THE HEAV EN LY G U EST WITH OTHER UNPUBLISHED WRITINGS CELIA THAXTER With Re p ri n ts Of Essays By Friends A nd Contemporaries . EDITED B Y He r Lai ht on M at eri al Brother , Oscar g , From The In P ossession Of He r Granddaughter . T to o r 193 . C py ight , 5 b O CA R LA IC H I' ’ O N y S . All s e se e right r rv d . r C O U T TS C O . S M ITH S . PRIN TE RS A n do v e r ass . , M CONTENTS a - e The He avenly G ue st n Whitti r T he Pre ac h er M an o So nn e t m On The B e ac h m The Hea venly M essage o The Troll And Tn s Lake 28 c So n g Th h A n d The Y Crowne d e C ild ear 3 1 T o Y o u th T he Lesson ’ T he San dpiper s Happy A Tho ught Of Spri ng T n B r n A S ad Old St ory o J . Appl e to o w Chri stmas M orn B ack Agai n M ai z e Eve n Th o u S onne t The Cro wn Of The Y e ar 38 A n Idyl Heavenly He ights Al o f t In Fre deri c k sb urg T he Fo g B e ll Willi am M ason T he Path Of Pe ac e R omanc e Promi ses 22 Hark T he Unl u cky N um b er 23 ! ate Vannah Co tton 24 Awak en i ng CONTENTS To Laure n ce Hu tton 46 Right A nd Wron g The Wat er - Lily 47 E n trea ty In Th e Val l ey A S o n g Of Spri n g T Almighty Love o A Child With E ast e r Lili e s A S ermon The G re e n Le aves Whi spe r Chri stm as Ev e Low A n d Hi s Will I s Ou r Pe a c e 52 Chri stmas A n ge l From A Corn er M o o nlight To Pastu re In D arkne ss So nn e t Th e O nl y Foe 58 A M orn i n g Vi si o n ? a e e 59 Wh t Ch r F ’ o r A Fri e n d s Birthd ay A V o i l e t 60 Th ’ e Po e t s Fan cy In Swit z erl an d 6 1 To ge th e r S i n g Chri stm as 62 A t E ast e r Time e as e ow S id Fl ers 63 T he ! i n g A nd The B i sho p 81 m Te p est 65 Th e Pri n c e ss H ermi o ne T urn Home Ag ai n 67 CONTENTS ESSAYS B Y FRIEND S OF CELIA THAXTER A nnie Fields L A Mrs . arz nderson Maud Appleton M c Dowe ll A Visitor Correspondence of the Chicag o Tri b u ne Prepared f o r the Christia n S c ien c e M o n it o r Judge Justin H . Shaw John Albee POEM S B Y FRIENDS OF CELIA THAXTER Blanche Fearing Mary Livingston Tarleton Eben Rexford L M . B . E A . W A LETTER FROM CELIA THAXTER TO HE R S ON JOHN 1 7 5 PREFACE b a o Rev . De N I remem er , long g , James ormandie T xt R gave a lecture on Celia ha er , in the Music oom at the The h al l A ppledore Ho use . was crowded with the elite o l from the h te s at the Isles o f Shoals . De N ! x Mr . ormandie said Celia Tha ter stands alone - m . ed New E pre e inent , among the gift singers of ngland , e for th e charm and sweetness of her songs . W do not find S he o that bel nged to any church , yet , through her verse n c o f there“bre ath es the fragra e a divine faith . She studied all that was fine in every Creed , finding something beautiful even in the Kor an and teachings of Confucius . ’ w as I have thought , that in my sister s last days , she D leaning toward Unitarianism ; being fond of Mr . e No his rmandie , she attended church , when in Portsmouth finding great interest in what that be loved gentleman said r to his Cong egation . Many years ag o Celia Thaxter wrote a poem adapted from one of the short stori es of Count Tolstoy ; she called “ ” h H T e . To it eavenly Guest my delight , it has been R Th found by her granddaughter , osamond axter , in a portfolio which had been loaned to the late Sarah “Orne h The ewett w as er . J , and which returned after death With Heavenly Guest” were also found many unpublished ’ n Th e ma uscrip ts of Celia Thaxter s . reader must remember that as Celia did n ot publish these poems she probably considered them unfinished , or below the standard of her best work . It i s near fifty years ago Celia wrote The Heavenly ” Gu am ; when she read the verse I was . so moved by its charm , its pathos and sweetness , I found my eyes wet with ’ tears . I recall my sister s delight at my emotional eriti i c sm . This beautiful poem does not appear in her h as published work , and only just come into the possession ! R T x of her granddaughter , osamond ha ter . w as 1 835 Cen ten Celia born in , making this year the R nial of her birth . With my niece , osamond , I have f o r bound greater safety , within the covers of this book f these last leaves of the writings o Celia Thaxter . O S CAR LAI GH T ON THE HEAV EN LY G U EST Th i e winter night Shuts swiftly down . Within his l ttle humble room Martin , the good old shoemaker , sits musing in the gather ing gloom . Hi s off tiny lamp from its hook he takes , and lights its friendly beam , Reaches for his beloved book and reads it by the flickering gleam . L ’ A ong pores he o er the sacred page . t last he lifts his shaggy head . h ow If unto me the Master came , should I welcome ? ” Him he said ; S hould I be like the Pharisee , with selfish thoughts filled to the brim , — Or like the sorrowing sinner , she who weeping ministered to Him ? ” He l aid h is head upon his arms , and while he thought , upon him crept S s so lumber o gentle and soft he did not realize he slept. ” ! . H e Martin he heard a low voice call started , looked toward the door ! ” H . ! N o one was there . e dozed again Martin he heard it call once more . - L Martin , to morrow I will come . ook out upon the street ” for me . He rose , and slowly rubbed his eyes , and gazed about him drowsily . THE HEA VENL Y G UES T . W es I dreamed , he said , and went to rest aking betim with morn“ing light , He wondered , Were they but a dream , the words I seemed ? ” t o hear last night T hen , working by his Window low , he watched the passers f ro to and . S Poor tephen , feeble , bent and old , was shoveling away the snow ! Martin at last l a U ghe d at himself for watching all so eagerly . What fool am I ! What look I for ? Think I the Master ’s face t o see ” n f ! He I must be goi g da t , indeed turned him to his work once more , An d stitched awhile , but presently found he was watching as before . Old Stephen leaned against the wall ; weary and out of breath was he . ” Come in , friend , Martin cried , come , rest , and warm yourself , and have some tea . ! ” S May Christ reward you tephen said , rejoicing in the welcome heat ; ” “ w as so ! Sit I tired , Martin begged , be comforted ” and drink and eat . But even while hi s grateful guest refreshed his chilled and toil - worn frame ’ Did Martin s eyes stil l strive t o scan each passing form that went and came . THE HEA VENL Y G UES T ” A re ? S you expecting somebody old tephen asked . A n d Martin told , T ’ T hough half ashamed , his last night s dream . ruly , I am not quite so bold A s t o expect a thing like that , he said , yet , somehow , still I look ! ” With that from off its shelf he took his worn and precious Holy Book . Y esterday I was reading here , how among simple folk H e walked ld D ? ? ” o . o N o Of , and taught them you know about it S o then he talked ‘ The S . With joy to tephen Jesus said , kind , the generous , the poor , Blessed are they , the humble souls , to be exalted ever 7 7 ? more . With tears of gladness in his eyes poor Stephen rose and went his way , ? His soul and body comforted ; and quietly passed on the day , Till Martin from his window saw a woman shiverin g in the cold , Trying to shield her little babe with her thin garment worn and old .