Page images
PDF
EPUB

Think wilt thou let it
Slip useless away.

Out of Eternity

This new day is born;
Into Eternity,

At night, will return.

Behold it aforetime

No eye ever did;
So soon it forever

From all eyes is hid.

Here hath been dawning
Another blue day;
Think wilt thou let it
Slip useless away.

A CHILD'S THOUGHT OF GOD.

ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING.

THEY say that God lives very high,
But if you look above the pines
You cannot see our God; and why?

And if you dig down in the mines,

You never see him in the gold; Though from him all that glory shines.

God is so good, he wears a fold

Of heaven and earth across his face — Like secrets kept, for love, untold.

But still I feel that his embrace

Slides down by thrills, through all things made, Through sight and sound of every place;

As if my tender mother laid

On my shut lids her tender pressure, Half-waking me at night, and said,

"Who kissed you in the dark, dear guesser ?"

THE HEAVENLY DOVE.

FREDERIKA BREMER. TRANSLATION OF MARY HOWITT.

THERE sitteth a dove, so white and fair,

All on the lily spray,

And she listeth how to Jesus Christ
The little children pray.

Lightly she spreads her friendly wings,
And to Heaven's gate hath sped,

And unto the Father in Heaven she bears
The prayers which the children have said.

And back she comes from Heaven's gate;
And brings that Dove so mild —

From the Father in Heaven, who hears her speak,
A blessing for every child.

Then, children, lift up a pious prayer;

It hears whatever you say

That Heavenly Dove, so white and fair,
That sits on the lily spray.

HUMILITY.

ROBERT HERRICK.

HUMBLE we must be
If to Heaven we go.
High is the roof there,
But the gate is low.

WINNING AND LOSING.

DINAH MARIA MULOCK.

"PEACE on earth and mercy mild,"
Sing the angels, reconciled,
Over each sad warfare done,
Each soul-battle lost and won.

He that has a victory lost,
May discomfit yet a host;
And, it often doth befall,
He who conquers loses all.

FAULTS AND VIRTUES.

JOHN RUSKIN.

Do not think of your faults; still less of others' faults; in every person who comes near you, look for what is good and strong; honor that; rejoice in it; and, as you can, try to imitate it; and your faults will drop off like dead leaves, when their time comes.

GOOD NAME.

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE.

GOOD name in man and woman, dear my lord,
Is the immediate jewel of their souls:

Who steals my purse, steals trash; 'tis something, nothing;

'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands; But he that filches from me my good name,

Robs me of that which not enriches him,
And makes me poor indeed.

THE MOON.

ANONYMOUS.

O MOON, said the children, O Moon, that shineth fair, Why do you stay so far away, so high above us there? O Moon, you must be very cold from shining on the

sea;

If you would come and play with us, how happy we should be!

O children, said the Moon, I shine above your head, That I may light the ships at night, when the sun has gone to bed;

That I may show the beggar-boy his way across the

moor,

And bring the busy farmer home to his own cottage

door.

O Moon, said the children, may we shine in your

place?

They say that I have sunny hair, and I a sparkling

face.

To light the ships and beggar-boys we greatly do desire ;

And you might come and warm yourself before the nursery fire!

O children, said the Moon, we have each allotted

parts:

'Tis yours to shine by love divine on happy human

hearts;

'Tis mine to make the pathway bright of wanderers that roam;

'Tis yours to scatter endless light on those that stay at home!

GOD THE FATHER.

H. W. BEECHER.

THE sun does not shine for a few trees and flowers, but for the wide world's joy. The lonely pine on the mountain-top waves its sombre boughs, and cries, "Thou art my sun!" And the little meadow-violet lifts its cup of blue, and whispers with its perfumed breath, "Thou art my sun!" And the grain in a thousand fields rustles in the wind, and makes answer, "Thou art my sun!"

So God sits effulgent in Heaven, not for a favored

« PreviousContinue »