And lives out the glad tidings of "Serve God and be cheerful." Live Jesus In the sunshine He came to im- For the fruit of His word and His "Is love, joy and peace" in the nobly, Do right and do good. Make the best Of the gifts and the work put before you, And to God, without fear, leave the rest. SCENE AFTER A SUMMER SHOWER. | In grateful silence earth receives THE rain is o'er. How dense and bright Yon pearly clouds reposing lie! Cloud above cloud, a glorious sight, Contrasting with the dark blue sky! The general blessing; fresh and fair, Each flower expands its little leaves, As glad the common joy to share. The softened sunbeams pour around A fairy light, uncertain, pale; BINGEN ON THE RHINE. A SOLDIER of the Legion lay dying in Algiers, There was lack of woman's nursing, there was dearth of woman's tears; "Tell my brothers and companions, when they meet and crowd around, "Tell my mother that her other son shall comfort her old age; My heart leaped forth to hear him tell of struggles fierce and wild; I let them take whate'er they would, but kept my father's sword; "Tell my sister not to weep for me, and sob with drooping head, When the troops come marching home again with glad and gallant tread, But to look upon them proudly, with a calm and steadfast eye, For her brother was a soldier too, and not afraid to die; And if a comrade seek her love, I ask her in my name To listen to him kindly, without regret or shame, And to hang the old sword in its place (my father's sword and mine) For the honor of old Bingen, dear Bingen on the Rhine. "There's another, not a sister: in the happy days gone by You'd have known her by the merriment that sparkled in her eye; Too innocent for coquetry, too fond for idle scorning, O friend! I fear the lightest heart makes sometimes heaviest mourning! Tell her the last night of my life (for, ere the moon be risen, My body will be out of pain, my soul be out of prison), I dreamed I stood with her, and saw the yellow sunlight shine "I saw the blue Rhine sweep along, I heard, or seemed to hear, The echoing chorus sounded, through the evening calm and still; But we'll meet no more at Bingen, -loved Bingen on the Rhine." His trembling voice grew faint and hoarse, his grasp was childish weak,— WE HAVE BEEN FRIENDS TOGETHER. WE have been friends together In sunshine and in shade, In infancy we played. Shall a light word part us now? We have been gay together; We have laughed at little jests; For the fount of hope was gushing Warm and joyous in our breasts, But laughter now hath fled thy lip, We have been gay together, Shall a light word part us now? We have been sad together; We have wept with bitter tears O'er the grass-grown graves where slumbered The hopes of early years. Oh, what shall part us now? |