Good and Evil.
Anaged man along the roadPursued his weary way—His back was bent beneath a load,His thin long locks were gray.The aged man with tottering treadAnd many a sigh did go,And misery seemed to bow his headAnd mark his brow with wo.Yet on his lip there lurked a sneer,As sorrow, like a spell,On every traveller he came near,With clouds and darkness fell.Still on he sped with restless bound,As if a fire withinBurned at his heart, which only foundRelief in deeds of sin.“What is thy name?” a traveller cried—As he the old man met.“’Tis Trouble”—thus the seer replied—“Canst thou my form forget?“No pilgrim on life’s rugged roadCan fail to feel my wrath;On every back I lay a load—Strew thorns in every path.“Time’s tooth, that crumbles all beside,These ghastly limbs defy;No shelter from my form can hide—No wing my sceptre fly!“Yet seest thou yonder gentle maid,That follows with her wiles?She dares my kingdom to invade,And turns my tears to smiles.”While yet the hoary tyrant spoke,The angel maiden came—A light around her footsteps broke,For Comfort was her name.With anxious look the wizard sped,And darkness marked his way—But on his track the maiden fled,And turned the night to day.The load that bowed each pilgrim back,She lightened with her wand,And if Earth’s sky was hung with black,She showed a Heaven beyond.
Anaged man along the roadPursued his weary way—His back was bent beneath a load,His thin long locks were gray.The aged man with tottering treadAnd many a sigh did go,And misery seemed to bow his headAnd mark his brow with wo.Yet on his lip there lurked a sneer,As sorrow, like a spell,On every traveller he came near,With clouds and darkness fell.Still on he sped with restless bound,As if a fire withinBurned at his heart, which only foundRelief in deeds of sin.“What is thy name?” a traveller cried—As he the old man met.“’Tis Trouble”—thus the seer replied—“Canst thou my form forget?“No pilgrim on life’s rugged roadCan fail to feel my wrath;On every back I lay a load—Strew thorns in every path.“Time’s tooth, that crumbles all beside,These ghastly limbs defy;No shelter from my form can hide—No wing my sceptre fly!“Yet seest thou yonder gentle maid,That follows with her wiles?She dares my kingdom to invade,And turns my tears to smiles.”While yet the hoary tyrant spoke,The angel maiden came—A light around her footsteps broke,For Comfort was her name.With anxious look the wizard sped,And darkness marked his way—But on his track the maiden fled,And turned the night to day.The load that bowed each pilgrim back,She lightened with her wand,And if Earth’s sky was hung with black,She showed a Heaven beyond.
Anaged man along the road
Pursued his weary way—
His back was bent beneath a load,
His thin long locks were gray.
The aged man with tottering treadAnd many a sigh did go,And misery seemed to bow his headAnd mark his brow with wo.
The aged man with tottering tread
And many a sigh did go,
And misery seemed to bow his head
And mark his brow with wo.
Yet on his lip there lurked a sneer,As sorrow, like a spell,On every traveller he came near,With clouds and darkness fell.
Yet on his lip there lurked a sneer,
As sorrow, like a spell,
On every traveller he came near,
With clouds and darkness fell.
Still on he sped with restless bound,As if a fire withinBurned at his heart, which only foundRelief in deeds of sin.
Still on he sped with restless bound,
As if a fire within
Burned at his heart, which only found
Relief in deeds of sin.
“What is thy name?” a traveller cried—As he the old man met.“’Tis Trouble”—thus the seer replied—“Canst thou my form forget?
“What is thy name?” a traveller cried—
As he the old man met.
“’Tis Trouble”—thus the seer replied—
“Canst thou my form forget?
“No pilgrim on life’s rugged roadCan fail to feel my wrath;On every back I lay a load—Strew thorns in every path.
“No pilgrim on life’s rugged road
Can fail to feel my wrath;
On every back I lay a load—
Strew thorns in every path.
“Time’s tooth, that crumbles all beside,These ghastly limbs defy;No shelter from my form can hide—No wing my sceptre fly!
“Time’s tooth, that crumbles all beside,
These ghastly limbs defy;
No shelter from my form can hide—
No wing my sceptre fly!
“Yet seest thou yonder gentle maid,That follows with her wiles?She dares my kingdom to invade,And turns my tears to smiles.”
“Yet seest thou yonder gentle maid,
That follows with her wiles?
She dares my kingdom to invade,
And turns my tears to smiles.”
While yet the hoary tyrant spoke,The angel maiden came—A light around her footsteps broke,For Comfort was her name.
While yet the hoary tyrant spoke,
The angel maiden came—
A light around her footsteps broke,
For Comfort was her name.
With anxious look the wizard sped,And darkness marked his way—But on his track the maiden fled,And turned the night to day.
With anxious look the wizard sped,
And darkness marked his way—
But on his track the maiden fled,
And turned the night to day.
The load that bowed each pilgrim back,She lightened with her wand,And if Earth’s sky was hung with black,She showed a Heaven beyond.
The load that bowed each pilgrim back,
She lightened with her wand,
And if Earth’s sky was hung with black,
She showed a Heaven beyond.