POETRY.
THE UNKNOWN DEITY.
THERE stood an altar in a lonely wood, And over was a veiled deity, And no man dared to raise the veiling hood, Nor any knew what god they then should see.
-Yet many passed to gaze upon the thing,
And all who passed did sacrifice and prayer, Lest the unknown, not rightly honouring, Some great god they should anger unaware.
And each one thought this hidden god was he Whom he desired in his most secret heart, And prayed for that he longed for most to be, Gifts that was no fixed godhead to impart.
Nor prayed in vain, for prayers scarce breathed in word Were straight fulfilled, and every earthly bliss Showered down on men ; till half the world had heard, And left all ancient gods to worship this.
But Jove, in anger at his rites unpaid, Tore off the veil with one fierce tempest-breath,— Lo ! that to which all men their vows had made, Shuddering they saw was their fell foeman, Death.
And all forgot the blessings they had had, And all forsook the kindly carmen stone.
'Tie now a shapeless block ; the Zephyrs sad—
None else—their nightly prayers around it moan.
F. W. B.
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