A child laid in the grave ere it had known
Earth held delight beyond its mother’s kiss;—
A fair girl passing from a world like this
Into God’s vast eternity, alone;—
A brave man’s soul in one brief instant thrown
To deepest agony from highest bliss;—
A woman steeling her young heart to miss
All joys in life, one dear one having flown;—
These have I seen; yet happier these, I said,
Than one who by experience made strong,
Learning to live without the precious dead,
Survive despair, outlive remorse and wrong,
Can say when new grief comes, with unbowed head,
“Let me not mourn! I shall forget ere long!”