^|#^ Class JL^ CoDvri^hfN" Af/J' COPYRIGHT DEPOSm ■^Mi^ '% '*'^': ij^tnrt I£rlf0^0 «0 Mur\otU iElainr ^atUv Copyright. 1915. by Marjwiic Klainc Pi.rte Detroit DEC -6 1915 ©GIA4 14901 '7^ / . (Hoittpnts T-wo Lililc Sparl^s 9 To Ml; Friends II SnoTV Angels 13 The Victor - 16 Success 17 A Lillle Old Bumlle of Letters 18 To a Dandelion 20 A Caravan of Clouds 21 The Optimists Song 23 Youth 24 Egeria 25 The Holiday Spirit 29 A Modern Boy Blue 30 The Stars 32 Art 33 To the IVhite Carnations 35 "Ich Liehe Dick'' 36 To a Child's Prayer 37 Liberty, O Liberty 38 Inspiration 39 The Chimes 40 Lullaby 42 Eb iKs 3Fr!rnb0 Prpfarp // you stand in an open valley And call, then from far aipap Your voice comes back '" an echo. As if mocked by a mimicking fay. For beyond is a mystic power. In the depths of the hills somelphere. That catches the voice and returns it. Echoing back through the air. So the heart, like the open valley. When the voice of emotion is strong. Catches the strains of feeling. And echoes the thought in song. Trvo little spurks on Christmas night Out of the y)ule-log fteiv. They gazed around in great delight. And Tvondered what to do. Up to a chair then softly went Two little sparks so gay. Each winked an eye as on mischief bent They cli.iihed the chair in play. Up in the chair sat a great, big man. His face was cruel and cold. But the two sparks — do you think they ran. Those little sparks so hold? ''Now come,'' said one, **we'd better siart- And well that We start soon — To melt the ice that is Wound his heart. We can give no greater boon.'' Into a heart all cold and sere Jumped the two sparks so Warm, ''Oh!" said one, ''but it's cold in here. Be quick, give the alarm.** Nine Out of the yule-log glowing brighU The sparks came tp the score. They rapped and rapped with all their mighty And knocked at the cold heart's door. And two sparks on the inner side Pulled 'till the door gave 'way. Into the heart then, flushed with pride. Rushed all the sparks so gay. They warmed the heart to its very core. And then when all were through. Bright little sparklets by the score. Back to the fire flew. Now, in the chair sat a great, big man Whose face was soft and kin^> He said, '7 will help all I can. Whoever I may find!" Two little sparks on Christmas night. Lay in their glowing bed. Those little sparks so warm and bright. And this is what they said: Ten ''Heres to the log, the Christmas yule. Whose flames melt ice and snoTV, Here's to us sparks, for 'tis our rule To set cold hearts aglorvF' ^ Sin M\x 3FrtPtta0 There are many threatening clouds. There are many hitter tears. That come gathering in crowds, Down the vistas of our years. There are many heavy loads We must bend our hacks to bear. There are rough and stony roads. There are yokes We chafe to wear. Eleven There are many heart-rvrung sighs. There are man'^ nights of pain. When Tve watch mih weary eyes For the day to come again. But the clouds arent half so dark. And a broken heart will mend If enkindled by the spark That Cod made, and men call ''friend. And the burden loses weight. You can take a firmer stand. If those sisters we call ''Fate,'' Let you grasp a friendly hand. For your sigh wont be so deep When the day comes to an end. And you II smiling fall asleep — // you re sure you have a friend. Twelve Silenil]), stealthily, Down through the night. Glide little snoTv spirits In garments rvhite. V/hirling and t'lpirling. They dance in the air, DoTvn to the dreary earth Out of the — Where? Where do you come from O florvers of snow? In gardens above Do you blossom and grow? Come you from Heaven, You wee, fluffy things? Are you feathers that fall From the seraphim's wings? Are you down from the couches Where cherubim lie? Tell me your secret You folk of the sky^ Thirteen Hark! do I dream it? Or actually hear The voices of snow-flakes Abuzz in mp ear: ''We are Tvee angels. Our Father is God, He sent us to cover The hard, barren sod. He sent us to shelter The flowers below. With a warm fleecy blanket, 'Till spring bids them grow. He sent us to hasten The birds on their way. To