ONE day the River of Life flowed o'er The verge of heaven's enchanted shore, And falling without lapse or break. Its waters formed this wondrous lake. Hence the far sheen of Eden palms Is mirrored in its silvery calms, And all its rich cerulean dyes Are deep as Raphael's splendid eyes. And hence the unimagined grace Which sanctifies this lonely place, -- A subtle, soft, ethereal spell Of light and sound ineffable. Surely such tempered glory paints The mystic City of the Saints; Such music breathes its dying falls Above the heavenly palace walls. O lake of peace! whose still expanse Gleams through a golden-misted trance, Earth holds thee sacred and apart, The cloistered darling of her heart. |