Lilith Part 5

Not long alone was Eve. Upstarted she Dismayed. A woman, most exceeding fair, Beside her stood, with coils of yellow hair, And blue eyes, calm as sleep among the hills'

Dim lakes. Eve, frighted, shrank. As mountain rills, Sweet fell the stranger's words. "My sister, one Is here that glad salutes thee. And since done Is now my quest, and here my journey ends, I bring a goodly gift. For elsewhere wends My pathway, Eve.

"Beside a coppice green, Brighter than gold, purer than silver sheen, In a fair garden, once a jewel shone.

With it, compared in all the world, no stone.

And low the Master set it s.h.i.+ning clear Against the hedge, saying, 'When she draws near She will perceive on whom I do bestow This moteless gem, that fellow doth not know.'

"Now I without the copse that day was hid.

Soft shone the jewel, as the moon amid The blue. And in the garden I saw thee, Where in the midst stood a fair wheaten tree As emerald green. Its ears, as rubies red, Fragrant as breath of musk, its odors spread.

And white its s.h.i.+ning grains as rifted snow.

I looked again. And in thy fair hand, lo, Full ripe bright gleamed the yellow wheaten grain.

Thou saidst, 'Though I did eat, I live. No pain Hath marred this pleasant feast.'

"Then I the more Desired thy gem. 'All things most goodly pour On Eve their gifts. But I am famished lone,'

I said. And still against the hedge the stone Rayed like a frozen tear the pure Night shed- The which with trembling hand I seized, and fled Afar.

"But now upon my soul weighs sore A dream. A voice called loud, 'Straightway restore To Eve that which is hers; lest I, that bright Set it against the hedge, will quench its light.

Yea, I will crumble it and quickly smite It into dust e'en from thy hand.' Mine eyes I careless closed. But yesternight 'Arise!'

The stern voice cried. 'Stay not at all. For lo, I wait not. Lest I scourge thee sorely, go!'

Ah, Eve, though long upon my heart I wore This jewel rare, behold, I now restore Thine own!"

Then Eve cried loud, "Ere my heart break, Give me my babe! Where is she, for whose sake I sorrowed all these years-the little maid?"

She said, through tender sobs.

And Lilith laid Apart upon her breast her garment, dyed In blended hues. And stooping at Eve's side, Gave back the child.

As one that ending quest Most perilous, safe harbor sees-at rest Among green hills-and enters glad therein, So Lilith was.

So pa.s.sed she once again Into her land.

But Eve, like rain Long pent, upon the child poured swiftly down Sweet kisses. And again, twixt laugh and frown Divided, smoothed the baby face, and through Her fingers soft the silken hair she drew, And kissed again.

And with a vague surprise Recalled the stranger's smile, the mournful eyes, Much marveling whence she fared. And said, "As pale She seemed as bramble-blooms in Eden's vale."

When homeward Adam came, the child she set Upon his knee, saying, "Erewhile I met An angel. So to me she seemed, as there She stood. So tall, so yellow-haired, so fair; And lo, she brought again the babe."

Therewith She ended low. "Doubtless an angel, love, sith So you deem her," he replied. And mused on all Eve told.

And watching, saw a shadow fall Upon the child. And later, did recall Those words, sad pondering "so fair, so tall."

But nothing uttered.

In that land long time They lingered. And the child slow faded, till One day Eve frighted cried, "See, Adam, still She lies! Ah, little one, unseal those eyes!

Rouse but awhile, ere waning daylight flies!"

For she discerned not yet its doom, nor knew The hour was near.

But Adam, parting, drew Beneath the thorn, lest he might see the child.

And all the lone hours through Eve, babbling, smiled Adown. And blew her warm breath o'er the cheeks So wan. "The night grows cold," she said. "Sleep creeps Dull on my babe. The night grows cold and chill,"

She said.

Nor dreamed aneath those lids closed still, The death film hung.

A wind uprose, and swept Among the dry leaves heaped, where lowly slept The child. Cold grew the night and colder, till Against the east the dawn glowed daffodil, Above dun wolds white with new-fallen snow.

So rose the day and widened into morning glow With rosy tints o'erstreaked, and faintly blurred With flecks of cloud.

Still lay the child, nor stirred.

Dumb Eve looked down, nor knew Death's pallid masque, And strove to wake the maid. In vain. Her task Was done. And as she gazed, a gentle grasp Soft loosed the dead from that cold mother's clasp, And Lilith laid the babe in its chill bed- Straightened the limbs, and kissed the little head.

And o'er the sleeper, kneeling, she did lean.

Forth from her breast she drew, close folded, green, A sheath of leaves, bright s.h.i.+ning, l.u.s.trous-wet With tears-that in those waxen hands she set.

Then those shut leaves oped slow. And low and frail Bloomed 'mid the tintless snows a snow-drop pale.

Soft Lilith said, "For this pale sleeper's sake, O Eve, one kiss bestow. E'en thou canst take Pity on me. For thee new, happy days await, But I-I am forever desolate.

