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ner that he loved when his eyes could see; And he played a jolly tune, he who may not roam again, Played it on an old guitar--played it smilingly. And I saw another sit at a tiny table, In a dingy eating house; he had laughed and drawn Sketches on the ragged cloth, boasting he was able Still to draw as well as most--with two fingers gone.... VII. NOTRE DAME Through colored glass, on burnished walls, Soft as a psalm, the sunlight falls; And, in the corners, cool and dim, Its glow is like a vesper hymn. And, arch by arch, the ceilings high Rise like a hand stretched toward the sky To touch God's hand. On every side Is misty silence; and the wide Untroubled spaces seem to tell That Peace is come--and all is well! A slender woman kneels in prayer; The sunlight slants across her hair; A pallid child in rusty black Stands in the doorway, looking back.... A poilu gropes (his eyes are wide) Along the altar rail. The tide Of war has cast him brokenly Upon the shore of life. I see A girl in costly furs, who cries Against her muff; I see her rise And hurry out. Two tourists pause Beside the grated chancel doors, To wonder and to speculate; To stoop and read a carven date. In uniform the nations come; Their voices are a steady hum Until they feel some subtle thrill That makes them falter, holds them still-- Bronzed boys, who shrugged and laughed at death, They stand today with indrawn breath, Half mystified. The colors steal Into my heart, and I can feel The rapture that the artists knew Who, centuries before me, drew Their very souls into the glass Of every window..... Hours pass Like beads of amber that are strung Upon a rainbow, frail and young. Through mellow glass, on hallowed walls, The twilight, like faint music, falls; And in each corner, cool and dim, The music is a splendid hymn. And, arch on arch, the ceilings high Seem like a hand stretched toward the sky To touch a Hand that clasped a Cross-- FOR FRANCE, NEW-RISEN FROM THE LOSS, AND PAIN AND FEAR OF BATTLE-HELL, KNOWS PEACE, AT LEAST, AND ALL IS WELL! VIII. SUNDAY MORNING
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