Explore "General Gordon" by George MacDonald on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
I. Victorious through failure! faithful Lord, / Who for twelve angel legions wouldst not pray / From thine own country of eternal day, / To shield thee from the lanterned traitor horde, / Making thy one rash servant sheathe his sword! -- / Our long retarded legions, on their way, / Toiling through sands, and shouldering Nile's down-sway, / To reach thy soldier, keeping at thy word, / Thou sawest foiled -- but glorifiedst him, / Over ten cities giving him thy rule! / We will not mourn a star that grew not dim, / A soldier-child of God gone home from school! / A dregless cup, with life brimmed, he did quaff, / And quaffs it now with Christ's imperial staff!
II. Another to the witnesses' roll-call / Hath answered, "Here I am! " and so stept out -- / With willingness crowned everywhere about, / Not the head only, but the body all, / In one great nimbus of obedient fall, / His heart's blood dashing in the face of doubt -- / Love's last victorious stand amid the rout! / -- Silence is left, and the untasted gall. / No chariot with ramping steeds of fire / The Father sent to fetch his man-child home; / His brother only called, "My Gordon, come! " / And like a dove to heaven he did aspire, / His one wing Death, his other, Heart's-desire. / -- Farewell a while! we climb where thou hast clomb!