xo^^y^'' <)^- ^^^^Mfi o r' . >-■ ^' Digitized by the Internet Arcinive in 2007 witii funding from IVIicrosoft Corporation littp://www.arcliive.org/details/ateveningtimeotliOOjaywrich HE GIVETH SONGS Oh, life hath many a cloudy day, And many griefs and wrongs ! Yet all along its checkered way '*He giveth songs." AT THE EVENING-TIME AND OTHER POEMS. A New Edition of "He Giveth Songs." BY W. M. L. JAY, A. E. HAMILTON AND OTHERS ^'■^ - ■ ■: With Illustrations by Miss L. B. HtrMPHREY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK E. r. BUTTON AND COMPANY 31 West 23D Street 1892 Copyright 1892 By E. p. button & CO. NEW YORK: J. J. LITTLE «. CO., PRINTERS, 10 TO 20 ASTOR PLACE. PREFACE. In grief and joy, in shadow and sunshine, by night and day, to men and women of every clime, every age, every degree of poetic talent and culture, ** He giveth songs." Their mis- sion of hope, cheer, strength, encouragement, and consolation, is twofold, — first to the spe- cial soul that sings, and afterwards to all ear- nest souls that listen. How well they fulfill this double ministry, may be inferred from the many collections of religious songs that have been made, and, doubtless, will continue to be made. For, as the years go on, there are new songs by new singers ; and though the old never cease to delight us with their solidity of thought and the pleasant quaintness of their phraseology and versification, the new wear the kindly charm of every-day likeness— they are the voices of our own time, breathing of our own hopes, fears, needs, and aspirations, and we cannot choose but listen. Yet, wheth- V 194358 vi PREFACE. er the songs be old or new, sung loudly and clearly, or low and falteringly, by voices trained and skilled, or careless and untutored, the burden is always the same, — the great Heart of Humanity uplifting itself, with more or less of the patience of hope, to its God ; and wait- ing — aye, yearning — for the day when it shall sing the " new song " and drink the " new wine " of His Kingdom. The voices are many, but the love and faith are one ; and the con- cord, we may dare to believe, is sweet not only to our earthly ears, but to that Divine Listener who scorns not to receive as our gifts to Him that which He first so richly bestowed on us. This collection is made up of songs old and new, known and unknown, ancient and mod- ern, — put side by side, the better to allow of comparison, and bring out the charm of con- trast. It is drawn from many sources, — former collections, old magazines and news- papers, in a few cases from tenacious memo- ries ; but, for obvious reasons, poems have been preferred which are not comprised in other collections of the day. So far as possi- ble, the names of the authors are given ; two only are represented so largely as to appear on the title-page. One of these is so well PREFACE. vii known as the author of "Shiloh" as to need no further introduction ; of the other it may not be amiss to speak briefly. Miss Anna E. Hamilton died early in 1876, at Castle Hamilton, Killeshandra, Ireland, where her short life of about thirty years had been quietly spent. One who knew her well writes enthusiastically of the beauty of her face and character, describes the charming Irish scenery which surrounded her home and fed her imagination, and draws a pleasant picture of her among the tenantry of the es- tate, ministering to their needs and teaching their children, — literally translating into action what she "taught in song." Her poems first appeared in an English paper called " The Church Bells ; " afterwards they were issued in three thin, unpretentious volumes. They were favorably received and reviewed ; but they are almost unknown in this country. They are original in style and conception ; for the most part short, — strictly confined to one thought, one simile, which is briefly and tersely, often exquisitely, expressed. We are sure that to be loved, they only need to be known. CONTENTS. PAGE God's Promises \A, E. Hamilton. i At the Evening-Time W, M. L. Jay, 2 Paradise Christina G. Rossetti, 5 The Footprint A, E. Hamilton. 8 Consecration Hymn Frances R. Havergal. 9 The Eternal Now. ♦ . ...Dora Greenwell. 10 Tears A. E. Hamilton, il Gone .W. M. L. Jay. 12 At the Banquet Emily E. Braddock. 14 Afflictions A. E. Hamilton. 15 Praying in Spirit. ..Harriet McEwen Kimball. 15 Patience Mary J. MacColl. 17 Care '.A. E. Hamilton. 18 Trust W. M. L. Jay. 19 The Pulley Geoi-ge Herbert. 20 Sunset A. E. Hamilton. 21 Couplets R. G. Trench. 21 That Day Christina G. Rossetti. 23 Blind W. M. L. Jay. 25 " He shall Save His VGO^^le^^'eic. A. E.Hamilton. 27 Prayer. Henry Vaughan. 28 The North Window. . . .... ..Belle White. 29 X CONTENTS, PAGE The Cruse that Faileth Not Anon. 31 Thine Own Way Jean Sophia Pigott. 32 Worries A. E. Hamilton. 34 *• That Little " W. M. L. Jay. 35 Dying Deaths Daily E. T. 35 The Unseen A. E. Hamilton. 37 My Psalm John G. Whittier. 38 Sad and Sweet Aubrey de Vere. 41 Thou Knowest Best W. M. L. Jay. 42 The Two Twilights A. E. Hamilton. 44 '* Our Light Affliction " Caroline M. Noel. 44 " The Solitary Places," ^iz.Mary W. McLain. 45 Accepted Times A. E. Hamilto7i. 46 Isaiah, xxvi. 3 W. M. L. Jay. 47 A Supplication Bp. Huntington. 48 The Deceitful Heart A. E. Hamilton. 50 Growing .Trances R. Havergal. 51 The Name of Jesus Caroline M. Noel. 52 The Withered Leaf A. E. Hamilton. 55 Transverse and Parallel W. M. L. Jay. 55 Day by Day D. M. Muloch. 57 The Violets A. E. Hamilton. 58 Your Mission Anon. 58 The Cross Caroline M. Noel. 59 Wings Mary E. Atkinson. 61 ** Complete in Him" A. E. Hamilton. 62 Life's History W. M. L. Jay. 63 The Ransom A. E. Hamilton. 65 Love and Discipline Henry Vaughan, 66 CONTENTS, xi PAGE The Path through the Snow. .,D. M, Muloch. 67 As Thou Wilt. . . . .Harriet McEwen Kifuball. 69 Our Master Joht G, Whittier. 6g The Lowest Place Christina G, Rossetti, 71 Time's Three-fold Aspect W, M, L. Jay, 72 The Stream and the Rock. . .A, E. Hamilton, 73 My Ships Mary W, McLain. 73 Isaiah, li. 12 A. L, Waring. 75 " I am that I am " C, Smart. 76 Two and One W, M, L, Jay. 77 Seeing Jesus A, E, Hamilton. 78 The Valley of Death From the Basque. 80 The Child on the Judgment-Seat, Author of ** Schonberg-Cotta Family.'' 81 The Sacrifice of the Will Anon, 85 The Cross A, E, Hamilton. 86 Winchester Cathedral Caroline M, Noel. 86 ' * There shall be no night there " . W.M,L. Jay. 89 The Turned Lesson Frances R, Havergal. 90 The Lost Coin A. E, Hamilton. 92 Beyond Henry Burton. 93 The Voice Within W. M, L. Jay. 94 Jacob's Ladder .,W. Alexander. 95 The Wave A, E. Hamilton. 96 I Will not let Thee Go Deszler. 