warn them of winter And not to dela}). To pe, doubting mortals. We come from above. To show that the Father Has infinite love. Fourteen For if to the florvers And the birds He is true. Then trust, in ^our sorrow. Hell not forget pou." Little snoTP-spirits That dance in the air, Tve learned your siveet lesson. And this is mp praver: Little snow-angels That glide through the night. Come, cover mp garments With vestrrents of white. You've taught me to trust In mp Father above. And /, too, would be clothed In the robe of His love. Fifteen Ell? Utrtnr // / asked ^ou your fondest ambition, I can tell you just Tvhat you would say, ''To accomplish a wonderful mission. To be a victor, a hero, someday.'' Perhaps like Napoleon or Caesar You would conquer the World with your sWord, And your name on the tablets of history 'Mid the famous, would be your reward. Perhaps as an orator gifted. You would win a great cause for your state. And in life's long procession March in the ranks of the great. But the strongest and noblest of victors. Who doth neither slaughter nor rant. Is the man with the will made of iron V/ho conquers the two Words, '7 can't." Sixteen If ])ou have not the gift of a Hon:er, Nor a voice like a siren of old. If ^ou cannot paint }^our conceptions. Nor like Midas turn dross into gold; But if \)ou are kind to your comrades^ And help them on life's rockv road. If you change someone's sighs into laughter. Or lighten a Tveary mans load. Though your laurels may not be many. And your harvests from life be less. If youve founded the Kingdom of Kindness Youve rvon the croTvn of success. Seventeen There s a little old trunh in the attic That's laden n>iih treasures of ^ore. Sweet hy;-§cn2s and has-hecns of y^esteryear. Now added to memor])'s store. There's a little old bundle of letters That lies in it, hidden awa^. Guarding the secrets of ^ester])ear. From the bustling, gruff today. In thai Utile old bundle of letters. Tied with a ribbon of blue. Is the story) of grandmother s wooing. Of a love thai was pure and true. And I think, ^^ ^ handle them fondly. And dream of that far-off day. If those letters a tongue could be given, I wonder if this they would say: ''Just a little old bundle of letters. Tied with a ribbon of blue. Now, faded, forgotten old relics. But once, we were precious and new. Eighteen Sal;, where are the lovers n^ho I^new us. Where, rvhcre are those hearts so true? And where is the dear hand that trembled When it tied this old ribbon of blue? Have they gone, gone axva}) then forever. Far off to that distant shore? And we, poor little bundle of memories. Shall we be treasured no more?*' O dear little bundle of letters, Tho' you are faded and old. To me you re as priceless a treasure As a bundle of jewels and gold. For golden are memory's treasures And the love-beams that dart Through your pages, I k^ow, come from jewels That sparkle and shine in the heart. In the little old trunk in the attic, I laid, then, aWay with a sigh. Not ''faded, forgotten, old relics,'* But a treasure no fortune could buy. Nineteen 3l0 u Bmlitlmx I found this little dandelion Trying to mock the sun. So I thought Vd pluck iU And send it ''just for fun.*' I k^oxv it's very common. And some are Tvont to say That it is a dreadful nuisance. But to me, iCs sTifeet caid gay. Because it's always smiling. It never Tvears a frown. It's a plucky, htile flcw'ret That rvont he trampled down. The violet may he modest. And the rose deck hanquet hall. But the smiling, plucky dandelion s Moral's best of all! Twenty A Qlaranatt nf Olloufta Across the desert of the blue There moved, one summer s da)), A caravan of fleecy clouds Thai came from far away. I Watched it as it moved along. Laden with summer rain. And speculated on the shapes That formed the endless train. There was a mammoth bird with wings And breast of fieecy white. And there were km§^ in robes of clouds With crowns of golden light. And there were arks and floats and ships All rigged with mast and sail. That glided in the heaven s blue Along the pathless trail. And there were wondrous