Poems (Hinxman)/The Brothers' Dreams; or, the Ministry of Innocence
THE BROTHERS' DREAMS; OR, THE MINISTRY OF INNOCENCE.
The violets opened in the fields
That stretched around the lonely mill;
The busy water flowed again—
The miller's brow was gloomy still.
That stretched around the lonely mill;
The busy water flowed again—
The miller's brow was gloomy still.
For darkly brooded in his heart
A father's wrath, a father's shame;
His child had left her home, and brought
Disgrace upon an honest name.
A father's wrath, a father's shame;
His child had left her home, and brought
Disgrace upon an honest name.
"Ah, when this hour of pride is past,
Al, when these giddy dreams are o'er,
She will return," the mother said,
"And be our lowly child once more!"
Al, when these giddy dreams are o'er,
She will return," the mother said,
"And be our lowly child once more!"
"The hour of pride will pass, I trow,
But she shall be our child no more—
The foot of shame," her husband said,
"Shall never pass my honest door."
But she shall be our child no more—
The foot of shame," her husband said,
"Shall never pass my honest door."
The water-lilies came to bloom,
The hay was carried round the mill;
The fledgling swallow dipped her breast,
The cuckoo sang with harsher bill;—
The hay was carried round the mill;
The fledgling swallow dipped her breast,
The cuckoo sang with harsher bill;—
And now the stream brought yellow leaves
To dance upon the foaming pool,—
Now, breathing on their purple hands,
The miller's boys ran home from school.
To dance upon the foaming pool,—
Now, breathing on their purple hands,
The miller's boys ran home from school.
And dark was still the father's brow,
And paler still the mother's cheek;
For news had with the autumn come
Of one who pined alone, and weak.
And paler still the mother's cheek;
For news had with the autumn come
Of one who pined alone, and weak.
The miller said, "The seed is sown,—
The flaunting summer comes between;
But, under autumn skies, again,
The sower finds his seed, I ween."
The flaunting summer comes between;
But, under autumn skies, again,
The sower finds his seed, I ween."
Yet still she turned her pleading eyes,
Moist with a mother's eloquence:—
"The home that rears my boys," he said,
"Shall be the home of innocence."
Moist with a mother's eloquence:—
"The home that rears my boys," he said,
"Shall be the home of innocence."
It was the middle of the night,
The moon shone in with wintry gleam;
The eldest boy cried from his bed,
"O father, let me tell my dream!
The moon shone in with wintry gleam;
The eldest boy cried from his bed,
"O father, let me tell my dream!
"So fearful and so sad a dream,
I cannot sleep till it be told:—
Methought I stood upon the bank
Alone, beneath the moonlight cold.
I cannot sleep till it be told:—
Methought I stood upon the bank
Alone, beneath the moonlight cold.
"The millpool's face began to stir;
I saw my sister rise, and pass
Across the water, till she came
And stood before me on the grass.
I saw my sister rise, and pass
Across the water, till she came
And stood before me on the grass.
"And first she turned her to the fields
In which she walked so long last year,
And softly moaned, and wrung her hands
All dripping wet, and wan, and clear.
In which she walked so long last year,
And softly moaned, and wrung her hands
All dripping wet, and wan, and clear.
"And then she came beneath the house,
And flitted round the porch, and raised
Her white face full against the moon,
And on our chamber window gazed.
And flitted round the porch, and raised
Her white face full against the moon,
And on our chamber window gazed.
"I heard her say, 'O frowning door
That sent me to a guilty grave!
O too severe a father's doom,
That left not Heaven the time to save!
That sent me to a guilty grave!
O too severe a father's doom,
That left not Heaven the time to save!
"And then she seemed to flow away,
And all round me, far and near,
I heard a shivering wail or cry,
Of sorrow, or of pain, or fear."
And all round me, far and near,
I heard a shivering wail or cry,
Of sorrow, or of pain, or fear."