96 The Wherefore J, S. 98 The Ascension A. E, Hamilton, 98 The Gospel for the Day W, M. L. Jay, 99 Judge Not A. E, Hamilton, 102 Xii CONTENTS, PAGE Waiting. Caroline M. Noel. 103 My Vesper Song Mary R. Butler. 104 If Thou Could'st Know A. A. Proctor. 107 Death A. E. Ha?7iilton. 108 My Prayer W. M. L. Jay. 108 Thanksgiving Frances R. Havergal. log Jesu Dulcis Memoria. .From the " Breviary.'". 11 1 The Perfect Will of God. . . .A. E. Hamilto7t. 112 Love's Questionings John G. Whittier. 113 The Touch of the Unseen. Joseph Cook. 113 The Hem of His Garment. . .A. E. Hamilton. 115 Easter Thoughts for E. Flowers.. W.M.L. Jay. 115 Life's Tapestry Dora Greenwell. 117 "Gather up the Fragments ". ^5". A. Ha7nilton. 117 Thirty-Fold Margaret J. Preston. 119 The Beauty of Holiness .... George Macdonald. 120 Calvary A. E. Hamilton. 121 Emptiness W. M. L. Jay. 122 The Secret of a Happy Day. .F. R. Havergal. 123 All's Well Harriet McEwen Kimball. 126 The Painting A. E. Hamilton. \2rj ** A Little While" and " Forever" Anon. 127 ** Rejoice with them that," etc.A .E.Hafuilton. 129 Night-Song W. M. L. Jay. 129 The Love of God Saxe Hohn. 131 *' Great is thy Faith " A. E. Ha?nilton. 132 Offerings Caroline M. Noel. 132 Hope in Trouble B. W. Noel. 134 My Friend W. M. L. Jay. 135 CONTENTS, xiii PAGE Winnowing. C. C. Liddell. 137 Emblems of Christ A, E. Hamilton. 139 Not Knowing Anon. 141 Just when Thou Wilt. . ,. Frances R. HavergaL 143 His Condescension A, E. Hamilton. 144 The Sea-side Well John Kerr. 145 Sacrifice W. M. L. Jay. 148 The Crucifixion A. E. Hamilton. 149 The Waiting John G. Whittier. 150 He Giveth Songs in the ^'x^t.John P. Hopps. 151 The Pillars and the Road. . . A. E. Hamilton. 153 At Last. . . W. M. L. Jay. 153 Tender Mercies ..A. L. Waring. 154 Maximus .A. A. Proctor. 155 Is it Peace ? A. E. Hamilton. .156 The Song of the Bride ..P. J. Baily. 157 Giving as the World Gives W, M. L. Jay. 158 Christ's Giving A. E. Hamilton. 159 ** To Abide in the Flesh," etc J. Conder. 160 Saints A, E. Hamilton. 161 Sea-weed J. R. Lowell. 161 In Port Owe7t Meredith. 163 His Jewels. W. M. L. Jay. 164 The Mystery of Chastisement.. W. Wilberforce. 167 ** God be Merciful to me," etc.A.E. Hamilton. 168 In the Gloaming Mary W. McLaift. 168 Angels E. H. W. 170 Circles A. E. Hamilton. 172 " No more Sea " JV, M. L. Jay. 172 xiv CONTENTS. PAGE "All this I Steadfastly Believe " . J. S.Monsell. 174 Who shall Deliver me ?. . Christina G. Rossetti. 175 Sympathy A. E. Hamilton. 176 Hymn of the Fourteenth Century Anott. 176 His Garment's Hem W. M. L. Jay. 178 The Kingdom of God R. G. Trench. 179 Grace for Grace Mary G. Brainard. 181 Death and the Jewels A. E. Hamilton. 182 The Voyage of Earth J, S. 183 Question and Answer Anon. 184 Humility A. E. Hamilton. 185 Thy Way — not Mine H. Bonar. 185 The Vine W. M. L. Jay. 187 A better Resurrection. . ..Christina G. Rossetti. 189 Importunity " Good Words.'' 190 The Feast A. E. Hamilton. 192 His Share and Mine S. M. B. Piatt. 193 The Elixir George Herbert. 195 Influence . . , A. E. Hamilton. 196 The Pharisaic Watch W. M. L.Jay. 196 Untimely Gathered M. W. M. 198 Suspiria H. W. Longfellow. 200 Dark and Light W. M. L. Jay. 201 What ? Caroline M. Noel. 202 Commissioned Susan Coolidge. 203 The Shaded Light A. E. Hamilton. 205 '* I Shall be Satisfied " R. A. R. 206 Is it So? 6". 208 Sorrow A. E. Hamilton. 209 CONTENTS, XV PAGE Graves W. M. L. Jay. 209 Couplets of Comfort From the Arabic. 211 " Like as a Father " Mary W. McLain. 213 Life through Death R. G. French. 214 The Two Voices W. M. L. Jay, 214 The Stranded Ship. A. E. Hamilton. 217 The Common Ofiering. Harriet McE. Kimball. 218 Alpha and Omega Caroline M. Noel. 218 Elim ,.W. M. L. Jay. 220 The Race A. E. Ha?nilton. 221 The Holy Name Marion Couthouy. 221 Adoration Mine. Guyon. 223 A Twilight Thought W. M. L. Jay. iid^ The Sea-Bird A. E. Hamilton. 226 God's Anvil Julius Sturm. 227 The Mer de Glace A. E. Hamilton. 228 Not Lost J. E. H. 229 ** But be ye Glad, and Rejoice ". W. M.L.Jay. 229 Hymn From the " Breviary.'' 232 As the deep blue of Heaven bright- ens into stars, : So God's great love shines forth in promises, i Which, falling softly through our % prison bars, J Daze not our eyes, but with their J^ soft light bless. Ladders of light God sets against the skies, Upon whose golden rungs we step by step arise. Until we tread the [ . halls of Para- ;_ dise. A 7' THE EVENING-TIME, AT THE EVENING-TIME. When I am sitting alone, At closing of day, Hearing the bare boughs moan Over the way, — Watching the dark clouds flit 'Twixt the sunset and me. Till the last effulgent bit Vanishes utterly, — And up from the quiet nooks Of my pleasant room. Over the prints and the books Creepeth the gloom ; Till each pictured friend's dear face, And the crimson rose at my side- All loveliness, color, and grace- Sink in the silent tide ; And I, bereft and alone, Am left 'mid the rising waves. Hearing the bare boughs moan, And counting my graves ; — There comes — like a bell's far chime Over the water at night — The thought that " At evening-time It shall be light." AT THE EVEy/NG-TIME. And lo, through a cloud's gray fringe, Faintly doth show The first soft, silvery tinge Of a hidden glow ; And silently, one by one. The dusky draperies part, Till kindly a star looks down Into my waiting heart. And ever the clouds give place, And ever the dusk grows pale. Till from the moon's bright face Droppeth the latest veil ; And over the prints and the books, And the crimson rose at my side, And into the quiet nooks, Floweth a silver tide ; And all that was dark is light, And all that was lost is found, — Touched with a softer light, With serener beauty crowned ; — And the pictured faces light up, Sweeter for banishment, And my soul, as a crystal cup, Fills with content. So, as nearer me, silent and cold, Death rolleth its tide, AT THE EVENING-TIME. And treasures are swept from my hold, And friends from my side, — And something of courage and will, And something of hope and delight, Each day 'neath the waters chill Sink out of sight, — And, ever more weary and lone, I am left 'mid the waves. Hearing my lost hopes moan, And counting my graves : — Nay, more, — when that solemn sea. Evermore gathering strength, Solemnly, swiftly o'er me Rolleth its waves at length, — While faces of friends around, And the hushed and shadowed room, With memory, sight, and sound, Drift into gloom, — I think that those waves as they climb, Need not my soul affright, That still, " At the evening-time. It shall be light." Through the swaying, sombre fringe Of the curtained clouds, I know There will steal some faint, soft tinge Of a coming glow, — PARADISE. Some dusky drapings of fear, Some shadowy tremors will part, Some star ot heavenly cheer Shine into my heart. And ever the clouds