w-^ 
 
 Class r o 
 
 Book 5aE:^\^- 
 
 COPYRIGHT DEPOSm 
 
VERSES 
 
 BY 
 
 EDITH SANDERSON REDFIELD 
 
 PUBLISHED FOR THE AUTHOR 
 
 BOSTON 
 LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO. 
 
LIBRARY of CONGiRESS 
 Two Copies Re€d!v<K! 
 
 JAN 2 1908 
 
 CLASS A XXc. Nu. 
 I COPY B, 
 
 
 Copyright, 1907, 
 By EDITH SANDERSON REDFIELD 
 
 f3 iyiZi 
 
I) 
 
 ©0 mg Mi^t^tt 
 
 WHOSE HIGH IDEALS AND 
 
 SYMPATHY HAVE EVER BEEN 
 
 AN INSPIRATION. 
 
 THIS BOOK IS LOVINGLY DEDICATED 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Friendship .......... 7 
 
 Mt. Rainier .......... 9 
 
 Apostrophe to Mt. Rainier . . . . . .11 
 
 Carbon River ......... 12 
 
 Vesper Hymn ......... 13 
 
 Worship .......... 15 
 
 En Passant . . . . . . . . . .17 
 
 The Man with the Hoe 19 
 
 Clover 21 
 
 A Dream .......... 22 
 
 Returned 27 
 
 Thanksgiving Day ......... 29 
 
 What is Life ? . 30 
 
 Married ........... 33 
 
 Two Pictures 35 
 
 Changing the Site of the University of Washington • • ■ 39 
 
 The Organ Grinder ........ 41 
 
 Reverie ........... 44 
 
 5 
 
PAGE 
 
 Consolation .......... 45 
 
 A Triplet for the Children 47 
 
 Song of a Nest 49 
 
 My Pussy ......... 50 
 
 My Dog 51 
 
 Flag-raising at Camp Kenloch ....... 52 
 
 The Good-night 53 
 
 In Memoriam- .......... 55 
 
 Lift up Thine Eyes ......... 56 
 
 Credo 58 
 
FRIENDSHIP. 
 
 THE friendship lightly given 
 Is lightly cast aside ; 
 The friendship deeply riven 
 Forever will abide. 
 
 The friends we meet at midday, 
 Who bow and smile so sweet, 
 
 Are not the friends we send for 
 When shadows stay our feet. 
 
 We would not lose the many 
 Who sparkle like the dew 
 
 In sunshine with their gladness, 
 And make the world seem new. 
 
 Yet these but touch us lightly, 
 No thrill responsive plays 
 
 About the heart at meeting — 
 We go our separate ways. 
 
 The few, how well we know them, 
 How highly do we prize 
 
 Those souls atune to our soul. 
 Who truly sympathize. 
 
 7 
 
The gain is more than riches 
 When we have won a friend ; 
 
 For what is born of spirit 
 Will last until the end. 
 
 Then let no rude wind chill it. 
 
 Be tender, kind, and true; 
 That life is sadly empty 
 
 Which does not know the few. 
 
MT. RAINIER, 
 
 14,440 FEET. 
 WRITTEN DURING THE ASCENT. 
 
■iv 
 
APOSTROPHE TO MT. RAINIER. 
 
 TDROUD monarch mountain art thou 
 -^ Wrapped in thy mantle white ; 
 Alone in towering splendor 
 Thou rul'st by inborn right. 
 
 Through ages and through ages 
 Thy seamed face doth show 
 
 The scars of mighty conflict, 
 Whose fires have burned low. 
 
 Thy treasures well thou guardest, 
 Thy story none doth know, 
 
 Thy paths are all untrodden 
 'Neath fathoms deep of snow. 
 
 The little waves of human-tide 
 D^sh round thee unperceived ; • 
 
 Thou see'st afar the glory 
 Of the perfect plan achieved. 
 
 II 
 
CARBON RIVER. 
 
 Carbon River Camp. 
 
 /^ARBON river, Carbon river, 
 ^^ Hastening ever toward the sea, 
 Stay, oh, stay thy restless chatter. 
 And commune a while with me. 
 
 We are camped upon thy borders. 
 We have bathed within thy spray ; 
 
 Yet to-morrow we must leave thee 
 For we hasten on our way. 
 
 Still we'll not forget thee, river. 
 Thou hast done thy little part ; 
 
 And thy song we heard at midnight 
 Long will linger in the heart. 
 
 Merry, sparkling, happy river, 
 Why cannot we learn of thee 
 
 To make music out of trials. 
 
 Hard and stubborn though they be? 
 
 12 
 
THE VESPER HYMN. 
 
 Camp Utopia. 
 
 ^T 7'ATCHING from my couch the shadows, 
 
 ^ ^ As they darkened all around, 
 Wondrous chords from nature's fingers 
 Filled the place with sweetest sound. 
 
 Not another heard the music, 
 
 Silently the notes were played ; 
 For the music was within me, 
 
 And it all my being swayed. 
 
 Trees anear and stars above me 
 Wrought their own especial part, 
 
 And the harp-strings that they played on 
 Were the feelings of my heart. 
 
 Wondrous music, to have felt thee 
 
 Made life better and more sweet, 
 Holy, solemn, peaceful music. 
 
 In one harmony complete. 
 
 13 
 
Holy : 
 
 For the stars of evening 
 
 From on high were looking down ; 
 Eyes of angels never weeping, 
 Joyfully their night watch keeping, 
 Shadowed not by tear or frown. 
 
