And I saw, though each one wandered its silent, separate way, They all sank down upon the ground at last. So men must lie down too," I said, "When life is past.” From out the self-same window, when soft spring days were come, I watched the fair white clouds that sailed the blue; Could those bright pearly wonders far up in heaven's high dome Be the old wintry snow-banks that I knew? 'So men shall one day rise again," I whispered, "too." karl Jobann Philipp Spitta. THE ANGEL OF PATIENCE. "Ye have need of patience." A gentle angel walketh throughout a world of woe, With messages of mercy to mourning hearts below; His peaceful smile invites them to love and to confide, Oh, follow in his footsteps, keep closely by his So gently will he lead thee through all the cloudy day, And whisper of glad tidings to cheer the pilgrim way; His courage never failing, when thine is almost gone, He takes thy heavy burden, and helps to bear it on. To soft and tearful sadness he changes dumb despair, And soothes to deep submission the storm of grief and care; When midnight shades are brooding, he pours the light of noon And every grievous wound he heals most surely, if not soon. He will not blame thy sorrows, while he brings the healing balm ; He does not chide thy longings, while he soothes them into calm; And when thy heart is murmuring, and wildly asking why? He smiling beckons forward, points upward to the sky. He will not always answer thy questions and thy fear, His watchword is, "Be patient, thy journey's end is near !" And ever through the toilsome way he tells of joys to come, And points the pilgrim to his rest, the wanderer to his home. Translator unknown. Anonymous. "SHE SAITH UNTO HIM, MASTER." They are always together, the Master and she; He loved her, and chose her His own bride to be. Her service was loyal and loving and free You will find them together the Master and she; Should you meet her, the first words to greet you would be "I've a dear precious Master, come with me and see!" Yes, they're always together the Master and she; Long ago she had heard Him say Come unto Me," Long ago she had answered "I come, Lord, with Thee." Forever united the Master and she When you look in her glorified face you will see How dear to the Bridegroom she always must be ! The sweetest of visions He gives her to see, (She will show them to you, she has shown them to me,) For you see they 're together,—the Master and she! Unknown. MY VESPER SONG. Filled with weariness and pain, In this twilight hour I sit,- O'er my broken purposes, Ere the coming shadows roll, Let me build a bridge of song: "Jesus, lover of my soul, "Let me to Thy bosom fly." Once I gathered sheaves for Thee, "Oh, receive my soul at last!' I am weary of my fears, Like a child when night comes on ; In the shadow, Lord, I sing, "Leave, ah, leave me not alone!" Through the tears I still must shed, Though I falter while I sing, "Still support and comfort me." "All my trust on Thee is stayed," Does the rhythm of the song, Softly falling on my heart, Make its pulses firm and strong; Or is this Thy perfect peace Now descending while I sing, That my soul may sleep to-night "'Neath the shadow of Thy wing"? "Thou of life the fountain art." If I slumber on Thy breast, If I sing myself to sleep,- Through the shadows overpast, "Rise to all eternity." |