will give place, And ever the dusk grow pale, Till from my Saviour's face Droppeth the last, thin veil, — And faith in seeing is lost, And seeing in loving grows dim, And nothing is counted as cost That hath brought me unto Him. And all that was dark is bright, And all that was pain is peace, As the Day that shall know no night Beginneth, and shall not cease ; And long-lost faces light up, Dearer for banishment, — And my soul, as a deep, deep cup. Fills with content. PARADISE. Once in a dream I saw the flowers That bud and bloom m Paradise ; More fair they are than waking eyes Have seen in all this world of ours. PARADISE, And faint the perfume-bearing rose, And faint the lily on its stem, And faint the perfect violet, Compared with them. I heard the songs of Paradise ; Each bird sat singing in his place, — A tender song so full of grace. It soared like incense to the s.kies. Each bird sat singing to his mate A tender song among the trees ; The nightingale herself were cold To such as these. I saw the fourfold River flow, And deep it was, with golden sand ; It flowed between a mossy land, With murmured music grave and low. It hath refreshment for all thirst, For fainting spirits strength and rest ; Earth holds not such a draught as this From east to west. The Tree of Life stood budding there. Abundant with its twelvefold fruits ; Eternal sap sustains its roots, Its shadowing branches fill the air. PARADISE. 7: Its leaves are healing for the world, Its fruits the hungry world can feed, — Sweeter than honey to the taste, And balm indeed. I saw the Gate called Beautiful, And looked, but scarce could look within ; I saw the golden streets begin, And outskirts of the glassy pool. harps, O crowns of plenteous stars, O green palm branches many-leaved, — Eye hath not seen, nor ear hath heard, Nor heart conceived ! 1 hope to see those things again. But not as once in dream of night, — To see them with my very sight, And touch and handle and attain ; To have all Heaven beneath my feet, For narrow way that once they trod, — To have my part with all the saints, And with my Ciod. THE FOOTPRINT. THE FOOTPRINT. As once towards Heaven my face was set, I came unto a place where two ways met; One led to Paradise, and one away, And fearful of myself lest I should stray, I paused that I might know Which was the way wherein I ought to go. The first was one my weary eyes to please, Winding along through pleasant fields of ease. Beneath the shadows of fair branching trees. " This path of calm and solitude Surely must lead to heaven," I cried In joyous mood; "Yon rugged one, so rough for weary feet, The footpath of the world's too busy street, Lying amid the haunts of human strife. Can never be the narrow way of life." But at that moment I thereon espied A footprint bearing trace of having bled, And knew it for the Christ's, so bowed my head, And followed where He led. CONSECRATION HYMN, CONSECRATION HYMN. Take my life, and let it be Consecrated, Lord, to Thee. Take my moments and my days ; Let them flow in ceaseless praise. Take my hands, and let them move At the impulse oi Thy love. Take my feet, and let them be Swilt and •' beautilul " for Thee. Take my voice, and let me sing Always, only, lor my King. Take my lips, and let them be Filled with messages Irom Thee. Take my silver and my gold; Not a mite would I withhold. Take my intellect, and use Every power as Thou shalt choose. THE ETERNAL NOW, Take my will, and make it Thine ; It shall be no longer mine. Take my heart, it is Thine own ; It shall be Thy royal throne. Take my love ; my Lord, I pour At Thy feet its treasure-store. Take myself, and 1 will be Ever, only, all for Thee. THE ETERNAL NOW. " For one day in Thy sight is as a thoiisand years, and a ihottsand years as one day.'' " Now have I won a marvel and a truth ; " So spake the Soul and trembled, — ** dread and ruth Together mixed ; for I did sin of yore ; But this (so said I oft) was long ago,— So put it from me far away ; but lo ! With Thee is neither After nor Before, O Lord, and clear within the noonlight set Of one illimitable Present, yet TEARS. II Thou lookest on my fault as it were now. So will I mourn and humble me ; yet Thou Art not as man, that oft forgives a wrong Because he half forgets it, Time being strong To wear the crimson of guilt's stain away ; — For Thou, forgiving, dost so in the Day That shows it clearest, — in the boundless sea Of Mercy and Atonement, utterly Casting our pardoned trespasses behind, — No more remembered, or to gome to mind, Set wide from us as East from West away. So now this bitter turns to solace kind ; And I will comfort me that once of old, A deadly sorrow struck me, and its cold Runs through me still ; but this was long ago. My grief is dull through age, and friends out- worn, And wearied comforters, have long forborne To sit and weep beside me ; — Lord, yet Thou Dost look upon my pang as it were now ! " TEARS Even here. From His dear children's eyes, God wipes the tear ; 1 2 GONE. And who would mourn a tear should fill his eye, For God to dry ? Angels might envy man his tearful eyes When God's hand dries. GONE. What if the heat and the burden, Trouble and toil of our day, Meet with inadequate guerdon ? 'Tis but a task by the way. Others will labor and sorrow, Struggle with tare and with thorn, Filling our places to-morrow, — We on our way shall be gone ; — We shall be gone, past toil, past tears, Into the peace of the endless years. What if, ere seed of our sowing Showeth or leaflet or shoot. We must pass onward, unknowing What shall be blossom or fruit } Sunshine and breeze will befriend it, Dewdrops of eve and of dawn ; Hands be outstretched to defend it Haply — though we shall be gone, — GONE. 13 We shall be gone, past want, past woe, Into the joys which the angels know. What if our labor seems wasted ? What if, of all we have sown, Never ripe fruit we have tasted, Never glad harvesting known ? Others, in brighter to-morrows, Lifting glad songs to the morn. Richly may reap from our furrows — Ripened, though we shall be gone, — We shall be gone, past songs, past sighs. Into the fulness of Paradise. Not to ourselves are we living ; Not to ourselves do we die ; Freely receiving as giving, Soul after soul marches by, — Parts of one mighty procession, Stretching from Eden's first dawn On through large curves of progression, Till in the Future 'tis gone, — Gone from earth's ken, past beat, past breath, Into the life that is miscalled death. Out of the strain of the Doing Into the peace of the Done ; Out of the thirst of Pursuing Into the rapture of Won ; ,14 AT THE BANQUET, Out of gray mist into brightness, Out of pale dusk into dawn, — Out of all wrong into rightness, We from these fields shall be gone. " Nay," say the saints, " r\oi gojte, but come, Into eternity's Harvest-Home ! " AT THE BANQUET. Froth, or scum, or sparkling wine. In that brimming cup of thine ? Take it without word or sign ! Sweet or bitter though it be, 'Tis the portion mixed for thee, Out of all the company. Is it sweet ? Ay, life is fair ; Yet, sip thou the draught with care,- Sweets may surfeit unaware. Bitter ? Quaff, and call it good ! Though by thee not understood, *Tis a tonic for thy blood. He who drinketh, looking up For a blessing on his cup. Doth with God and angels sup. PR A YING IN SPIRIT, \ 5 AFFLICTIONS. As a ploughed field, Left desolate and bare To winter storms and chilly, frosty air, — Vet only thus made dreary for awhile, That richer there the harvest grain may smile; So is the heart whose sod, Tender and green. Hath deeply been Upturned by God, Its sprouting blades laid low, — Yet only broken thus by griefs ploughshare, That in its furrows He might sow The seed of righteousness, which shall in- crease Until it yield the harvest of eternal peace. PRAYING IN SPIRIT. " Bui thou, 7uhen thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret."^— '^i. Matt. vi. 6. I NEED not leave the jostling world, Or wait till daily tasks are o'er, To fold my palms in secret prayer Within the close-shut closet door. 1 6 PRAYING IN SPIRIT. There is a viewless, cloistered room, As high as heaven, as fair as day, Where, though my feet may join the throng. My soul can enter in and pray. When I have banished wayward thoughts — Of sinful works the fruitful seed, — When folly wins my ear no more, The closet door is shut indeed. No human step, approaching, breaks The blissful silence of the place ; No shadow steals across the light That falls from my Redeemer's face ! And never through those crystal walls The clash of life can pierce its way, Nor ever can a human ear Drink in the spirit-words I say. One hearkening, even, cannot know When I have crossed the threshold o'er, For He, alone, who hears my prayer, Has heard the shutting of the door! PATIENCE. 17 PATIENCE. " Bide a wee and dinna weary," Patience quaintly was defined By a little Scottish maiden ; And the sweet words in my mind Ever linger, like the memory Of a beautiful refrain, Making hours of gloom less dreary When 1 breathe them o'er again. Fretted by the many crosses All must bear from day to day, Troubled by our cares and losses, Each of us hath need to say To our hearts, impatient, crying For the ships so long at sea, While faith faints and hope is dying, — " Dinna weary, bide a wee." Rainy days each life will sadden, Gentle shower or tempest wild Fall upon us, — blessings gladden In their turn. To every child Gives the Father, or withholdeth. Ever wisely, tenderly ; Thus our hearts for Heaven He mouldeth, " Dinna weary, bide a wee." 2 ^V^ OF THE . 8 CARE. Some there are whom glad fruition 'Neath the skies may never bless, Some to whose long-urged petition Ne'er will come the yearned-for " Yes.'' Why ? God knoweth, — He who lendeth Strength to suffer trustingly ; What He seeth best He sendeth, — " Dinna weary, bide a wee." Hopeful wait a glad " to-morrow/' Cast on Jesus every care; Not unseen by Him thy sorrow, Not unpitied thy despair. For His people there remaineth Rest and p^ace eternally, Where the light of joy ne'er waneth, — '• Dinna weary, bide a wee." CARE. As one who through a tree Looks unto distant sunlit hills, And cannot see Their beauty through the branching tracery ; TRUST. 19 So we, From this dark world of which we are so fond, Through the dense branches of the tree of care, — Which, although leafless, all our vision fills, — Can scarce discern the radiance fair Of the bright world beyond. TRUST. When darkness gathers round my path, And all my song-birds cease to sing, I know it is not sent in wrath, — 'Tis but the shadow of Thy wing ! When dancing sunbeams round me shine, And Joy and Peacefuhiess embrace, I know the radiance is not mine, — *Tis just the brightness of Thy face ! THE PULLEY. THE PULLEY. ** The eye is not satisfied with seeing ; nor the ear with hearing.^"" When God at first made man, Having a glass of blessing standing by, — Let us, said He, pour on him all we can; Let the world's riches, which dispersed lie, Contract into a span. So strength first made a way; Then beauty flowed, then wisdom, honor, pleasure ; When almost all was out, God made a stay. Perceiving that alone, of all His treasure, Rest at the bottom lay. For if I should, said He, Bestow this jewel also on my creature. He would adore my gifts instead of Me, And rest in nature, not the God of nature; — So both should losers be. Yet, let him keep the rest, But keep them with repining restlessness; Let him be rich, and weary, — that at least, . If goodness lead him not, yet weariness May toss him to My breast. COUPLETS, 21 SUNSET. When my sun of life, O Christ, is setting, Biol out my sins as clouds in love forgetting, Spreading the crimson of Thy cross's dye Over my fading sky; — We only through a crimsoned west May enter into rest. COUPLETS. Guest in a ruinous hut, thou loathest to de- part : Were thine a finer house, 'twould prov^e a bit- terer smart. God's dealings still are love— His chastenings are alone Love now compelled to take an altered, louder tone. When thou hast thanked thy God for every blessing sent. What time will then remain for murmurs or lament ? 22 COUPLETS, Their windows and their doors some dose, — and murmuring, say, The light of heaven ne'er sought into my house a way. God often would enrich, but finds not where to place His treasure, — nor in hand nor heart a vacant space. The oyster sickens while the pearl doth sub- stance win ; Thank God for pains that prove a noble growth within. Some are resigned to go, — might we such grace attain, That we should need our resignation to re- main. God's loudest threatenings speak of love and tenderest care, For who, that wished his blow to light, would say. Beware } When God afflicts thee, think He hews a rugged stone, Which must be shaped, or else aside as use- less thrown- THA T DA V. 23 He knew, who healed our wounds, we quickly should be fain Our old hurts to lorget — so let the scars re- main. Why win we not at once what we in prayer require ? That we may learn great things as greatly to desire. One furnace, many times, the good and bad will hold ; Yet what consumes the chaff will only cleanse the gold. THAT DAY, The earth and heaven were rolled up like a scroll ; Time and space, change and death, had passed away ; Weight, number, measure, each had reached its whole ; The Day had come, that day. 24 THA T DA V. Multitudes— multitudes — stood up in bliss, Made equal to the angels, glorious, fair ; With harps, palms, wedding garments, kiss of peace, And crowned and haloed hair. They sang a song, a new song in the height. Harping with harps to Him who is strong and true ; They drank new wine, their eyes saw with new light, Lo, all things were made new. As though one pulse stirred all, one rush of blood Fed all, one breath swept through them myriad-voiced ; They struck their harps, cast down their crowns, they stood And worshipped and rejoiced. Each face looked one way like a moon new- lit, Each face looked one way towards its Sun of Love; Drank love, and bathed in love, and mirrored it, And knew no end thereof. BLIND. 