For thee fresh love will bloom above this mould; For thee, in coming years, pure lips unfold; But I-no more, no more, shall feel the warm Breath 'gainst my breast. Nay, nor the baby arm Soft clasping me. Nor see the feet that pa.s.s Like falling music, through the waving gra.s.s.

Therefore, one pardoning kiss give e'er I go To my own land, beyond this realm of snow."

And Eve, uprising, took the hand she gave, And weeping, kissed; and parted by that grave.

Stood Adam, after-time, by that small mound.

Low at their feet a sheaf of leaves Eve found, Wherein white flowers shone. "Oh, like," she said, "To this was one abloom within the bed Where lies the child. And fair, O, pa.s.sing fair, She was, and tall, with yellow gleaming hair, And cheeks soft flushed as fresh pomegranate bells; And dewy eyes, like violets in the dells, Who came. So, silent pa.s.sed that stranger fair Who loved our babe. And e'er I well was ware, She vanished."

Otherwhiles, "Of alien race She was," Eve said. "A princess, with a face Surpa.s.sing fair, who trod the pathway bright Among the mists, beyond the rim of night To her own land."

And oft in after-time, When Cain had lain in her young arms, and chime Of voices round her came, and clasp of hands, And thick with baby faces bloomed the lands, Eve silent sat, remembering that one child Among the snowdrops, in a Northern wild.

And Lilith dwelt again in her own land; With Eblis still strayed far. And hand in hand They talked; the while her phantom brood in glee Laughed overhead. Then looking on the sea, Low voiced, she sang. So sweet the idle song, She said, "From Paradise, forgotten long, It comes. An elfin echo that doth rise Upward from summer seas to bending skies.

In coming days, from any earthly sh.o.r.e It shall not fail. And sweet forever more Shall make my memory. That witching strain Pale Lilith's love shall lightly breathe again.

And Lilith's bitter loss and olden pain O'er every cradle wake that sweet refrain.

My memory still shall bloom. It cannot die While rings Earth's cradle-song-sweet lullaby."

Slow pa.s.sed dim cycles by, and in the earth Strange peoples swarmed; new nations sprang to birth.

Then first 'mong tented tribes men shuddering spake Dread tales of one that moved, an unseen shape, 'Mong chilling mists and snow. A spirit swift, That dwelt in lands beyond day's purple rift.

Phantom of presage ill to babes unborn, Whose fast-sealed eyes ope not to earthly morn.

"We heard," they cried, "the Elf-babes shrilly scream, And loud the Siren's song, when lightnings gleam."

Then they that by low beds all night did wake, Prayed for the day, and feared to see it break.

When o'er the icy fjords cold rise white peaks, And fierce wild storms blot out the frozen creeks, The Finnish mother to her breast more near Draws her dear babe-clasps it in her wild fear Still closer to her heart. And o'er and o'er Through her weird song fall echoes from that lore That lived when Time was young, e'er yet the rime Of years lay on his brow. In that far prime Nature and man, couched 'neath G.o.d's earliest sky, Heard clear-voiced spheres chant Earth's first lullaby.

Now, in the blast loud sings the Finn, and long, Nor knows that faint through her wild cradle-song Yet sweetly thrills the vanished Elf-babes' cry, Nor dreams, as low she croons her lullaby, Still breathes through that sweet, lingering refrain Lilith the childless-and to life again, To love, she wakes.

The soft strain clearer rings As through the gathering storm that mother sings:

Pile the strong f.a.got, Pale Lilith comes!

Wild through the murky air goblin voices shout.

Hark! Hearest thou not their l.u.s.ty rout?

Lilith comes!

Listen, my babe!

See how the dusk pines Tremble and crouch; Over wide wastes borne, white are the snow-wreaths blown, And loud the drear icy fjords shudder and moan; Lilith comes!

Listen, my babe!

Ah! Hear the wild din, Fierce o'er the linn, The sea-gull, affrighted, soars seaward away, And dark on the sh.o.r.es falls the wind-driven spray; Lilith comes!

Listen, my babe!

The shuddering ice s.h.i.+vers. It cracks!

Like a wild beast in pain, it cries to the wrack Of the storm-cloud overhead. The sea answers back- Dread Lilith comes!

Listen, my babe!

Near draws the wraith fair, Dull gleams her hair.

Ah, strong one, so cruel-fierce breath of the North- The torches of heaven are lighting thee forth!

Fell Lilith comes!

Listen, my babe!

Cold spirit of Snow, Ah, I fear thee!

The sports of my hunter, the white fox, the bear, The spoils of our rivers are thine. Ah, then spare, Dread Lilith, spare The babe at my breast!

Mercy, weird Lilith!

Even sleeping, My babe lies so chill. See, the reindeer I give!

Ah, lift thy dark wings, that my darling may live!

Pale Lilith comes!

Listen, my babe!

Once, in the Northland, Pale crocus grew By half-wakened stream. It lay shriveled and low Ere the spring-time had come, in soft shroud of snow.

Sad Lilith comes!

Listen, my babe!