Henry Baird Favill, AB, MD, LL.D., 1860-1916, a ... - University Library

48 HENRY BAIRDFAVILL
unseen. This is thy birthright. Whatever else the years may
bring, see that thou do it no wrong. I, the unpolluted, strong
wild strain in thy blood, the vital savage, save thee from thyself.
Sleep, now, sweet hope. The winds sing to thee, the waves lull
thee, the stars affright thee not! Dear son of thy mother, sleep!
THere were many burdened hearts to cry, "They have
taken my Lord from me and I know not where they have
laid him," — but Nature could answer each, "I have but
taken my own. From my breast I have lifted him and in
my heart I have laid him." Humbly and reverently let us
petition whatever gods there be that peace such as this
is his, at last.
As monumental bronze, unchanged his look;
A soul that pity touched, but never shook;
Trained from his tree-rocked cradle to his bier.
The fierce extremes of good and ill to brook
Impassive— fearing but the shame of fear —
A stoic of the woods— a man without a tear.
(A Few Months Later)
In looking now at the tragic incompleteness of his life,
it assumes a different aspect. My memories at first seemed
made of pain — a throbbing, consuming, living pain for him
— for all the things he had not had, and had not been.
Unconsciously I had pictured for him, toward the end of
time, a story-book sort of peace and poise; a complacent
composure. Such a hope was futile and quite unintelligent.
Now, at last, I see it all differently. The pain is there,
deeper, but it is a personal thing and applies to those of us
who feel unable still to meet the days without him. I know
now that there could have been no rest for him, ever. At
last I
can see that because of the influence left by his life,
it matters very little what his personal reaction to the circumstances
in that life happened to be. A great man has
stood among us — touched us — definitely influenced us —