THE DIGGER'S DREAM.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1767, 24 July 1888, Page 4

THE DIGGER'S DREAM.

Dark fell the night;, the rain clouds, slow descending, Draped with their cold grey wreaths the wood ands loir ; Valley and gorge in fur off vista ending, And mount tin summits clad with winter snow. As by the river, weary and down-hearted, Silent and sad I rested from my load, The last faint glean of daylight had departed, Still onward wound the lonely rugged road, far off, I thought, my mates their voices mingle In song and story where our wood fire burns, Throwing deep shadows over rook and shingle, Lighting up hillsides clad with sombre ferus. Through the dark night the foam-flecked riyer’s gleaming; Trees, tall at.d weird, bend moaning o’er ttie t-ack, Waring their arms, like spectra giantiseeming, And walling on the wind “Go buck! Go back! ” I cannot cross that river wild and errios, So here until the morning dawns I'll lie j Gold is the night, the world, too, cold and dreary, I little care whether I sleep or die. Then es I slept a vision there came to me, Still when my life grows dark 1 feel it now, I thought my mother oama and stood beside me And placed her soft white hand upon my brow. As when a boy, low bending o’er me sleeping Often her gentle 1 ps to mine she pressed, And pray’d that God would hold me in his keeping, Safe from all harm, before she went to rest. And mingled with the sound of night birds’ cjlliog, Of wmd far sighing through the forest trees And rain drops on the withered fern leaves falling, Alow voice murmured in the mid night breeze — “ My son,” it said, “ the river, swiftly flowing, Rise up and cross, nor fear to reach the land ; Seek not the ford, my spirit, with you goiog, Shall keep you safe and lead you by the hand. “ To sleep by this dark river is to perish, The stern while frost will herald in the day, Those whom we Jove- though goue before — we cherish, And spli t hands ahull bear you on the way.” Sudden I rose, half sleeping and half waking, Into the torrent plunged, and know no mure, Only that when the early dawn was breaking I lay exhausted on the further shore. Over the mum,tains, through the white clouds gleaming, The moo i was sa ln; in her silv r car, And with the day dawn, on ay pathway beaming, Bright shone the s,ar of hope—the Morning Sta Morning, fair morning, lighting all the villejs, Buising their misty wreaths from lowlands damp, Wild biVds were singing through the greenwood alleys, And all wes sunshine when I reached the camp. Long years I’ve wandered since that night, but eve-, Through stormy seas, through dangers of the land, Onward and upward, (ill no more we sever, My m ilher’s spirit leads me by the hand. Fbauk Matthews. Havelock, Marlborough.