EVENING HYMN.

The shadows of the evening hours
Fall from the darkening sky;
Upon the fragrance of the flowers
The dews of evening lie;

Before Thy throne, O Lord of heaven,
We kneel at close of day;

Look on Thy children from on high, And hear us while we pray.

The sorrows of Thy servants, Lord,
O do not Thou despise ;

But let the incense of our prayers
Before Thy mercy rise;

The brightness of the coming night

Upon the darkness rolls:
With hopes of future glory chase
The shadows on our souls.

Slowly the rays of daylight fade;
So fade within our heart
The hopes in earthly love and joy,
That one by one depart :
Slowly the bright stars one by one,
Within the heavens shine;-

Give us, O Lord, fresh hopes in heaven,
And trust in things divine.

Let peace, O Lord, Thy peace, O God, Upon our souls descend;

From midnight fears and perils, Thou
Our trembling hearts defend;

Give us a respite from our toil,

Calm and subdue our woes;
Through the long day we suffer, Lord,
O give us now repose!

PER PACEM AD LUCEM.

I do not ask, O Lord, that life may be
A pleasant road;

I do not ask that Thou wouldst take from me
Aught of its load;

I do not ask that flowers should always spring
Beneath my feet;

I know too well the poison and the sting
Of things too sweet.

For one thing only, Lord, dear Lord, I plead,
Lead me aright—

Though strength should falter, and though heart should bleed

Through Peace to Light.

I do not ask, O Lord, that Thou shouldst shed
Full radiance here;

Give but a ray of peace, that I may tread
Without a fear.

I do not ask my cross to understand,
My way to see;

Better in darkness just to feel Thy hand
And follow Thee.

Joy is like restless day; but peace divine
Like quiet night:

Lead me, O Lord,-till perfect Day shall shine,
Through Peace to Light.

Elizabeth Rundle Charles.

ABOUT 1826.

THE CRUSE THAT FAILETH NOT.

"It is more blessed to give than to receive.” ACTS xx., 35.

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 thy hand

ful 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.

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, wouldst thou sleep amidst the snow?

Chafe that frozen form beside thee, and together 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 the heart a well left empty? None but God its void can fill ;

Nothing but a ceaseless Fountain can its ceaseless longings 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.

Cecil Frances Alexander.

ABOUT 1830.

THE BURIAL OF MOSES.

"And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Beth-Peor; but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day."

DEUT. xxxiv., 6.

By Nebo's lonely mountain,
On this side Jordan's wave,
In a vale in the land of Moab,
There lies a lonely grave.

And no man knows that sepulchre,
And no man saw it e'er,

For the angels of God upturned the sod,
And laid the dead man there.

That was the grandest funeral
That ever passed on earth;
But no man heard the trampling,
Or saw the train go forth :
Noiselessly as the daylight

Comes back when night is done,

And the crimson streak on ocean's cheek
Grows into the great sun,

Noiselessly as the spring-time
Her crown of verdure weaves,
And all the trees on all the hills,
Open their thousand leaves;