Strive with stout endeavour, Till the danger's past! Yield the vantage never; Hold it to the last!

Angel faces o'er thee

Lovingly look down ;

And there waiteth for thee An eternal crown!

Art thou lorn and lonely,
With no earthly friend,
Moving forward only

To the wished-for end;
Not one glimpse of heaven,
When thou lookest up,
Not one soothing leaven
In thy bitter cup?

Still, right onward pressing,
With new courage go!

God will bring a blessing
Out of every woe!
Hope for each to-morrow;
Trust for each to-day !
Soon the tears of sorrow

Shall be wiped away!

O

LIFE IN DEATH.

H, throw the window open,
Let in the evening air,

For hot and fev'rish is my brow,

Weary with pain and care,

And I would feel the blessed breeze,
Once more before I die,
Steal through the open window,

And reach me where I lie.
It breathes to me of heaven,

Where now I soon shall be,
And seems to whisper to my soul
Of all I long to see."

They open wide the window-soft and low,
The breath of heaven fans upon his brow.

66

Oh, draw aside the curtain

That hides the setting sun,

For I would see his light once more

Before his race is run.

I always loved to watch him sink

Down in the golden west,

And always wished that I might go

As gently to my rest.

He seems to beckon to some land

Of glory far away,

Where death and darkness end at length
In everlasting day."

They draw aside the curtain-fair and bright,
The light of heaven breaks upon his sight.

"Oh, sing some song of gladness,
Some hymn of joy and praise,
That used to cheer my fainting heart,
E'en in my darkest days.
However sad to other ears
Their melody may be,
I seem the nearer heaven

When they are sung to me.
And to that realm of happiness
I may them with me bear,
For, though you cannot go with me,
Your songs may enter there."

They sing that song of gladness—loud and clear,
The hymns of heaven burst upon his ear.

THE RETURN OF THE DOVE.

(SUGGESTED BY THE PICTURE BY MR. GEO. FRED. WATTS, R.A., IN THE ROYAL ACADEMY EXHIBITION OF 1869.)

"And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth."-Genesis viii. 11.

S round the wat❜ry waste

The shades of evening gather far and wide,

Herald of peace, thou fliest on with haste

Across the trackless tide.

Impelled by Him, whose might

Calmed the fierce flood and bade the billows rest,
Thou need'st no landmark to direct thy flight
Back to thy floating nest.

The fresh green olive-tree

Tempts thee in vain thy mission to delay :
A "leaf pluckt off" the happy sign to be,
Thou turnest back thy way.

The tidings thou dost bring

Will earn for thee, fair dove, a welcome sweet,
A place where thou shalt fold thy restless wing
And ease thy weary feet.

Speed on, thou blessed bird!

Bearer of better hope to sinful man

Than eager eyes have seen or ears have heard

Since first his course began :—

Emblem of that sweet peace

Which by the grace of God to man is giv'n, When floods of fear and storms of sorrow cease At the command of Heav'n;

When over trouble's sea

Flies to the fainting soul the Holy Dove,

The messenger of joy and liberty

From the great God of love.