forms and shapes Of beast and bird and man. Thai rolled along with solemn grace In the magical caravan. Tzventy-one Steadil}^ and on it came. At a slorv and dream}) pace. Where, O n^here will its journey end In the boundless realms of space? Twenty-two 0I|r (©pttmtfit g>0ttg O, / heed not the pessimisms humor, Nor his stories and tales of woe, Fm alxva^s glad, I avoid being sad, Fm happ}) Tpherever I go! O, it's easy to make the best of things If you dont grieve over the past, 'Cause it doesnt pay, and I always say That the future is coming too fast. So you see that Fm an optimist. As decided as one can be! Life gives you some bumps, — dont get in the ''dumps,'' But just come and join hands with me! Twenty -three / knorv of a queer little spirit That doth change like the rveather-vane, Blonm jp the winds of emotion. Now thoughtful, noTV joyous agan. As strong and as Tvild as a lion, NoH) gay, as the hirdlings that sing, NoTV modest and shy as a violet, Non> haughty and hold as a king. Now angry, yet as brave and as noble As the knights in the days gone by. Now tender and ki^d as an angel When someone in trouble doth cry. M^ayward and blind to life's follies. Believes all it hears to be truth. Can you guess, friend, of whom I a:n telling? 'Tis the sweet, loving spirit of youth. T zv e n t y - f u r Twilight, when thy sweet presence fills the earth. The dreams of the poet leap to birth. The musician lists, and bends his ear. Far in //ip depths he seems to hear A voice thai is singing sWe2i and slow. His soul responds and murmurs low, Softh he touches the silent strings, A moment's pause, and lo, the muse sings, Onl'^ a drear.er, I too, feel The charm of f/ilj presence, I bend and ^nee/. And kneeling there in the pale moonbeams, A worshipper at the shrine of dreams, I see the ages marching b]). In solemn stream before my eye. Each with its poet, sculptor, sage — And lo, they pause at the ''Golden Age,*' A Grecian minstrel comes forth with An ancient lyre and chants this myth: ''She was a nymph, fair of face. Stately of form., with charming grace. Who lived in a fountain and dreamed and played. Until a youth to the fountain strayed, Tiventy-five He told her of the gods above. He taught her lessons of wisdom and love. To her, more precious than gems or gold Were the lessons he taught and the talcs he told. At the touch of his hand, at the sound of h's voice The heart of the ma'den would leap and rejoice. And, then, one n.orn at the fountain s brim The smiling Egeria waited for hi n, 'Till ros^ dawn had slipped awav. And noon, and waning day Closed her faint eyes and sanl( to rest, Egeria waited with heaving breast. Then from the blackness of nighfs abyss A Weird, low voice was murmuring this, 'Thou waiiest thy lover, O saddest of maids. He is dead, he hath gone to the Land of Shades.' A moment speechless, stunned, amazed. The frightened nymph in the darkness gazed — And then like a wounded dove, she fell. Ah, the depths of that wound no tongue can tell. *He is dead, hz hath gone,' she cried in her woe. Like the mocking of fate came hack the echo. From, dawn's first smile, 'till the day had fled Egeria mourned for her lover dead. Twenty-six Dav after da^, the sad n'^mph pined. No source of comfort could she find, 'Till the gods locked dorvn from the'r mighty mountain And changed her into a rippling fountain. And ever as thou wand' rest near A fountain s boso:n thou rpili hear A scng of sorroii> and of pain Burdened in this sad refrain: 'Lover mine, I rise to seek thee In the rising spra};. Each bright morn I hope to greet thee. Woe is mine each day. As the fountain leapeth, leapeth. Just to fall again. So ?np hopes have hounded upward. But to fall in vain. As the fountain softly^ murmurs To the heavens above. So forever shall I murmur My eternal love. Twenty-seven Lover dead, O J will love ihee 'Till this fountain s spra]) Hath been quaffed b^ might]) Phoebus And the marble moulds aiva])/ " Fainter and fainter the nzinstrel seems. He fades aiva^ in a maze of dreams. His vision o'er, the poet sighs. At last he closes his wear}) e])es. The musician lies in the realms of sleep. In his violin s bosom the muse slun.bers deep. Mine eyes grow dim, my head sinJ^s low. Sleep is conquering steady and slow. But before I surrender I humbly pray That /, just a dreamer, at the close of day. May see again, 'mid the pale moonbeams The spirits who dwell in the Temple of Dreams. T li' e n t y - e i g h t (Ell? l^olt^a^ g'^trlt Now I have not a genius for poeiri). Like the masters of olden time. But the joy of the holiday season Has n:oved my soul into rhyme. You re counting the days uniil Christmas, You have your list written, I wiss. But just for a little, wee moment. Please turn ycur attention to this: The clouds send the snow down to cover The earth that is barren and brown. And the earth draws it closely around her. While the wind is sprcad'.ng it down. Een the clouds and the winds in this season Are helping whoever they may. For they, too, have the holiday spirit. That com.es with glad Christmas day. For it isnt the gift that we offer. It isnt just what we receive, I{s the spirit of Cod in the giving That makes value, is what I believe. T w e n t y - n in c So come n>ith your boxes and bundles. When pou hear the gap szo.sons call. That you may have the true ''Holiday Spirit.' ' Is my Christjras wish for you all! ^ A iJJnknt lag llu^ (With apologies to E. F.) His old tennis racket is covered with dust. But staunch in the corner it stands; His two little golf sticks are red with rust^ And his bathing suit molds in his hands. Thirty Tine n>as, TvJicn that old tennis racJ^et tvas nen\ And the golf sticks sTvung in the air; Tirm was, when the bathing suit plunged in deep blue. Time was, when all were fair. On September the first he had sadl^ said, 'Til be back '" ^ V<^cir, old boys.'' And toddling off to his trundle bed He dreamt of his prett]^ to^^s. And while /le Was dreaming an alarm clock ^ong Awakened our Utile Boy Blue, He got up just in time for the eight o'clock gong. So Utile toy friends, adieu! Aye, faithful to Utile Boy Blue they stand. Each in the same old place. Awaiting the grasp of a muscular hand. And the smile of a sunburned face. As they longingly wait the school-hours through. They sigh from moon to moon — As over long lessons does little Boy Blue — - "Gee, but I wish it were June!" Thirty-one The day is softly slumbering 'Neath the canopy of night. And like candles at her bed-posts. The little stars shine bright. J sit in meditation That befits the end of day. And ponder o'er those tTpinf(!ing stars. So many leagues arvay. Arc they lights that shine from Heaven, Through the ebony n>alls of night. To give the strength and the courage That rve nsed in this earthly fight? Are they those who have gone and left us. Souls whom Cod hath willed To shine and to show the doubtful That his promise hath been 'filled? Or are they merely planets. In the boundless realms of space. Thai move in the solar system. With solemn and awful grace? T h i r t y - t w Are the^ — but why should I ponder. And strive in vain to find The hidden truths and masteries That belong to the infinite mind? Enough, Lord, forgive my presumption, O stars, that eternally shine. Because thou art past human knowledge Thou wert wrought by a Power Divine. ^ Art You ask rne what Art is. And 'though it is mine To know and love this treasure, Alas, not to define. In vain I sit and ponder. For my struggling mind Gropes at so great a subject. And stumbles as 'twere blind. Thirty-three But this is a dreamer s fanc^. As I feel it in my heart ril /rij with m\j pen to tell \)ou. Of this wonderful gift called ''Art.' MethinJ^s mans finer instincts That reach toward the higher goal. With the love for noble beaut]). Are the elements of the soul. What is art hut the instinct. That strives with passionate love To fill the world with beaut}) Like unto realms above? And down through all the ages. Since Creation s flag unfurled. The greater, nobler things have come From Art, the soul of the world. Thirty-four 00 tl|r 1iI|Uf Olantatmtts The poets ma^ sing of the roses. Queenly in hearing and hue. Of the violet that peeps 'neath the grasses. Kissed by the sunshine and deW. Of the lih 50 pure and so fragrant. Of the tulip that blooms in the spring. Of the wild flowers tender and modest, Joy to all spirits they bring. But the sweetest and dearest of flowers. Reigning as queens o'er the others. Are these, the white, stately carnations, Worn as the emblem of mothers. Thirty-iiv 3 ••3ltl| Hifhp §itk" The^ stood in the hallxvay. The guests had all gone But Richard and Mar};, Who stood there alone. *7 love pou," he whispered. In soft tones of glee, ''But what in return, dear. Will y)Ou sa"^ to me?'' She waited a moment. They heard the clock tick. Then she laughingly; murmured, "O ich liehe Dick-'' Thirty Th\) pra;^€rs. Utile darling, I knorv Arise like the songs of a bird. From the lips of th^ soul To the Heavenly §caU And b}^ the Master are heard. Full of innocence, sweetness and hope They rise to realms so fair. As the birdlings sTveet song. Cheers the n>eak ones along. So 'tis Tvith me and thy prayer. When the bird Tvakes at rise of the sun. His sTveet song he never forgets. So remember to pray At the break of the day. And join the birds when the sun sets. In winter when birds journey south They sing the same song, O so rare. For no matter strange skies The bird sings 'till he dies. And so let it be with thy prayer. T h i r t y - s e V e n ffiibfrtii, © ffitbrrto When in some foreign despoCs land That trembles 'neath an iron hand. Where hearts are D^earp, weal^ and sad. Then, thou alone can make them glad. With love m^ voice rings out for thee, Libertvi, O liberty! Thou art a voice from heavn above. Thy meaning justice, peace and love. Thou art the emblem of our land. The ensign of this noble band. And all shall prosper under thee^ Liberty, O liberty! Thirty-eight Ofi' mp soul reminds me Of a little tree. Bowed and bent b^ breezes That blow across life's lea. Anger is the north wind. But when the storm is o'er. The sweet breeze of repentance Corr.es from a southern shore. Gladness is the West wind. Dancing in its mirth. Strong from the east comes sorrow. That bends the tree to earth. Cod, grant m^ soul ma]^ broaden. Grow upward like the tree. And stand at the end, with the poplar. Stretching its arms to Thee. T h i r t y - n i 11 e ®l|^ Qll|uttr0 The chimes Were ringing on Christmas eve'. In a belfry old and dim. Now theyj played a carol bright. And now a sacred hymn. They all rang out in the highest glee Till the frosty air was rent. All but one, who did not join In the tones of merriment. There hung far back in the corner. An old disfigured chime. Who showed by his broken places That he came of another time. None of the young chimes /fneip or cared Whether he rang or no. He was the last of the dear old set. Ah, but he missed them so! His tones were the finest and sweetest then, And surely notes so fair Could not be mute forever. When some of the chords were there. Forty Then when the others were quiet. Out oj the corner dim. In accents soft and melloiv There came the Christmas hymn. In arve the young chimes started. For they thought he had no tongue. And then in a gladsome chorus Burst forth the old and the young! Forty-one The old moon is hlin}{ing. As if he Were Tvinking, Down at tn>o eyes of blue. The zh a don) -sprites creeping. Come silently peeping Into those eyes of you. They Tvill tremble and qual^e. If they find you re awal(e. So you must off to sleep; And the old sand-man sighs. Drops his grains in your eyes 'Till they begin to peep. The little stars shine. From the sky, baby mine. And twinkle the long night through, So while you re asleep. They'll be there, watch to k^ep. Like candles that shine for you. F o r f y - t w o The old wind is singing. The baby-birds swinging Up in the branches high. From beneath mother's wing. Does each wee, downy^ thing Hark io his lullaby. So harden and rest. Little bird, on my breast. And out on the dream-sea wide, 'Till morning's bright light Parts the curtains of night. Off into dreamland glide. ip- J^'C'^' :•'•■-*' v:;L. / ^.^-v ■•i./. .-^^'^ ':^mJ^ LIBRARY OF CONGRE«!