25 Glory touched glory on each blessed head, Hands locked dear hands never to sunder more ; These were the new-begotten iVom the dead Whom the great Birthday bore. Heart answered heart, soul answered soul at rest, Double against each other, filled, sutticed ; All loving, loved of all ; but loving best And best beloved ot Christ. BLIND. I DO not try to see my way. Before, behind, or leit, or right; 1 cannot tell what dangers gray Do haunt my steps, nor at what height Above the sea my path doth wind — For 1 am blind. If by my side a chasm yawns, Oft unawares I pass it by ; I feel no fear though crimson dawns With solemn portents fill the sky ; — Slow, step by step, my way I find. Patient— and blind. 26 BLIND, I know not if my goal doth shine Misty and faint in distant bhie, Or if these weary feet of mine Its border lands are pressing through; I question, yet no answer find, For I am blind. On smooth and sunny heights, I laugh , In thorny thickets, oft I weep ; Of cool, sweet fountams now I quaff, And now of bitter springs drink deep, — • Daring to turn from neither kind, Smce I am blind. Yet not without a guide I wend My unseen way, by day, by night; Close by my side there walks a Friend, — Strong, tender, true, — I trust His sight; He sees my way, before, behind, Though I am blind. He leads me as He thinketh best, And all the checkered way He knows; Knows when I need to stop and rest. And when to flee from lurking foes, — Which paths are safe, which undermined To trip the blind. ''HE SHALL SAVE HIS PEOPLEr 27 Of all my backward way I know But lillle, save that thus far on My Friend hath led me safe ; and so I trust when once the goal is won, Good cause of thankfulness to find That I was blind. For in that goal's diviner light, And from that Friend's revealed face, My thirsty eyes will drink in sight, And I shall learn what tender grace Led me through paths with dangers lined, Safely — and blind. "HE SHALL SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS." I MET the Saviour in the evening hours ; The sun was sinking in the quiet west ; His hands were filled v^ith newly gathered flowers. With which His Father's mansions should be dressed. I looked upon them with a strange sur- prise ; — He read the thoughts my looks alone ex- pressed ; — 28 ''HE SHALL SAVE HIS PEOPLED " Master, are these indeed earth's very best — Buds nipped and bitten rudely by the frost — Blossonris with petals tempest-torn and tost ? And surely Thou hast gathered them with cost ! " The Saviour spake with mercy in His eyes, — " I came to save the lost." The Son of Man hath healing- for His art ; The withering buds men scornfully despise, God gathers up and freshens on His heart. PRAYER. When tirst thy eyes unveil, give thy soul leave To do the like ; our bodies but forerun The spirit's duty. True hearts spread and heave Unto their God, as flowers do to the sun. Give Him thy first thoughts then ; so shalt thou keep Him company all day, and in Him sleep. THE NORTH WINDOW. *'They will not grow, "the grave old gardener said, •• No tlower that blows could bear such cheer- less bed ; Even lerns and rushes would not li(t their head. *• So let the pleasant window garden go ! For you, no greenery in the time of snow ; — For those whose world looks North, it must be so." 29 30 THE NORTH WINDOW. He spoke so surely that I, just in spite, Went home, and ere closed in November night, I made my Northern window gay and bright With reeds and rushes, grasses, swaying ferns. And many a flower that in the woodland yearns For brighter sunshine, yet no stray beam spurns. ** We will look North together, you and I; No matter what they say, we will not die, — " I whispered them, — " Let us give song for sigh ! " For both it was much easier said than done; Sometimes we nearly lost the new life won ; Often we cried in pain, " More sun ! more sun ! " But yet we lived, and as the days grew long, Our scanty store of sunbeams grew more strong ; The ferns and rushes pushed an eager throng THE CRUSE THAT FAILETH NOT. 31 or blades and leaflets to the gladdening rays : Their growth was one sweet, silent song of praise, — The tiny Ibiest " lived melodious days." Stooping, I whispered softly, '• Bend your ear For our own secret, ferns and rushes dear; Our wot Id looked North— but God, He gave good cheer.** THE CRUSE THAT FAILETH NOT. *' // is more blessed to give than to receive." Is thy cruse of comfort wasting ? rise and share it with another. And, through all the years of famine, it shall serve thee and thy brother ; Love Divine will fill thy storehouse, or thv handful still renew ; Scanty fare for one will often make a royal feast for- two. For the heart grows rich in giving ; all its wealth is living grain ; Seeds which mildew in the garner, scattered, fill with gold the plain. 32 THINE OWN WAY, Is thy burden hard and heavy ? Do thy steps drag wearily ? Help to bear thy brother's burden ; God will bear both it and thee. Numb and weary on the mountains, would'st thou sleep amidst the snow ? Chafe that frozen form beside thee, and to- gether both shall glow. Art thou stricken in life's battle? — many wounded round thee moan ; Lavish on their wounds thy balsams, and that balm shall heal thine own. Is thy heart a well left empty ? None but God its void can fill ; Nothing but a ceaseless fountain can its cease- less longing still : Is the heart a living power ? Self-entwined, its strength sinks low ; It can only live in loving ; and by serving, love will grow. THINE OWN WAY. Take Thine own way with me, dear Lord, Thou canst not otherwise than bless ; I launch me forth upon a sea Of boundless love and tenderness. THINE OWN WAY, I could not choose a larger bliss Than to be wholly Thine ; and mine A will whose highest joy is this, To ceaselessly unclasp in Thine. I will not fear Thee, O my God ! The days to come can only bring Their perfect sequences of love. Thy larger, deeper comforting. Within the shadow of this love. Loss doth transmute itself to gain ; Faith veils earth's sorrows in its light, And straightway lives above her pain. We are not losers thus ; we share The perfect gladness of the Son, — Not conquered — for, behold, we reign, Conquered and Conqueror are one. Thy wonderful grand will, my God ! Triumphantly I make it mine ; And faith shall breathe her glad "Amen ' To every dear command of Thine. Beneath the splendor of Thy choice, Thy perfect choice for me, I rest ; Outside it now I dare not live, Within it I must needs be blest. 