XVI. MY LADY OF PROMISE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2732, 18 July 1906, Page 79

XVI. MY LADY OF PROMISE.

By Roby.

(Written for the D L F. Special Subject Week,

The sweet warbling of nptive songsters fills Vh© air with liqxiid imisic; a £er-

fume of Nature's own mixing-, redolent with a delicious power to charm, comes softly to me on iha smiling zepi;. rs, and I. reclining alono in a dainty pei^oia, drirJc m the music, breath-j iii vnth a deiicicus thrill the delicate incense, and forget a'l else savo life's purity and sweetness.

The air bewitches me, and losing myself in sweet abandon for a few brief, ste'en moments, I revel in the dear deiight of "sw&st-cciug-nothing. ' Sounds of everyday work aud care and petty vexations come floating to me as I ]io in blissful idleness, but they come, as it were, from another world, and, hearing, I heod them not, for to-day my soul haa soared beyond ; it has prostrated itself before the cross and kissed it ; it has flown to the Master and, stooping, kissed £Ls feet; been raised from its lowJy position. and taught the full power of Goo & dear 1c c and tfEderti-ess ; it has floated icto Vt'.e lowly chernbsrs in piiy for ths pauper, bedridden inmrttcs ; it has roamed 'inong lonehi?oiat€d folk dwellings, and brightened i'cr a little v.hile poor, Ured, world-vreary henrts; it has flown down softly, pityingly, into dusty, filthy byways, lifting and helping downtrodden humanity, leaviiig little EOi;gs cf hope r.ud thankfulness in hoi-.p-fcri?kc" biessts, and, liter, thrilled vs ith the sweet joy of pleasure-giving, rt has c O3red ard soared aloft, communing m heartfe't ihankfulncs3 with higher, holier spirits of love. peace, hope, und joy. For though it entered lowly places of filth and sin, yet God kept it clean untainted, and ps it tears and soars in gleeful abandon, no dust cleaves to its wings, to be shaken off in mid-air, for, leaving wafts of its purity behind, it carries r.o taint, no speck of ctust with it — only a great pify, a powerful love. "Sweet-doing-nothing." Ay, but only the outward, the- visible material body is idle • the soul is busy with high ambitioua thoughts, and ths biain xvorks in tirele-s enthusiasm. The body meiely rests, the v/hi,e the soul conimwruee with spirits, goe3 aroaming with them.

Tha eurtaiiis obscuring Spiri'land are drawn a-eide. I watch the graceful forms that flit about in busy delight; I listen to their dulcet voices as they sing while they work. I close my eyes, and open them on other scenes. The spirit world has gone, and m it» place I s-ee a uleasance on tjfie borders of the bushland — a pleasaace, but desolate atfid chill ; paths strewn with withered leave ? lying m naked shame, spiiit leaves white ghostly, skeleton leaves, ciying dumbly for a ds-cent burial, a auiet, peaceful grave; plcts o'ergrown with vveeds growing in wi d piofusion. docks and tlusties and sorrel, from which dejected, uncared-for flowerets turn aside in loathing and disgust , a neglected greenhouse, its dusty windovjs draped vn*h delicate curtains o£ silver cobwebs ; a des*erted weather-beaten smmnierhouEe— - tru'y a iorry picture for spirit eyes xo rest upon, yet here in the midst of this scene of desola-ti-on stands one, snow-crowned, 'tis tiue, yet bright and merry, fresh from the spirit woi\d. Old Father Winter, laughing and jolly, wai* ing the advent of the goddess Spring. Weeks ago she. pnnled out at him from among the roseate dawn mist?, au'l so infectious was the cheery warmth ci her smile that Winter has smiled uvei siuce, a^.d so far forgofctcn the chilling native of his duties that Jack Frost and Queen Smw t-\r.ied a&ide w. disgust, stepped disdainfully into their ice chariot, and drove ra\>icl'y away. But Father "Winter smiled lrerri'v, and sane; such a gladsome soug that King Sol laughed ti;l the tears poured down his nieirv old face and, lightly falling on *hs c leep.r.g o'd earth wakened it + o life and a (sense oi something to live for. The 1 irdi— goldfinches, Lnuets, b'ackhirds, tuis. uiokis ring-eyes, etc — stiire<l themselves with a. feel. eg oi exultaho;' preened their feather=, donned their spring frocks, and commnccd to hit sweet, tender love-lyrics. Elves, hearing the singing, the gay little trills, the deep-throated warbHug. came smiling out fiorn fairyland, and danced gay little ■waltzes and state'y minuets with the glad, smihng-eyed flowerete. Still VTinter waited the coming of Spring — waited heedless of all, save that coon he would clasp her hand and feel her breath, her kiss on his cheek. '

