An Autumn Psalm for 1860.
“ He that goeth forth weeping, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again rejoicing,
bringing his sheaves with
him.”
Farm scene with two children carry hay through a gate followed by a man carrying hay
on his back. 3/4
page contained within a single-ruled border.
No shadow o’er the silver sea1
That as in slumber heaves,2
No cloud on the September sky,3
No blight on any leaves,4
As the reaper comes rejoicing,5
Bringing in his sheaves.6
Long, long and late the spring delayed,7
And summer, dank with rain,8
Hung trembling o’er her sunless fruit,9
And her unripened grain ;10
And, like a weary, hopeless life,11
Sobbed herself out in pain.12
And so the year laid her to sleep,13
Her beauty half expressed ;14
Then slowly, slowly cleared the skies,15
And smoothed the seas to rest,16
And raised the fields of yellowing corn17
Above her buried breast ;18
Till autumn counterfeited spring19
With such a flush of flowers,20
His fiery-tinctured garlands more21
Than-mocked the April bowers,22
And airs,as sweet as airs of June23
Brought on the twilight hours.24
O holy twilight, tender, calm !25
O star above the sea !26
O golden harvest, gathered in27
With late solemnity,28
And thankful joy for gifts nigh lost29
Which yet so plenteous be ;—30
Although the rain-cloud wraps the hill,31
And sudden swoop the leaves,32
And the year nears his sacred end,33
No eye weeps—no heart grieves :34
For the reaper came rejoicing,35
Bringing in his sheaves.36