3 1'6 34 WORRIES, Meanwhile, my spirit anchors calm In grander regions still than this ; The fair, iar-shining latitudes Of that yet unexplored bliss. Then may Thy perfect, glorious will Be evermore lulnlled in me, And make my hie an answering chord 01 glad, responsive harmony. Oh, it is life indeed to live - Within this Kingdom strangely sweet ! And yet we fear to enter in, And linger with unwilling leet. We fear this wondrous rule of Thine, Because we have not reached Thy heart ; Not venturing our all on Thee, We may not know how good Thou art. WORRIES. The little worries which we meet each day May lie as stumbling-blocks across our way ; Or we may make them stepping-stones to be Ot grace, O Christ, to Thee. DYING DEATHS DAILY, 35 *'THAT LITTLE." Tobil iv 8 " What canst thou do ?" said the oak to the rtower, •• With thy little, balmy breath, And thy tender cheek's soft glow, And thy lile that is but for an hour,— What canst thou do, small flower, For a world that is dark with woe, And bitter with sin and death ? " "Ah! well do T know," sighed the bending flower, ••That my life is humble and fleet, And I sweeten but little space ; Yet many the flow'rets in meadow and bower. And if each maketh sweet its hour, And its little, quiet place, Is not the whole world sweet ? " DYING DEATHS DAILY. Into a sorrow-darkened soul A vision full of peace there stole. ^6 D YING DBA THS DA/L K. An Angel stood beside her way, As forth she went at dawn ot day, And said, " O weary and oppressed ! Know that at evening thou shalt rest. "The cross of sin, the crown of thorn, The weight of anguish thou hast borne, •' And e'en the sins thou hatest, all From off thy weary soul shall fall, •' To life and love and peace restored Within the presence of thy Lord." Then thankfulness and glad surprise Flowed from the sorrow-laden eyes. "With hope of rest so near," said she, *' No sorrow more shall dwell with me. "No weight of care, no shade of gloom, Can pass the portal of the tomb ; " And light as air I'll urge my way. Since burdens fall at close of day." The Angel lingered, and a smile Dawned o'er his pitying face the w^hile. THE UNSEEN, 37 *• O weak of heart and hope ! " he said, "Deem'st thou all peace is with the dead ? " Or that thy Lord can dwell more near To saints in bliss than toilers here ? " If but thou diest day by day To sins that clog thy homeward way, ** Each night shall be a grave of care, And morn a resurrection fair, *' And daily be thy strength restored By the dear presence of thy Lord." THE UNSEEN. We walk beneath the shelter of God's wings. While by our pathway Hope, His angel, sings Of the unseen and everlasting things. She sings to us of Heaven, the great Home- land, And our eternal house, " not made with hand," Preparing for us there by Christ's command. 38 MV PSALM. That not as strangers shall we reach its shore, Friendless, an unknown region to explore ; Our Elder Brother hath gone on before. MY PSALM. I MOURN no more my vanished years : Beneath a tender rain. An April rain of smiles and tears, My heart is young again. The west winds blow, and singing low, I hear the glad streams run ; The windows of my soul I throw Wide open to the sun. No longer forward nor behind I look in hope or fear ; But, grateful, take the good I find, The best of now and here. I plough no more a desert land, To harvest weed and tare ; The manna dropping from God's hand Rebukes my painful care. MY PSALM. 39 I break my pilgrim staff, — I lay- Aside the toiling oar ; The angel sought so far away I welcome at my door. The airs of spring may never play Among the ripening corn, Nor freshness of the flowers of May Blow through the autumn morn ; Yet shall the blue-eyed gentian look Through fringed lids to heaven, And the pale aster in the brook Shall see its image given ; — The woods shall wear their robes of praise. The south wind softly sigh, And sweet, calm days in golden haze Melt down the amber sky. Not less shall manly deed and word Rebuke an age of wrong ; The graven flowers that wreathe the sword Make not the blade less strong. But smiting hands shall learn to heal,— To build as to destroy ; Nor less my heart for others feel That I the more enjoy. 40 MV PSALM. All as God wills, who wisely heeds To give or to withhold. And knoweth more of all my needs Than all my prayers have told ! Enough that blessings undeserved Have marked my erring track ; — That wheresoe'er my feet have swerved, His chastenings turned me back ; — That more and more a providence Of love is understood, Making the springs of time and sense Sweet with eternal good ; — That death seems but a covered way Which opens into light, Wherein no blinded child can stray Beyond the Father's sight ; — That care and trial seem at last, Through Memory's sunset air, Like mountain ranges overpast In purple distance fair ;— That all the jarring notes of life Seem blending in a psalm, And all the angles of its strife Slow rounding into calm. SAD AND SWEET. 41 And so the shadows fall apart, And so the west winds play ; And all the windows of my heart I open to4he day. SAD AND SWEET. Sad is our youth, for it is ever going, Crumbling away beneath our very feet; Sad is our life, for it is ever flowing In current unperceived, because so fleet; Sad are our hopes, for they were sweet in sowing, But tares self-sown have overtopped the wheat ; Sad are our joys, for they were sweet in blow- ing,— And still, oh, still, their dying breath is sweet ! And sweet is youth, although it hath bereft us Of that which made our childhood sweeter still ; And sweet is middle life, for it hath left us A newer good to cure an older ill ; And sweet are all things, when we learn to prize them Not for their sake, but His, who grants them, or denies them ! 42' THOU KNOW EST BEST, THOU KNOWEST BEST. It seems such a woful waste Ot precious talent and time, To be lying here day after day, Just in my life's best prime, — With such a weight on my breast, And such a mist in my brain. That I little or nothing know Save that living is only pain, — When I might be doing some work, Or saying some helpful word, To hasten Thy Kingdom on — But Thou knowest best, O Lord. There is so much work to be done !