The mother stretched her hand, and caught
Her husband's arm, with shuddering strain:
"Go, sleep, boy, sleep," he said, and turned,
And all the room was still again.
Her husband's arm, with shuddering strain:
"Go, sleep, boy, sleep," he said, and turned,
And all the room was still again.
The moonlight streak had crossed the floor,
And lit the wall with steady gleam—
The youngest boy awoke, and cried,
"O father, harken to my dream!"
And lit the wall with steady gleam—
The youngest boy awoke, and cried,
"O father, harken to my dream!"
"I toiled all day," the miller said,
"And fain at night my rest would keep."
"Nay, father dear, yet wait awhile;
Hear only this, and you shall sleep:—
"And fain at night my rest would keep."
"Nay, father dear, yet wait awhile;
Hear only this, and you shall sleep:—
"Methought I saw my sister lie
With pillows settled round her head;
The orchard was all green without,
And gentle winds came o'er the bed.
With pillows settled round her head;
The orchard was all green without,
And gentle winds came o'er the bed.
"Her cheek was pale, her hand was thin,
It rested on an open book;
The quiet tears stole down, and towards
The soft blue skies she turned her look.
It rested on an open book;
The quiet tears stole down, and towards
The soft blue skies she turned her look.
"We brought her flowers, we sat and talked,
And all her voice was kind and meek;
We could have almost wept, and yet
We loved to sit and hear her speak.
And all her voice was kind and meek;
We could have almost wept, and yet
We loved to sit and hear her speak.
"My dream went on; her eyes were closed,
Her cheek was paler than before,
The priest was gazing on her face,
He said, 'Dear soul! thy grief is o'er I'
Her cheek was paler than before,
The priest was gazing on her face,
He said, 'Dear soul! thy grief is o'er I'
"There had been showers that morn; but now
The sky was bright without a cloud,
And we into the garden stole,
To fetch white roses for her shroud.
The sky was bright without a cloud,
And we into the garden stole,
To fetch white roses for her shroud.
"My mother sighed, and stretched her hand
To take them from her breast again:—
Then said the priest, 'Nay, let them be;
See, they are washed in heaven's own rain.'"
To take them from her breast again:—
Then said the priest, 'Nay, let them be;
See, they are washed in heaven's own rain.'"
A moment's silence fell, the boy
Had paused; maybe his tale was o'er:
There came a gentle sound below,
A stir, a touch upon the door.
Had paused; maybe his tale was o'er:
There came a gentle sound below,
A stir, a touch upon the door.
The mother started, rising half,
And then, "Go down, my boys," she said;
"Be not afraid, for we are nigh;"
They sprang up lightly from the bed.—
And then, "Go down, my boys," she said;
"Be not afraid, for we are nigh;"
They sprang up lightly from the bed.—
They ran barefooted down the stairs,
They seemed to know nor doubt nor fear;—
There came some broken sounds, and then
Another footstep met the ear.
They seemed to know nor doubt nor fear;—
There came some broken sounds, and then
Another footstep met the ear.
And now a pausing on the stairs—
Now at the chamber-door they stand,—
A woman's form between the boys,
Who hold on either side her hand.
Now at the chamber-door they stand,—
A woman's form between the boys,
Who hold on either side her hand.
She with her garments torn and soiled,
Her drooping head and long dank locks;
They with their little shining feet,
Their flaxen curls, and snow-white smocks.
Her drooping head and long dank locks;
They with their little shining feet,
Their flaxen curls, and snow-white smocks.
So bright, so beautiful, are they,
So shamefaced she and desolate,
They look like cherubs, leading in
Some sinner to the Mercy-Gate.
So shamefaced she and desolate,
They look like cherubs, leading in
Some sinner to the Mercy-Gate.
The miller on his elbow rose,
She fell and knelt beside the bed;
He gazed on her awhile, and then
He laid his hand upon her head.
She fell and knelt beside the bed;
He gazed on her awhile, and then
He laid his hand upon her head.
Dec. 13. 1850.