My Springs

<SPAN name="startofbook"></SPAN> <p id="id00308" style="margin-top: 4em">My Springs</p> <p id="id00309" style="margin-top: 3em">In the heart of the Hills of Life, I know [1]<br/> Two springs that with unbroken flow<br/> Forever pour their lucent streams<br/> Into my soul's far Lake of Dreams.<br/></p> <p id="id00310">Not larger than two eyes, they lie<br/> Beneath the many-changing sky<br/> And mirror all of life and time,<br/> — Serene and dainty pantomime.<br/></p> <p id="id00311">Shot through with lights of stars and dawns,<br/> And shadowed sweet by ferns and fawns,<br/> — Thus heaven and earth together vie [11]<br/> Their shining depths to sanctify.<br/></p> <p id="id00312">Always when the large Form of Love<br/> Is hid by storms that rage above,<br/> I gaze in my two springs and see<br/> Love in his very verity.<br/></p> <p id="id00313">Always when Faith with stifling stress<br/> Of grief hath died in bitterness,<br/> I gaze in my two springs and see<br/> A Faith that smiles immortally.<br/></p> <p id="id00314">Always when Charity and Hope, [21]<br/> In darkness bounden, feebly grope,<br/> I gaze in my two springs and see<br/> A Light that sets my captives free.<br/></p> <p id="id00315">Always, when Art on perverse wing<br/> Flies where I cannot hear him sing,<br/> I gaze in my two springs and see<br/> A charm that brings him back to me.<br/></p> <p id="id00316">When Labor faints, and Glory fails,<br/> And coy Reward in sighs exhales,<br/> I gaze in my two springs and see [31]<br/> Attainment full and heavenly.<br/></p> <p id="id00317">O Love, O Wife, thine eyes are they,<br/> — My springs from out whose shining gray<br/> Issue the sweet celestial streams<br/> That feed my life's bright Lake of Dreams.<br/></p> <p id="id00318">Oval and large and passion-pure<br/> And gray and wise and honor-sure;<br/> Soft as a dying violet-breath<br/> Yet calmly unafraid of death;<br/></p> <p id="id00319">Thronged, like two dove-cotes of gray doves, [41]<br/> With wife's and mother's and poor-folk's loves,<br/> And home-loves and high glory-loves<br/> And science-loves and story-loves,<br/></p> <p id="id00320">And loves for all that God and man<br/> In art and nature make or plan,<br/> And lady-loves for spidery lace<br/> And broideries and supple grace<br/></p> <p id="id00321">And diamonds and the whole sweet round<br/> Of littles that large life compound,<br/> And loves for God and God's bare truth, [51]<br/> And loves for Magdalen and Ruth,<br/></p> <p id="id00322">Dear eyes, dear eyes and rare complete —<br/> Being heavenly-sweet and earthly-sweet,<br/> — I marvel that God made you mine,<br/> For when He frowns, 'tis then ye shine!<br/></p> <p id="id00323">____ Baltimore, 1874.</p> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />