Poems (Emma M. Ballard Bell)/Religion, Science, and Art
RELIGION, SCIENCE, AND ART.
'Twas in the early twilight of the dawn, While in the east glowed bright the morning star,That o'er a broad and dew-besprinkled lawn There walked a being sent from realms afar,Sent down from bright celestial spheres above To wander o'er this dark and ruined world,And by the Holy One whose name is Love, That sin might from its throne of state be hurled.
She passed upon her way with footstep light; Her lips the while moved oft as if in prayer,As if her soul in converse did unite With Him whose presence hovers ev'rywhere;And on she went, until advancing day Had tinged the east with gold and crimson dyes,Till fleecy clouds in all their fair array Their graceful forms spread o'er the deep-blue skies.
And then she fixed her sweet, benignant gaze Upon the heav'ns in reverential love,And, kneeling, offered orisons and praise To Him who ruleth o'er the powers above. An angel whisper floated through the air, And in sweet accents fell upon her ear;She heard the words, "Religion, being fair, Go on thy way, without one doubt or fear.
"Accomplish well the mission to thee giv'n, Till man on earth become all glorified,Till earth shall in itself become a heav'n, And holiness unfurl its banner wide."Religion,—this that holy being's name, Whose mild eye beamed with deep devotion rare,Who unto earth with sacred mission came, Whose soul to heav'n went up in secret prayer.
Arose she then, and passed upon her way, And, lo! advancing o'er the lawn was seenA being lovely as the new-born day, With thoughtful brow and calm, majestic mien.Then near they came, and each the other knew; Religion first reached forth her gracious hand,"O Science," said she, "greeting bring I you A being sent on earth by God's command.
"My noble sister, tell, where hast thou been? And whither now doth tend thy onward way?Through all night long I watched and prayed unseen, Till in the east appeared the gleams of day." Then Science spoke, and with majestic tone She said, "On yonder plain, through all the night,With telescopic eye I watched alone The orbs of heav'n, until the morning light.
"Through many days, when stars are all concealed, Deep mysteries of Nature I explore;And many truths have I to man revealed To God alone and angels known before.Lo! now I see upon yon mountain's height, In stately beauty, Fame's proud temple stand;I see its pillars and its domes of light, With groves of laurel-trees on either hand.
"And thither would I bend my onward way, To raise an altar there, whereon to placeFair Wisdom's trophies I have brought to-day, And high upon its glist'ning dome to traceThe names of those whom Science joyful finds, Those heralds of the truths by Science taught,Whose noble thoughts that spring from noble minds, Alike with grandeur and with truth are fraught."
Thus Science spoke, nor knew that by her side A being other than Religion stood;For Art had come from wand'ring far and wide, And paused to meet her sisters fair and good. Religion turned her heaven-beaming eye, And said, while gazing on Art's lofty brow"Thy soul is fired with aspirations high; To us, my sister, tell whence comest now?
"From wand'ring oft by Gracia's classic streams? From gazing on Italia's far-famed skies,When night had lit them with its starry gleams, Or morn illumed them with its rosy dyes?But no! thine eye is lit with deeper ray Than had it gazed where Gracia's waters roll;As if some beams of heav'n's celestial day Had touched the still, deep fountains of thy soul."
Art said, "I come from Inspiration's fount; And up the Mount Ideal have I strayed;To those alone who climb this lovely mount Is spirit real, substance but a shade.And as musicians, painters, poets there Beheld the crystal waters gently flow,They asked of Inspiration, goddess fair, That she would on them her rich gifts bestow.
"First came the poets; with enraptured eyes They gazed upon the waters sparkling clear,All bright with gleams from overarching skies, Like smiles of angels from some far-off sphere; And then the goddess from the realms of light From laurel-trees near by plucked graceful boughs,Then dipped them gently 'neath the fountain bright, And sprinkled drops ambrosial on their brows.
"'Within each drop,' she said, 'lie pearls of thought; Each crystal doth with gems unnumbered gleam,Each gem with richest imagery is fraught, And all things fitting for the poet's dream.Go now, O poets! from this fountain clear, Teach man to love all holy things and bright,Till ye yourselves, in some celestial sphere, Exchange your laurel wreaths for crowns of light.'
"Then came the painters, and the waters bright Were tinged with hues that in the sunbeams lie;While shadows alternated with the light, The shadows of the flowers that grew near by.The goddess of the fountain high in air Tossed up the liquid gems that lay below;She smiled upon them, and then rainbows fair Were wreathed in beauty round each painter's brow.
"'Go, painters,' said she, 'from these rainbows weave Fair forms of wondrous loveliness and grace; But I entreat you, ere this fount you leave, Gaze once more in its depths, that you may traceThe mystic charms that in those shadows lie; For shadow, as the light, hath beauties rare;And when your canvas with bright hues you dye, Remember, dark tints too must mingle there.'
"Musicians then stood by the sacred fount, And softest zephyrs touched the waters bright;Light breezes wafted from Ideal Mount, Whose sunny slope lay bathed in purest light.And through the waters went there such a thrill, Like music echoes were the sounds they made;Now low and sweet as flow of mountain-rill, Now like the roar of torrent or cascade.
"While through the golden clouds that o'er them hung, Grand music-peals like mighty thunders rolled,Or like the anthems deep by angels sung When spirit fingers touch the harps of gold.Then Inspiration breathed a holy spell O'er each musician's soul, and sweetly said,'May ye perform your sacred mission well As o'er the wilds of earth's dark land ye tread!'
"Musicians, painters, poets went their way, And I roamed musing o'er this lovely plain;And ere hath fled the light of this fair day Yon mountain's lofty height I hope to gain,Where Fame's proud temple in its beauty stands; There Genius' high-souled sons and daughters goFrom many nations and from many lands, For holy fires on their souls' altars glow."
Religion all the while had listened there, And when Art ceased, in prayer she bowed her head.Then soon again she to her sisters fair In gentle tones and in sweet accents said,"O glorious Art! with eye that beams inspired, Within whose soul the soul of beauty lies,Where wander beauty's forms, in robes attired All touched with rainbow tints and sunbeam dyes.
"O noble Science! daughter of the skies, O being of a bright celestial birth!Whose hand unfolds all Nature's mysteries, And scatters beams of truth throughout the earth,Come, go with me, ascend the mount of God, And at the cross of Calv'ry humbly kneel;Come, tread with me where Christ's own feet have trod, And Christ shall there to you Himself reveal.
"Then ye to yonder mount shall wend your way, And raise an altar there 'neath Fame's proud dome,Its spires all glist'ning in the light of day And pointing upward to the spirit's home.And there shall Genius' sons and daughters go, And with devotion bend before your shrine,When they have quaffed from crystal streams that flow From holy Inspiration's fount divine."
And then Religion raised her eyes benign, And lifted up her voice in holy prayer,While Science round her did her arms entwine, And Art embraced them both while kneeling there.O lovely Trio! may ye ever tread, With sacred footsteps, o' er this world of ours!And may earth's children by your hands be led To make it brighter than Elysian bowers!