Stedman and Hutchinson, comps. A Library of American Literature:
An Anthology in Eleven Volumes. 1891.
Vols. IX–XI: Literature of the Republic, Part IV., 1861–1889
For Charlie’s Sake
By John Williamson Palmer (1825–1906)T
The angels of the hour fulfil
Their tender ministries, and move
From couch to couch, in cares of love.
They drop into thy dreams, sweet wife,
The happiest smile of Charlie’s life,
And lay on Baby’s lips a kiss
Fresh from his angel-brother’s bliss;
And as they pass, they seem to make
A strange, dim hymn, “For Charlie’s sake!”
And gives it to the night again,
Fitted with words of lowly praise,
And patience learned of mournful days,
And memories of the dead child’s ways.
Who gave, and took away, my son—
In the far land to shine and sing
Before the Beautiful, the King,
Who every day doth Christmas make,
All starred and belled for Charlie’s sake.
I will anoint me where he lies,
And change my raiment, and go in
To the Lord’s house, leaving my sin
Without, and seat me at His board,
Eat, and be glad, and praise the Lord.
For wherefore should I fast and weep,
And sullen moods of mourning keep?
I cannot bring him back, nor he,
For any calling, come to me:
The bond the angel Death did sign,
God sealed—for Charlie’s sake and mine.
Marks all the narrow field I own;
Yet, patient husbandman. I till
With faith and prayers that precious hill,
Sow it with penitential pains,
And, hopeful, wait the latter rains:
Content if, after all, the spot
Yield barely one forget-me-not;
Whether or figs or thistles make
My crop—content, for Charlie’s sake.
The angels of the hour fulfil
Only that little lonesome cell,
Where never romping playmates come,
Nor bashful sweethearts, cunning-dumb:
An April burst of girls and boys,
Their rainbowed cloud of griefs and joys
Born with their songs, gone with their toys;
Nor ever is its stillness stirred
By purr of cat, or chirp of bird,
Or mother’s twilight legend, told
Of Horner’s pie or Tiddler’s gold,
Or Fairy, hobbling to the door,
Red-cloaked and weird, banned and poor,
To bless the good child’s gracious eyes,
The good child’s wistful charities,
And crippled Changeling’s hunch to make
Dance on his crutch, for Good Child’s sake.
Nor would I any miracle
Might stir my sleeper’s tranquil trance,
Or plague his painless countenance;
I would not any Seer might place
His staff on my immortal’s face,
Or lip to lip, and eye to eye,
Charm back his pale mortality:
No, Shunammite! I would not break
God’s quiet. Let them weep who wake.
No comfort like his mother’s breast,
No praise like hers; no charm exprest
In fairest forms hath half her zest.
For Charlie’s sake this bird’s carest
That Death left lonely in the nest.
For Charlie’s sake my heart is drest,
As for its birthday, in its best.
For Charlie’s sake we leave the rest
To Him who gave, and who did take,
And saved us twice—for Charlie’s sake.