Our journey had advanced－1
Our feet were almost come
To that odd Fork in Being's Road－
Eternity－by Term－
Our pace took sudden awe－5
Our feet－reluctant－led－
Before－were Cities－but Between－
The Forest of the Dead－
Retreat－was out of Hope－9
Behind－a Sealed Route－
Eternity's White Flag－Before－
And God－at every Gate－
Our feet were almost come
To that odd Fork in Being's Road－
Eternity－by Term－
Our pace took sudden awe－5
Our feet－reluctant－led－
Before－were Cities－but Between－
The Forest of the Dead－
Retreat－was out of Hope－9
Behind－a Sealed Route－
Eternity's White Flag－Before－
And God－at every Gate－
(F.453/J.615)
[1–12]:: Board games was popular in Dickinson's times. The Mansion of Happiness (1843) claimed to be the first board game published in America.
[1] journey:: a round in a board game. The Mansion of Happiness is a board game published by W. & S.B. Ives of Salem, Massachusetts, 1843.
[3] odd Fork:: an odd way to branch; forward when landed in virtues like Piety or Honesty, backward in vices, and random jumps in some special squares.
[4] Eternity:: the game has 67 squares; the goal is to reach the last square, the Mansion of Happiness.
[5] sudden awe:: there are instructions that cause awe (fear of the Lord); e.g. "Whoever possesses Piety, Honesty, Sobriety, Gratitude, Prudence, Truth Chastity, Sincerity, Humility, Industry, Charity, Humanity, Generosity is entitled to advance six towards the Mansion of Happiness." And "Audacity, Cruelty, Immodesty or Ingratitude must return to his former situation."
[7, 8] Cities, Forest:: 38 squares are with drawings of people and houses, and 29 green squares in between gives the whole board a forest look.
[10] Sealed Route:: the failed player, or over the square 67 must go back to square 1, Justice.
[11] Flag:: a flat stone used for paving. Eternity's White Flag:: the last square, Mansion of Happiness, looks like a large flat stone.
[12] God:: instruction in each square; e.g. "Whoever comes to the Water No 6 must pay one for being ferried over and go to No. 10." Gate:: each square in the board looked like an octagon gate.
(John 14:2) In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
"We are confident that more good has resulted to our patients, from their mental and bodily labour connected with these fairs, than from all the various games and plays they have ever resorted to; and they have had recourse to many, such as battledoor, historical games, Dr. Busby's Mansion of Happiness, lottery games, Pickwick cards, &c &c." ─ The Medical Examiner (1845)
Would she play "Dr. Busby," or "Trades," or "The Mansion of Happiness," or "Loto"? No, Annie hated all games. ─ The Ice King, and the Sweet South Wind (1852)