- So many mouths to be fed, So many famishing souls Crying for living bread, — So many little ones lost In byways crooked and cold, To be tenderly sought, and led Into Thy safe, sweet fold ; — It seems that no willing hand Rejected should be or ignored, Not even this poor one of mine — But Thou knowest best, O Lord. THOU KNOWEST BEST. 43 Worst of it all, there is need Of so much labor within ! Such deep-down rootlets of ill So subtly spring up into sin ! It would take my very best powers To crop them as fast as they shoot, And give to the seedlings of grace Fair room for blossom and fruit; — But closer bound with these pains Than with any chain or cord, I count my lost moments drift by — But Thou knowest best, O Lord. Thou knowest best, inasmuch As Thou only art wholly wise ; Present and Future and Past Blend into one in. Thine eyes ; That which we rhiscall waste May be only Thy mystical seed, Flung wide to make Harvest-Home rich, And harvesters blessed indeed,^ May be only the wealth of Thy love On an ignorant world outpoured, — Ah, lavish my days as Thou wilt, For Thou knowest best, O Lord ! Thy purposes will not fail Because of my idleness, — 44 ''OUR LIGHT AFFLICTIONS The stars in their courses fight For the cause which Thou dost bless, — The angels move at Thy word Svvifter than light of sun, — And the patient soul w-orks best When it prays, " Thy will be done ! " It may be that never again I shall march with the plough or the sword ; It may be — No matter. Amen ; For Thou knowest best, O Lord. THE TWO TWILIGHTS. There are two twilights unto every day — Twilight of dawn, and twilight of decay. And likewise thus we find Two twilights in the thinking of mankind— The twilight of a seeking unto light, The twilight of a doubting unto night. "OUR LIGHT AFFLICTION." Lord, dost Thou call this our affliction "light?" Is all this anguish little in Thy sight ? |f UNlVtKOM I J ^' VTihTSOLITAR V PLA CESr 4 5 "Child! bring thy balance out. Put in one scale / All thine afflictions ; give them in full tale ; All thy bereavements, grievances, and fears ; Then add the utmost limit of man's years. Now, put My Cross into the other side, That which 1 suffered when 1 lived and died." I cannot. Lord ; it is beyond my might ; And, lo ! my sorrows are gone out of sight " Then try another way. Put in the scale The Glory now unseen, behind the veil; The glory given to thine own estate ; Use that 'exceeding and eternal weight.* Which kicks the beam ?" Ah, Lord, Thy word is right; Thus weighed, my sorrow doth indeed seem "li2:ht." "THE SOLITARY PLACES SHALL BE GLAD." How will He make us glad ? How is that promise sweet to be fulfilled. So that our sad. Our aching hearts be stilled? 46 ACCEPTED TIMES. Will He a glory shed O'er the waste places of our lonely days, That our bowed head We can in triumph raise? Or will there gently steal A subtle peace and stillness o'er our life, — O'er woe and weal, — A hushing of all strife ; — A calm that naught can break, — A tender trustfulness that can be " glad," — That joy can take Through good days and through bad ;- A tender twilight-calm ; — Such as one sees in far-off Northern days, That seems a psalm Of perfect, peaceful praise ? ACCEPTED TIMES. There are immortal moments in each life; They come and go, — One scarce may of their presence know, .Yet in them there is struck a chord. It may be loud, it may be low, ISAIAH XXVI. J. 47 Of peace or strife, Of love or hate, Which will vibrate, Like circles from a pebble's throw Unto the coming of the Lord. ISAIAH XXVI. 3. O SWEET and wondrous promise! O Peace that passeth thought ! By God's exceeding goodness In trustful spirits wrought ! How doth all earthly pleasure, How doth all earthly rest, Sink into less than nothing Beside that Heavenly guest ! No clouds of care that gather, No waves of sin that toss, No blasts of desolation, No blight, no strife, no loss, Shall break the mystic circle Of that enshrining peace Which 'round the steadfast spirit Doth grow, and doth not cease. 48 A SUPPLICATION, rare and gracious promise ! Peace, of love the sign ! 1 long to taste thy sweetness, 1 long to call thee mine. Descend, O Dove of Heaven, O birth-pangs, do not cease, Till in my chastened spirit Is born that Perfect Peace ! A SUPPLICATION. O WAY for all that live! heal us by pain and loss ; Fill all our years with toil, and bless us with thy rod. Thy bonds bring wider freedom ; climbing, by the cross. Wins that brave height where looms the city of our God ! Hallow our wit with prayer : our mastery steep in meekness ; Pour on our study inspiration's holy light : Hew out, for Christ's dear Church, a Future without weakness, Quarried from thine Eternal Beauty, Order, Might ! A SUPPLICATION. 49 Met, there, mankincrs great Brotherhood of Souls and Powers, Raise thou full praises from its farthest cor- ners dim ; Pour down, O Steadfast Sun, thy beams on all its powers ; Roll through its world-wide spaces Faith's majestic hymn. Come, age of God's own Truth, after man's age of fables ! Seed sown in Eden, yield the nations' heal- ing tree ! Ebal and Sinai, Mamre's tents, the Hebrew tables. All look towards Olivet, and bend to Calvary. Fold of the tender Shepherd ! rise and spread ! Arch o'er our frailty roofs of everlasting strength ! Be all the Body gathered to its living Head ! Wanderers we faint : O, let us find our Lord at leno:th ! 50 THE DECEITFUL HEART. THE DECEITFUL HEART. " Would'st thou glance Into the dark depths of a human heart One moment?" And Christ set nifc in a trance, Opening my eyes to see, While at His word the gates flew wide apart. I entered and essayed to advance, But quickly I drew back with sudden start, Chilled with the coldness of its vaults of sin, And all I saw within. There Envy, hatred, malice, pride, i Had each their altars ranged on every side. To Self, the selfsame idol everywhere ; While through the cobwebbed windows light divine Struggled to shine. •• Ah, Lord !" I cried, •• Surely this heart a heathen's heart must be — One who has never heard of Thee." With agony I learned that it was mine. I fled away, O erwhelmed with sorrow and despair. To breathe a purer air ; GROWING, 51 But in its dismal room The Christ would stay; — He shrani< not even from this whited tomb, And it became His temple from that day. GROWING. Unto him that hath, Thou givest Ever •' more abundantly." Lord, I live because Thou livest, Therefore give more life to me ; Therefore speed me in the race, Therefore let me grow in grace. Deepen all Thy work, O Master, Strengthen every downward root ; Only do Thou ripen faster. More and more. Thy pleasant fruit. Purge me, prune me, self abase, Only let me grow in grace. Jesus, grace for grace outpouring, Show me ever greater things ; Raise me higher, sunward soaring, Mounting as on eagle-wings. By the brightness of Thy face, Jesus, let me grow in grace. 