A faithful Teacher of the young from early years, and recently the
Principal of a Female Seminary and Boarding School at St. Anthony,
Minnesota, died suddenly of an attack of fever, while on a visit at her
paternal home in Vermont, September, 15th, 1861.
Thine earnest life is over, sainted Friend!
And hush’d the teaching voice that gladly pour’d
Knowledge and goodness o’er the plastic mind.
–Full many a pupil of thy varied lore
Amid thine own New-England’s elm-crowned vales
Holds thee in tenderness of grateful thought,
And far away in the broad-featured west
Where the strong Sire of waters robes in green
The shores of Minnesota, comes a wail
From youthful bands expecting thy return,
To guide them, as the shepherd leads the lamb.
They watch in vain.
The pleasant halls are dark
Once lighted by thy smile, and flowing tears
Reveal the love that linger’d there for thee.
Said we thy life was o’er?
Forgive the words.
We take them back.
Thou hast begun to live.
Here was the budding, there the perfect flower,
Here the faint star, and there the unsetting sun,
Here the scant preface, there the open Book
Where angels read forever.
* * * * *
Here on the threshold, the dim vestibule
Thou with a faithful hand didst toil to tune
That harp of praise within the unfolding heart
Which ‘neath the temple-arch not made with hands
Swells the full anthem of Eternity.
(Lydia Howard Huntley Sigourney)
More Poetry from Lydia Howard Huntley Sigourney:
Lydia Howard Huntley Sigourney Poems based on Topics: Love, Life, Flowers, Mind, Praise, Youth, Friendship, Education, Smiling, Thought & Thinking, Perfection- The Rural Life In New England. Canto Second (Lydia Howard Huntley Sigourney Poems)
- Oriska (Lydia Howard Huntley Sigourney Poems)
- Flora's Party (Lydia Howard Huntley Sigourney Poems)
- The Return Of Napoleon From St. Helena (Lydia Howard Huntley Sigourney Poems)
- The Needle, Pen, And Sword (Lydia Howard Huntley Sigourney Poems)
- Governor Joseph Trumbull, (Lydia Howard Huntley Sigourney Poems)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: Love Poems, Life Poems, Mind Poems, Youth Poems, Friendship Poems, Flowers Poems, Thought & Thinking Poems, Smiling Poems, Education Poems, Praise Poems, Eternity PoemsBased on Keywords: vestibule, boarding, minnesota, vermont, seminary, unsetting, new-england, temple-arch
- Book III - Part 03 - The Soul is Mortal (Lucretius Poems)
- The Golden Legend: VI. The School Of Salerno (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Poems)
- Of The Nature Of Things: Book II - Part 03 - Atomic Forms And Their Combinations (Lucretius Poems)
- The Celt's Paradise. Third Duan (John Banim Poems)
- Of The Nature Of Things: Book V - Part 04 - Formation Of The World (Lucretius Poems)