She cornea, lightly, joyfully, a song on her lips, a smile in her eyes. My Lady of Promise, the fair Springtide herself, robed in a soft, shimmering gown of purest emerald. her ar>p\e~bl<jssoin complexion reflecting a soul o'erflowiiig with purity and sweet, unselfishness. Her eye 3. deep gicy, with warm tjieen lights in their liquid depths, gleam with a soft love-iight, aud anon ripple with silent merriment, like sun-kissed v, avelets that ripp2e no._e!essly o'«r the sliming; biUowa of a summer sea; her hair, hanging in blown, undisciplined confusion, holds 'nionp; its curls feilver star-eyed flower*, with which the sunbeams, intent on miscluef. play at hide and seek. With a smile in .his eyes, a welcome on his lips, kis long, suowy tresses stirred gently by the breath of Spring. Winter advances to meet Mv Laely of Promise. A greeting, smiling and gay. a reviewing of the pleasance that already look's brigh 4 er with Spring's mystic presence, a handclasp, a merry grcod-bye. stnd Winter departs amid smiles and lau-gbter. On the too of a sadly-dilapidated summerhouse sits Ify La-dv of Promise, smilingly congratulating herself on her labours. All the morning she has been busy flitting hither and thither, breaking ice chains, kissing with warm, impulsive kisses the snow-c'.ad earth, breathing, breathing everywhere, on everything, and wakening the cold, sleeping earth to warmth, life, and hope And now just for a brief space she rests and' ponders on her great unfinished woj.k. There are so many things to lie done, so many hear<s made brighter, and she is lianpv — hpppy, as all souk are that are filled with work for the public good. My Lady of Promi=^ so tbe godg had timed her. for. search a? o<je wou'd, no divinity cculd be found to equal her in sweet hope and promise — promise of future joy io corn* from present gloom and gTey soididnes6. Even now. as she sits on the old summerbouse, she is thinking of the dull, ugly bulbs, the brown, cunningly-shaped fceeds. the weird, twisted, tangled root? buried 'neath the brown soil, sweetened and warmed with hhre r nia^ie breath She is thinking of them, of bow they will bear little colourless shoots, which, sniinging above the soil, will ere long don soft preen robe= and. growing, ever gi owing, will yield abundance of sweejlx:

perfumed blossoms and, giteen-rekeving foliage. She is thinking of the naked, naked trees that stretched pleading, imploring branches to her. and begged for flowers and •leaves to hide their graceless nakedness; of how she kissed them, and promised loveliness p.nd gracefulness if they but waited and hoped, and slie thril's as she thinks of hoy? even now her promise is bsing fuifiUed. and buds and leaves are wakening in profusion all over the bare, ugiy branches, and clothing them m rarest beauty, and she smiles in pleased contentment. Soon she knows Xature will be throbbing with life andlove. Love! as, yes! she muses dieanungly. Promises of iove are in the air, and promised are sacred. Well she knows the fulfilment of the promise will come before she flits away. her duty done. Love! She Ihinks of all "the youthful hearts into which she has breathed her sweet promises cf love, aud she smiles tenderly, for her heart, gieat, benevolent at all times, is more truly great and cornftassionate where liunipn hearts are concerned. The music of happy vo.ee? breaks iii on her reverie, and she fl^ts softly away to finish her work

