One by one thy duties wait thee- Learn thou first what these can teach. One by one (bright gifts from heaven) One by one thy griefs shall meet thee; Do not look at life's long sorrow; See how small each moment's pain; Every hour that fleets so slowly Do not linger with regretting, Hours are golden links, God's token, Adelaide Anne Procter [1825-1864] UNBELIEF THERE is no unbelief; Whoever plants a seed beneath the sod "There is no Death" Whoever says when clouds are in the sky, Whoever sees 'neath Winter's field of snow Whoever lies down on his couch to sleep, Whoever says, "To-morrow," "The unknown," "The future," trusts the Power alone He dares disown. The heart that looks on when eyelids close, God's comfort knows. There is no unbelief; And day by day, unconsciously, The heart lives by that faith the lips deny, 3513 "THERE IS NO DEATH" THERE is no death! The stars go down There is no death! The dust we tread Shall change beneath the summer showers To golden grain or mellow fruit Or rainbow-tinted flowers. The granite rocks disorganize To feed the hungry moss they bear; The forest leaves drink daily life From out the viewless air. There is no death! The leaves may fall, There is no death! An angel form He leaves our hearts all desolate- The bird-like voice, whose joyous tones Amid the tree of life. Where'er He sees a smile too bright, Or soul too pure for taint of vice, He bears it to that world of light, Born into that undying life, They leave us but to come again; With joy we welcome them-the same Except in sin and pain. And ever near us, though unseen, The dear immortal spirits tread; For all the boundless universe Is life-there are no dead! John Luckey McCreery [1835-1906] THE FOOL'S PRAYER THE royal feast was done; the King And to his jester cried: "Sir Fool, Kneel now, and make for us a prayer!" The Fool's Prayer The jester doffed his cap and bells, And stood the mocking court before; They could not see the bitter smile Behind the painted grin he wore. He bowed his head, and bent his knee "No pity, Lord, could change the heart ""Tis not by guilt the onward sweep Of truth and right, O Lord, we stay; "Tis by our follies that so long We hold the earth from heaven away. "These clumsy feet, still in the mire, Go crushing blossoms without end; These hard, well-meaning hands we thrust Among the heart-strings of a friend. "The ill-timed truth we might have keptWho knows how sharp it pierced and stung? The word we had not sense to say- Who knows how grandly it had rung! "Our faults no tenderness should ask, 3515 The chastening stripes must cleanse them all; But for our blunders-oh, in shame Before the eyes of heaven we fall. "Earth bears no balsam for mistakes; Men crown the knave, and scourge the tool That did his will; but Thou, O Lord, Be merciful to me, a fool!" The room was hushed; in silence rose Edward Rowland Sill [1841-1887] THE ECLIPSE WHITHER, O whither didst Thou fly? Which doth not only pain, but break My heart, and makes me blush to speak. But O Thy grief, Thy grief, doth kill! Henry Vaughan [1622-1695] COMFORT SPEAK low to me, my Saviour, low and sweet Elizabeth Barrett Browning [1806-1861] |