Watching in breathless awe,

The bright head bow'd we saw,

Beneath thy hand!

Fill'd by one hope, one fear,

Now o'er a brother's bier,

Weeping we stand.

How hath he pass'd !—the lord

Of each deep bosom chord,
To meet thy sight,

Unmantled and alone,

On thy blest mercy thrown,

O Infinite!

So, from his harvest home,

Must the tir'd peasant come;

So, in one trust,

Leader and king must yield

The naked soul, reveal'd

To thee, All Just!

Tremblers beside the grave,

We call on thee to save,

Father divine!

Hear, hear our suppliant breath,

Keep us, in life and death,

Thine, only thine!

THE PRAYER IN THE WILDERNESS.

SUGGESTED BY A PICTURE OF CORREGIO'S.

In the deep wilderness unseen she prayed,
The daughter of Jerusalem; alone,

With all the still small whispers of the night,
And with the searching glances of the stars,
And with her God, alone :-she lifted up

Her sweet, sad voice, and, trembling o'er her head,

The dark leaves thrilled with prayer-the tearful

prayer

Of woman's quenchless, yet repentant love.

Father of Spirits, hear!

Look on the inmost heart to thee revealed,

Look on the fountain of the burning tear,

Before thy sight in solitude unsealed!

Hear, Father! hear, and aid!

If I have lov'd too well, if I have shed,
In my vain fondness, o'er a mortal head,

Gifts, on thy shrine, my God! more fitly laid.

If I have sought to live

But in one light, and made a human eye

The lonely star of mine idolatry,

Thou that art Love! oh, pity and forgive!

Chastened and schooled at last,

No more, no more my struggling spirit burns,
But fixed on thee, from that wild worship turns-
What have I said?-the deep dream is not past!