     We keep thy pleasant memory freshly green,
Of love's inheritance a priceless part,
     Which Fancy's self, in reverent awe, is seen
To paint, forgetful of the tricks of art,
     With pencil dipped alone in colors of the heart.

1851.