The wondrous moment of our meeting . . .
I well remember you appear 
Before me like a vision fleeting, 
A beauty's angel pure and clear. 
  
In hopeless ennui surrounding 
The worldly bustle, to my ear 
For long your tender voice kept sounding, 
For long in dreams came 
features dear. 
  
Time passed. Unruly storms confounded 
Old 
dreams, and I from year to year 
Forgot how tender you had sounded, 
Your 
heavenly features once so dear. 
  
My backwoods days dragged slow 
and quiet-
Dull fence around, dark vault above-
Devoid of God and 
uninspired, 
Devoid of tears, of fire, of love. 
  
Sleep from my 
soul began retreating, 
And here you once again appear 
Before me like a 
vision fleeting, 
A beauty's angel pure and clear. 
  
In ecstasy 
the heart is beating, 
Old joys for it anew revive; 
Inspired and 
God-filled, it is greeting 
The fire, and tears, and love alive.