Ofitable Task. So Moved He Like A Shadow That Performed Substantial Service. Mark Me Now, And Learn For What Reward! The Moon Her Monthly Round Hath Not Completed Since Our Dame, The Queen Of This One Cottage And This Lonely Dale, Into My Little Sanctuary Rushed Voice To A Rueful Treble Humanized, And Features In Deplorable Dismay. I Treat The Matter Lightly, But, Alas! It Is Most Serious: Persevering Rain Had Fallen In Torrents; All The Mountain Tops Were Hidden, And Black Vapours Coursed Their Sides; This Had I Seen, And Saw; But, Till She Spake, Was Wholly Ignorant That My Ancient Friend Who At Her Bidding, Early And Alone, Had Clomb Aloft To Delve The Moorland Turf For Winter Fuel To His Noontide Meal Returned Not, And Now, Haply, On The Heights Lay At The Mercy Of This Raging Storm. 'Inhuman!' Said I 'Was An Old Man'S Life Not Worth The Trouble Of A Thought? Alas! This Notice Comes Too Late.' With Joy I Saw Her Husband Enter From A Distant Vale. We Sallied Forth Together; Found The Tools Which The Neglected Veteran Had Dropped, But Through All Quarters Looked For Him In Vain. We Shouted But No Answer! Darkness Fell Without Remission Of The Blast Or Shower, And Fears For Our Own Safety Drove Us Home. I, Who Weep Little, Did, I Will Confess, The Moment I Was Seated Here Alone, Honour My Little Cell With Some Few Tears Which Anger And Resentment Could Not Dry. All Night The Storm Endured; And, Soon As Help Had Been Collected From The Neighbouring Vale, With Morning We Renewed Our Quest: The Wind Was Fallen, The Rain Abated, But The Hills Lay Shrouded In Impenetrable Mist; And Long And Hopelessly We Sought In Vain: Till, Chancing On That Lofty Ridge To Pass A Heap Of Ruin Almost Without Walls And Wholly Without Roof (The Bleached Remains Of A Small Chapel, Where, In Ancient Time, The Peasants Of These Lonely Valleys Used To Meet For Worship On That Central Height) We There Espied The Object Of Our Search, Lying Full Three Parts Buried Among Tufts Of Heath-Plant, Under And Above Him Strewn, To Baffle, As He Might, The Watery Storm: And There We Found Him Breathing Peaceably, Snug As A Child That Hides Itself In Sport 'Mid A Green Hay-Cock In A Sunny Field. We Spake He Made Reply, But Would Not Stir At Our Entreaty; Less From Want Of Power Than Apprehension And Bewildering Thoughts. So Was He Lifted Gently From The Ground, And With Their Freight Homeward The Shepherds Moved Through The Dull Mist, I Following When A Step, A Single Step, That Freed Me From The Skirts Of The Blind Vapour, Opened To My View Glory Beyond All Glory Ever Seen By Waking Sense Or By The Dreaming Soul! The Appearance, Instantaneously Disclosed, Was Of A Mighty City Boldly Say A Wilderness Of Building, Sinking Far And Self-Withdrawn Into A Boundless Depth, Far Sinking Into Splendour Without End! Fabric It Seemed Of Diamond And Of Gold, With Alabaster Domes, And Silver Spires, And Blazing Terrace Upon Terrace, High Uplifted; Here, Serene Pavilions Bright, In Avenues Disposed; There, Towers Begirt With Battlements That On Their Restless Fronts Bore Stars Illumination Of All Gems! By Earthly Nature Had The Effect Been Wrought Upon The Dark Materials Of The Storm Now Pacified; On Them, And On The Coves And Mountain-Steeps And Summits, Whereunto The Vapours Had Receded, Taking There Their Station Under A Cerulean Sky. Oh, 'Twas An Unimaginable Sight! Clouds, Mists, Streams, Watery Rocks And Emerald Turf, Clouds Of All Tincture, Rocks And Sapphire Sky, Confused, Commingled, Mutually Inflamed, Molten Together, And Composing Thus, Each Lost In Each, That Marvellous Array Of Temple, Palace, Citadel, And Huge Fantastic Pomp Of Structure Without Name, In Fleecy Folds Voluminous, Enwrapped. Right In The Midst, Where Interspace Appeared Of Open Court, An Object Like A Throne Under A Shining Canopy Of State Stood Fixed; And Fixed Resemblances Were Seen To Implements Of Ordinary Use, But Vast In Size, In Substance Glorified; Such As By Hebrew Prophets Were Beheld In Vision Forms Uncouth Of Mightiest Power For Admiration And Mysterious Awe. This Little Vale, A Dwelling-Place Of Man, Lay Low Beneath My Feet; 'Twas Visible I Saw Not, But I Felt That It Was There. That Which I 'Saw' Was The Revealed Abode Of Spirits In Beatitude: My Heart Swelled In My Breast 'I Have Been Dead,' I Cried, 'And Now I Live! Oh! Wherefore 'Do' I Live?' And With That Pang I Prayed To Be No More! But I Forget Our Charge, As Utterly I Then Forgot Him: There I Stood And Gazed: The Apparition Faded Not Away, And I Descended. Having Reached The House, I Found Its Rescued Inmate Safely Lodged, And In Serene Possession Of Himself, Beside A Fire Whose Genial Warmth Seemed Met By A Faint Shining From The Heart, A Gleam, Of Comfort, Spread Over His Pallid Face. Great Show Of Joy The Housewife Made, And Truly Was Glad To Find Her Conscience Set At Ease; And Not Less Glad, For Sake Of Her Good Name, That The Poor Sufferer Had Escaped With Life. But, Though He Seemed At First To Have Received No Harm, And Uncomplaining As Before Went Through His Usual Tasks, A Silent Change Soon Showed Itself: He Lingered Three Short Weeks; And From The Cottage Hath Been Borne To-Day. So Ends My Dolorous Tale, And Glad I Am That It Is Ended." At These Words He Turned And, With Blithe Air Of Open Fellowship, Brought From The Cupboard Wine And Stouter Cheer, Like One Who Would Be Merry. Seeing This, My Grey-Haired Friend Said Courteously "Nay, Nay, You Have Regaled Us As A Hermit Ought; Now Let Us Forth Into The Sun!" Our Host Rose, Though Reluctantly, And Forth We Went.