My Lady of P.coi'se! Her woik is almost complete. Her spirit wan-dars everywhere, but in the old pl-easance «be wandeis oftenest for here she . started her work, and here she will &ay "good-bye " 'Tis the same o'd nleasance. but wakened to hope and life. For "Spring kissed the droop. ng fioweis. and gave them new .10: , lenewed faith in life real throbbing life —inch faith as only Spring can instil into hearts. Heie and there daffodils glint goldenly in the sunlight, row.=>hr=, primroses, crocuses, violets have all lived their day and flitted away to the spirit -.rorld.

'Mong the pot« oi flowers My Lady steps 'i^htiy, along the smooth, green walks, and i vio the wild, !one highland. The spirit of .mmraer hss prc-certed her, and she catches i'<?r breaili n> delight as she falls 'neath SummfM <= -oil Thr air is laden with the Doi/umo c' liixur'ftis b^oru-, the green of tbe .ronwood Kayos is relieved with great lata Vlum<";,V l um<";, fi'n-ving i\!th v.-rm. rich life-b'ood ->.ketl lion Nature's gererous heait. While convolvulus pure and saintly, twines luxuriantly id i<nd aruon£r the tali bush plants; beautiful clematis — like snowy star-souls "from tie an^el-world' — ?hme with a strange, almost ethereal light, from amongs-t the verdant bush giants. Hi-sh 'mong the trees blackbirds, thrushes, goldfinches, linnets vie with each other in &weet music, and ever and again tJwir little throats swell cut in one grand chorus. The clear, reverberating "ding-dong, ding-dong" ci the bell-bird echoes through the" gullies; evjr and again the full, rich voices of Ih? tui* ring cut joyfully, gaily, outing the air with their clear, liquid tones and falhng on the hst'nmg ear like drops of liquid music, and full sweet and clear through the bushlanrl come the ocboe?, thrown back 1 y thvJ lofty hills. Another voice chimes in— in" cheepy little bird flies swiftly from the cast, and perching lightly 'mong the convolvums, looks aiound him inquisitively. First on one side, then on the other perks lus httle h3&d. the tiny throat swells, the httle breast rises and falls, then full and strong cornea tho call of the tui, then the bell-bird's sweet "d.ng-dong," and in sv/ifi t.ucce<=.;non iing% out the swig of the blackbird, the thiush, the goldfinch, the linnet, quivering and vibrating through the ?ar. for the little bird is a "mocking" bird. For a btief apace he has the buslilund tc Liuisei." — Ike ether buds are hushed as ihcugh listening, liien again gi?d and strong all the bu=hlaiid echo&3 are awakened by one grand, mgantficent chortis that swells from a bundled tiny throat?. Enffti ailed by the glory ar.d siandeur ef t all.l 1 . My Lady cf Promise stands, ?jient!y drinking in the siv*et air. the beaut - •ful view, ami the enchanting music from this perfect band; then turning she advances to meet Summer, kisses her cheek, clasps lier Land, and bids her "Good-bye." With one long, laat look or> the bush «icene sh^ spuntevs back io the pleasar.ee, and wanders sadly '>nong her veil-loved walks, her favourite lowers. Then with fcimies and sighs sh* turns Ctivay ; a vcas-hvad^ cltud floats softly to earth, my Lady s^eata herself upon It, and a zephyr lifia thera from the earth, and wafts My JLady cf Piomi^e anil the roge-liued cloud to rest 'mor.g thair fiieads ia the goidan

The breath of Summer ming!e3 w*th the breath of Eventide, fans my cheeks, and soit!y s'.irs my tresses. My soul stirs restlessiy. and comes gently back to earth. Spirits and Spirit Land pass as in a dieam. and I fi-id myself alon-e with Xature slid Eventide — alone, Vnit with a beautiful vision oi spirit life delicately imprinted on Memory's canvas.