The sun dropped down, the crescent moon
Went slowly sailing by,
All in the burning chrysoprase
Of the sultry summer sky,
Of the sultry summer sky,
That crowned the crimson-banded west
With blue and amber dye.

The twilight grey rose up a-near
Each shining golden horn;
And twinkled one by one the stars
Over the yellow corn;
And dimmer grew the silver flush
Of the daisies on the lawn.

Yet high above the moon and stars,
The maiden raised her eyes;
Not on this earth, but in Thine Hea­ven,
O Lord, my treasure lies;
Grant me one glimpse behind the veil
That hides Thy paradise!

And greyer grew the summer night,
As sleep sweet mocked the dead;
And whiter fell the white moon rays
Upon the maiden’s bed;
And lo, an angel stooped and kissed
The tears she dreaming shed.

Her grief-stained eyelids softly touched
And the mist-veil was riven,
And past the stars her soul was borne,
Through the night-hush to Hea­ven.
Among God’s shin­ing ones,’ she said,
To him a place is giv­en.

She sought through­out the glo­ri­ous streets,
Yet found of him no trace;
Among thy bless­èd ones, O Lord!
Hath my dead love no place?
And down, a-down, her fainting soul
Sank through the golden space.

Why weepest thou? God’s angels walk
The earth on errand sent.
She turned her at the voice and gazed
In joyful wonderment;
Art thou so near although unseen?
Then is my soul content.

The reddening dawn stole slowly on,
The sun rose up. The moon
Turned into silver; and the maid
Said, I have waked too soon.
Yet through the day she smiled, for still
At morn, at eve, at noon,
There walked an angel at her side
Lord! I shall see him soon.

Julia Bachope Goddard, The Golden
Journey and Other Verses, 1875