A MOTHER'S IDOLS.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 376, 12 June 1889, Page 4

A MOTHER'S IDOLS.

I had three gods, and I did worship thoin, Morning ard noon and night ; And 1 kiss'd their rosy lips and eyes. O, eyes o ice flashing bright ! O, idols of my longing soul— O, gods of my delight! One morn the sunlight faded. And a dark cloud fill'd the room ; I heard the hiss of serpents 'Neath tho shadow 01 the tomb. And Death, the black thief, entered, And thus he spoke my doom— " Thou shalt not worship idols, Nor bow to aught of earth : For the living are but aying. And death alone is birth. Now thy laughter shall be weeping— Thy harvest be a dearth ! The living are not living, For death alone is birth !" Then I clasped my idols to my heart, And laughed and laughed again. " Thou lying thief," I murmured, '• What care I for thy pain ? Heap up thy curses as thou wilt, And do tliy worst behest- ; I do not care, I have my gods So safely on my breast. The world is nothing, nothing— I have these, take all the rest !" But he laid his icy fingers On the waving locks of gold Of my youngest and my fairest — My little three-year-old ! And I saw my darling shiver. And pale, and fret, and sigh. The eclipse of God fell on my soul, The sunlight left his eye ; The eclipse of God fell on my soul. I saw my darline die. One idol broken ! O, my God ! How weary I felt, and lone ; The birds forgot to sing, for they But listened to my moan ; Ah ! every sob of my wailing heart Were echoes of a groan ! I'd two fair idols left me, To love and worship yet ; Thy eyes were bripht as diamonds are, Thy ringlets black as jet, Thy eyes were smiling sunbeams— Thou wert heaven of heavens, my Pet ! 1 was sadly, sadly musing Of Merle s ringlet, waving down Like a clustering sheaf of barley The snn had tinted brown ; And I told them, " Never heaven Had fairer angels vet. Than Merle, the load-stai' of my heart, And my little Idol, Pet !" But a sudden cry of anguish, A shiver, and a pain, A bowed head lav upon *ny brea My idol. Merle, was slain ! And Pet lay weeping at my feet In agonising fear. He felt an ioy tremour And knew that death was near: And he clung as shipwrecked sailors cling To anything in fear ! " Oh, mother, mother, letmestay !' I heard mv darling s>gh ; I rushed before the throne of God In impious agony ! " Oh, why am I bereft of these ?" I cried ; "Thou art unkind !" Alas ! pray God, my words were lost, Or never borne in mind : But my rebel heart was tempest-tost. And wild as the wind ! A uoor wrecked ship upon the sands And shattered by the wind ! But Pet lay fading hour by hour A snowdrop in the sun ; I held him to my breaking heart, He was my only one ; But death was victorPet was dead before the day was done. And T laid them in my chamber, Side by side I laid mv three : leall'd upon the old thief. Death. To slay and murder me — "O, Death, be thou but merciful And lay me with my three !" Now years have passed and sorrow's dead, Though I am left alone I dare not murmur now at death, Nor do I sigh or moan ; For I know my little darlines Are nestling near tho throne. At night I see bright Tisions, And I pat a curly head ; I feel the clasp of fingers And I know they are not dead : For they cling around my bosom. And I fold them to my breast, And I tell them in a whisper " That the Father loveth best." W. R. Will.