Purgatory: Doctrinal, Historical, and Poetical Part 38

Through pains and flames I'll come to Him, They purge me both from stain and sin; When I'm set free, Their friends I'll be Who now do pity me.

The smallest thing that could defile Keeps me from bliss in this exile.

G.o.d loves to see That you me free; For His love pity me!

For me who alms give, fast, or pray, Great store of grace will come their way; Try this good thought-- Great help is brought, And souls from sin set free.

If you for me now do not pray, The utmost farthing I must pay; The time is hid That I'll be rid, Unless you pity me.

In mortal sin who yields his breath, Pray not for him behind his death.

All mortal crime I quit in time; O faithful, pity me!

For me good works may be practised, Thus some were for the dead baptized.

Suet pains endure For me, and sure You'll help and pity me!

For his good friend, as Scriptures say, Onesiphorus, Paul did pray, [1]

His words, you see, Urge, then, for me; And thus you'll pity me.

[Footnote 1: II. Tim., i. 16, 18.]

This third place clear in writ you spy, Where all your works the fire will try, From death game rose, Sure then all those From third place were set free.

In h.e.l.l there's no redemption found; G.o.d ne'er degrades whom He once crowned--These judgments both Confirmed by oath And absolute decree.

For all the Saints prayer should be made, Who stand in need, alive or dead.

I stand in need That you with speed Should help and pity me.

In presence of our sweetest Lord, For dead they, prayed, as all accord.

Christ did not blame What I now claim; Oh! haste and pity me!

To a third place Christ's soul did go.

And preached to spirits there below; This in the Creed And Writ you read, That you may pity me.

When Christ on earth would stay no more, These captives freed He brought to glore; There I will be, And soon set free, If you would pity me.

Mind, then, Communion of the Saints; All should supply each other's wants: In pains and chains, And scorching flames, I languish; pity me!

Eternal rest, eternal glore, Eternal light, eternal store, To them accord, O sweetest Lord!

There's mercy still with Thee!

Let mercy stay Thy just revenge, Their scorching flames to glory change; The precious flood Of Thine own blood For them we offer Thee!

ALL SOULS.

BY MARION MUIR.

FOR all the cold and silent clay That once, alive with youth and hope, Rushed proudly to the western slope- O brothers, pray!

For all who saw the orient day Rise on the plain, the camp, the flood, The sudden discord drowned in blood- O brothers, pray!

For all the lives that ebbed away In darkness down the gulf of tears; For all the gray departed years- O brothers, pray!

For all the souls that went astray In deserts hung with double gloom; For all the dead without a tomb- O brothers, pray!

For we have household peace; but they Who led the way, and held the land, Are homeless as the heaving sand- Oh! let us pray!

THE DEAD.

(From the French of Octave Cremacie.)

ANNA T. SADLIER.

O dead, ye sleep within your tranquil graves; No more ye bear the burden that enslaves Us in this world of ours.

For you outs.h.i.+ne no stars, no storms rave loud, No buds has spring, the horizon no cloud, The sun marks not the hours.

The while, with anxious thought oppress'd, we go, Each weary day but bringing deeper woe, Silently and alone Ye list the sanctuary chant arise, That downwards first to you, remounts the skies, Sweet pity's monotone.

The vain delights whereto our souls incline, Are naught beside the prayer to love divine, Alms-giving of the heart, Which reaching to you warms your chilly dust And brings your name enshrined a sacred trust, Swift to the throne of G.o.d!

Alas! love's warmest memory will fade Within the heart, ere yet the mourning shade Has ceased to mark the garb.

Forgetfulness, our meed to you, outweighs The leaded coffin as it dully lays Upon your lifeless bones.

Our selfish hearts but to the present look, And see in you the pages of a book Now laid aside long read.

For loving in our fev'rish joy or pain But those who serve our hate, pride, love of gain, No more can serve the dead.

To cold ambition or to joy's sweet store, Ye dusty corpses minister no more, We give to you neglect.

Nor reck we of that suff'ring world's pale bourne Where you beyond the bridgeless barrier mourn O'erpast the wall of death.

'Tis said that when our coldness grieves you sore, Ye quit betimes that solitude's cold sh.o.r.e Where ye forsaken dwell, And flit about in darkness' sad constraint, The while from spectral lips your mournful plaint Upon the winds outswell.

When nightingales their woodland nests have left, The autumn sky of gray, white-capped, cloud-reft, Prepares the shroud which Winter soon shall spread On frozen fields; there comes a day thrice blest, When earth forgetting, all our musings rest On those who are no more the dreamless dead.

The dead their graves forsake upon this day, As we have seen doves mount with joyous grace, Escape an instant from their prison drear, Their coming brings us no repellent fear.

Their mien is dreamy, pa.s.sing sweet their face, Their fixed and hollow eyes cannot betray.

When spectral coming thus unseen they gaze On crowds who, kneeling in the temple, pray Forgiveness for them, one faint, joyful ray, As light upon the opal, glittering plays, On faces pale and calm an instant rests, And brings a moment's warmth to clay-cold b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

They, the elect of G.o.d, with souls of saints, Who bear each destined load without complaints,

Who walk all day beneath G.o.d's watching eye, And sleep the night 'neath angels' ministry, Nor made the sport of visions that arise To show th' abyss of fire to dreaming eyes.

All they who while on earth, the pure of heart, The heav'nly echoes hear, and who in part Make smooth for man rude ways he has to tread, And knowing earthly vanity, outspread Their virtue like a carpet rich and rare, And walk o'er evil, touching it nowhere.

When come sad guests from off that suff'ring sh.o.r.e, Which Dante saw in dream sublime of yore, Appearing midst us here that day most blessed, 'Tis but to those; for they alone have guessed The secrets of the grave; alone they understand The pallid mendicants, who ask for heav'n.

Of Israel's King the psalms, inspired cries, With Job's sublime distress, commingled rise; The sanctuary sobs them through the naves While wak'ning subtle fear, the bell's deep toll With fun'ral sounds, demanding pity's dole For wand'ring ghosts, as countless as the waves.

Give on this day, when over all the earth The Church to G.o.d makes moan for parted worth; Your own remorse, regret at least to calm Awak'ning memory's dying flame, give balm, Flow'rs for their graves, and prayer for each loved soul, Those gifts divine can yet the dead console.