Works of fancy and imagination Author:George MacDonald Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: A BOOK OF DREAMS. PART I. I. LAY and dreamed. The master came, In old wove garment drest; Captive I stood twixt love and shame, Not ready to be blest. ... more » He stretched his arms, and gently sought To clasp me to his heart; I shrunk, for I, unthinking, thought He knew me but in part. I did not love him as I would ; Embraces were not meet ; I dared not even stand where he stood— I fell and kissed his feet. Years, years have passed away since then ; Oft hast thou come to me ; The question scarce will rise again, Whether I care for thee. In thee lies hid my unknown heart, In thee my perfect mind ; In all my joys, my Lord, thou art The deeper joy behind. But when fresh light and visions bold My heart and hope expand, Up comes the vanity of old, That now I understand. Away, away from thee I drift, Forgetting, not forgot; Till sudden yawns a downward rift— I start—and see thee not Ah, then come sad, unhopeful hours ! All in the dark I stray, Until my spirit fainting cowers On the threshold of the day. Hence not even yet I child-like dare Nestle unto thy breast; Though well I know that only there Is hid the secret rest. But now I shrink not from thy will, Nor guilty judge my guilt; Thy good shall meet and slay my ill— Do with me as thou wilt. If I should dream that dream once more, Me in my dreaming meet; Embrace me, master, I implore, And let me kiss thy feet. I STOOD before my childhood's home, Outside its belt of trees ; All round, my glances flit and roam O'er well-known hills and leas; When sudden rushed across the plain A host of hurrying waves, Loosed by some witchery of the brain, From far, dream-hidden caves. And up the hill they clomb and came, A wild, fast flo...« less