GOTTLIEB. 
                             Ah me! 
Of our old eyes thou art the light! 
The joy of our old hearts art thou! 
And wilt thou die?

URSULA. 
                 Not now! not now!

ELSIE. 
Christ died for me, and shall not! 
Be willing for my Prince to die? 
You both are silent; you cannot speak
This said I at our Saviour’s feast
After confession, to the priest,
And even he made no reply. 
Does he not warn us all to seek
The happier, better land on high,
Where flowers immortal never wither;
And could he forbid me to go thither?

GOTTLIEB. 
In God’s own time, my heart’s delight! 
When He shall call thee, not before!

ELSIE. 
I heard Him call.  When Christ ascended
Triumphantly, from star to star,
He left the gates of heaven ajar. 
I had a vision in the night,
And saw Him standing at the door
Of his Father’s mansion, vast and splendid,
And beckoning to me from afar. 
I cannot stay!

GOTTLIEB. 
               She speaks almost
As if it were the Holy Ghost
Spake through her lips, and in her stead: 
What if this were of God?

URSULA. 
                         Ah, then
Gainsay it dare we not.

GOTTLIEB. 
                        Amen! 
Elsie! the words that thou hast said
Are strange and new for us to hear,
And fill our hears with doubt and fear. 
Whether it be a dark temptation
Of the Evil One, or God’s inspiration,
We in our blindness cannot say. 
We must think upon it, and pray;
For evil and good it both resembles. 
If it be of God, his will be done! 
May He guard us from the Evil One! 
How hot thy hand is! how it trembles! 
Go to thy bed, and try to sleep.

URSULA. 
Kiss me.  Good night; and do not weep!

ELSIE goes out.

Ah, what an awful thing is this! 
I almost shuddered at her kiss,
As if a ghost had touched my cheek,
I am so childish and so weak! 
As soon as I see the earliest gray
Of morning glimmer in the east,
I will go over to the priest,
And hear what the good man has to say.

A VILLAGE CHURCH

A woman kneeling at the confessional.

THE PARISH PRIEST, from within. 
Go, sin no more!  Thy penance o’er,
A new and better life begin! 
God maketh thee forever free
From the dominion of thy sin! 
Go, sin no more!  He will restore
The peace that filled thy heart before,
And pardon thine iniquity!

The woman goes out.  The Priest comes forth, and walks slowly up and down the church.

O blessed Lord! how much I need
Thy light to guide me on my way! 
So many hands, that, without heed,
Still touch thy wounds and make them bleed! 
So many feet, that, day by day,
Still wander from thy fold astray! 
Unless thou fill me with thy light,
I cannot lead thy flock aright;
Nor without thy support can bear
The burden of so great a care,
But am myself a castaway!