52 THE NAME OF JESUS. Let me grow by sun and shower, Every moment water me ; Make me really hour by hour More and more conformed to Thee, That Thy loving eye may trace, Day by day, my growth in grace. Let me, then, be always growing, Never, never standing still ; Listening, learning, better knowing Thee and Thy most blessed will, — Till I reach Thy holy place. Daily let me grow in grace. THE NAME OF JESUS. One Name alone in all this death-struck earth, One Name alone come down from highest Heaven, Whence healing and salvation we receive. To sinful man is given. Name brought by Gabriel from the heart of God, And laid like flower-seed in the adoring breast Of her in whom the mystery was wrought, And God made manifest. THE NAME OF JESUS. 53 O Name of Jesus ! — of that lowly Babe, That on the sunny slopes of Nazareth strayed. Or, calm and silent on the cottage floor, With wild flowers played ; Name of the wondrous Child, that in the tem- ple stood, With brow all meekness, and with eye all light, Who to the blinded teachers of the Law Would have given sight ; Name of the Prophet, Healer, Master, Friend, Death's mighty Vanquisher, and sorrow's Cure, The Fountain of new innocence for man, That ever shall endure ; The secret, the unutterable Name, From the world's earlier ages hid so long, Now in time's fulness given at length to be The new creation's song ; — O Name of value infinite ! and yet Thou mov'st our spirits with a deeper thrill, For the dear lips that have Thy music breathed, And then grown still. 54 THE NAME OF JESUS. For Thou the last gift art our lost ones leave, To be our comfort on our onward way ; " Love Jesus," " Jesus is our only hope," Adoringly they say. As shipwrecked sailors grasp an oar, and launch Upon the billows of a midnight sea, These fearless souls, embracing Jesus, plunge Into Eternity ; Then, safely floated to the Home of peace. Where the bright plumed angels throng the shore. Still, still the Name of Jesus those glad hosts In anthems pour. Name that the ransomed souls forever wear, Gemmed with pure lustre on each perfect brow. Be Thou the radiance of our earthly lives ; Transform us even now. O Name above all names the most beloved ! Fullest of memories, and of untold peace, Earnest of all unutterable joys ! — Yet, fond heart, cease ; T/^!ANSVEk\SE AXD PARALLEL. 55 For Jesus is the Name of the High God ; Hushed be thy thoughts, and silently adore ! When thou shalt come to see Him as He is, Thou shalt know more. THE WITHERED LEAF. I WATCHED a withered leaf borne high Upon the wild wind's breath ; Though upward tossed towards the sky, It still remained a thing of death. On wind of feeling highly wrought, On wind of intellectual thought, We unto Christ may nigh be brought, A moment brief, And yet our hearts continue dead As that careering withered leaf, On that autumnal evening red. TRANSVERSE AND PARALLEL. Dear Lord, my will from Thine doth run Too oft a different way ; I cannot say, " Thy will be done," In every darkened day ; 56 TRANSVERSE AND PARALLEL. My heart grows chill To see Thy will Turn all earth's gold to gray. My will is set to gather flowers, Thine blights them in my hand ; Mine reaches for life's sunny hours, Thine leads through shadow-land ; And all my days Go on in ways I cannot understand. Yet more and more this truth doth shine From failure and from loss, — The will that runs transverse to Thine Doth thereby make its cross ; Thine upright will Cuts straight and still Through pride, and dream, and dross. But if in parallel to Thine My will doth meekly run, All things in heaven and earth are mine, My will is crossed by none. Thou art in me, And I in Thee, — Thy will — and mine— are done ! £>AV BV £>AV. 57 DAY BY DAY. Every day has its dawn, Its soft and silent eve, Its noontide hours of bliss or bale ; — Why should we grieve ? Why do we heap huge mounds of years Before us and behind, And scorn the little days that pass Like angels on the wind, Each turning round a small sweet face As beautiful as near? Because it is so small a face We will not see it clear ; We will not clasp it as it flies. And kiss its lips and brow ; We will not bathe our weary souls In its delicious Now, And so it turns from us, and goes Away in sad disdain ; Though we would give our lives for it. It never comes again. 58 YOUR MISSION. Yet, every day has its dawn, Its noontide and its eve ; Live while we live, giving God thanks — He will not let us grieve. THE VIOLETS. As I was gathering violets in the snow, Methought how often, when the heart is low, And Nature grieves, The buds of simple faith will meekly blow 'Neath frosted leaves. YOUR MISSION. If you cannot on the ocean Sail among the swiftest fleet. Rocking on the highest billows, Laughing at the storms you meet, — You can stand among the sailors Anchored yet within the bay, You can lend a hand to help them As they launch their boats away. If you are too weak to journey Up the mountains steep and high, You can stand within the valley While the multitude go by ; THE CROSS. You can chant a happy measure As they slowly pass along, — Though they may forget the singer, They may not forget the song. If you cannot in the conflict Prove yourself a soldier true, If where smoke and fire are thickest There's no work for you to do ; When the battle-field is silent, You can go with careful tread, You can bear away the wounded. You can cover up the dead. Do not then stand idly waiting For some greater work to do ; Fortune is a fickle goddess, She v^mII never come to you. Go and toil in any vineyard, — Do not fear to do and dare ; If you want a field of labor. You can find it anywhere. THE CROSS. Sink in, thou blessed sign! Pass all my spirit through. And sever with thy sacred touch The hollow from the true. 59 6o THE CROSS. Sorrow shall wear thy badge As her fair sign of hope ; No self-indulgent voice may say That grief may have full scope. Sickness shall own thy sway, With steadfast, patient eye, — Thoughtful for others, who must bear The weight of sympathy. Thou shalt restrain my soul 'Mid the world's tempting gloss ; Schemes, memories, wishes, all must feel The burden of the Cross. The understanding high ^ Shall bow beneath thy might, Relinquishing its vain attempt To gauge the Infinite. Through my heart's very ground Thy ploughshare must be driven ; Till all are better loved than self, And yet less loved than Heaven. And my impatient will Under Thy yoke shall learn How to be constant to one end. Yet yield at every turn. WINGS. 6 1 On vanity and sin Stamp thy broad bars of shame ; High was my birthright, but my Hfe Deserves no meed but blame. Draw thy clear cutting Hnes In scorn above my pride, And l