 Solemn : 
 
 For the giant fir trees 
 
 Yonder in the darkness stand, 
 Like grim sentinels on duty, 
 Mystic, in their silent beauty, 
 
 Guardians of the shadow land. 
 
 Peaceful : 
 
 For in gentle breezes 
 
 Comes the soft and balmy air. 
 Like the breath of love revealing 
 Soul to soul with naught concealing 
 Sympathy divinely fair. 
 
 14 
 
WORSHIP. 
 
 Camp Excelsior^ — Altitude, SyOOoft. 
 
 "T^WAS Thursday eve ; on all around 
 
 "*• A solemn stillness lay ; 
 With reverence we bowed the head 
 When one said, ** Let us pray." 
 
 His voice was weak, not much was said, 
 
 Yet deeply all were stirred ; 
 For God Himself seemed very near 
 
 In every broken word. 
 
 And one by one from out full hearts 
 Each gave some word of love, 
 
 Till cold and struggle were forgot — 
 Earth seemed like Heaven above. 
 
 " Nearer my God to Thee " was sung 
 
 With every word a prayer ; 
 Then " Rock of Ages," too, went out 
 
 Borne upward on the air. 
 
 And while we sung and talked and prayed, 
 
 The eye was turned oft-time 
 To yonder mountain top arrayed 
 
 In purity sublime. 
 
 15 
 
Majestic in its snowy height, 
 
 Silent, alone, and cold, 
 This *' Rock of Ages " in the blue, 
 
 With outline sharp and bold. 
 
 When see ! there flits a rosy light 
 
 O'er all the mountain crest; 
 Pulsating, tremulous it glows 
 
 And deepens in the west. 
 
 Yet while we look the shadows come 
 
 And draw the veil between, 
 One hardly knows and cannot tell 
 
 In words what has been seen. 
 
 We felt somehow that God was there 
 And spoke through nature's art ; 
 
 For something in that beauteous scene 
 Touched deeply every heart. 
 
 The man was weak, the mountain cold. 
 
 Yet power divine was there. 
 Which made us know past doubt the truth 
 
 That God is everywhere. 
 
 i6 
 
EN PASSANT. 
 
 CHATTY, smiling, and gay, 
 Two ladies passed down the rue ; 
 They were very well dressed, 
 And much impressed 
 With a sense of importance, too. 
 
 Across on the other side, 
 
 Hung over the door, they see. 
 
 Where whoso may read 
 
 Who hath the need, 
 The sign of the ** Day Nursery." 
 
 A nursery here ! oh ! ah ! 
 
 They keep cut flowers, I s'pose ; " 
 
 And onward they passed, 
 
 Nor backward cast 
 One glance from their selfish repose. 
 
 Truly, sweet blossoms are these 
 Torn from a poor mother's heart, 
 
 Who, toiling outside, 
 
 Is satisfied 
 To live from her dear ones apart. 
 
 17 
 
Love takes the transplanted rose 
 Guards it with tenderest care, 
 Though she suffers pain 
 Her loss is gain, 
 For her blossom grows strong and fair. 
 
 How often while passing through 
 This world when the tempests lower 
 
 Do we look to see 
 
 If possibly 
 We can shelter some storm-tossed flower? 
 
 i8 
 
THE MAN WITH THE HOE. 
 
 A RT thinking he's not happy? 
 "^^^ Don't waste thy pity so ; 
 He loves to be up in the morning 
 And out at work with the hoe. 
 
 When all the birds are singing 
 And the air is fresh with dew, 
 
 'Tis the fullness of joy to be living 
 Where all around is new. 
 
 Listen, canst hear him whistling, 
 So soft and sweet and low? 
 
 And his hoe is sharp a-working 
 Lest weeds and thistles grow. 
 
 Tired, you say, when night comes? 
 
 His hands, his arms, his feet ; 
 A goodly tired I'm thinking. 
 
 Which brings sleep deep and sweet. 
 
 There's Joe, I hear him coming, 
 Adown the road by the wall. 
 
 I must be ready waiting, 
 I would not have him call. 
 
 19 
 
Jeanie, my wife, my dear one, 
 I love thee; dost thou love me? 
 
 Dost think in all the wide world 
 There's aught for me or thee 
 
 Better than love and each other? 
 
 Canst wonder Fm proud of Joe? 
 Through life, through death, forever 
 
 I'll love the man with the hoe. 
 
 20 
 
THE CLOVER. 
 
 /^~^OD made a little tender plant, 
 ^^ We call it the clover green; 
 There's a leaf for love, and one for hope, 
 And a third for faith serene. 
 
 The three-leaf clover grows and grows 
 All about and over the way ; 
 
 A perfect leaf and a perfect plan 
 Look wherever you may. 
 
 But the four-leaf clover is what we seek 
 The fourth is for luck they say — 
 
 So we trample the others under our feet, 
 Or push them out of the way. 
 
 21 
 
A DREAM. 
 
 {Read at a meeting of Alumni of University of 
 Washington i7i 1884.) 
 
 ^ I ^HE shadowy hands of night-time, 
 
 -*■ With darkness weighted low, 
 Were resting upon an ocean, 
 Stilling its ebb and flow. 
 
 There was no light, no motion, 
 
 There was not any sound ; 
 On everything had fallen 
 
 A silence most profound. 
 
 Still lay the form of a woman 
 
 On the rocks beside the sea ; 
 Only a weary woman 
 
 On the brink of eternity. 
 
 Tired of life and its struggles. 
 
 She had come with her burden of grief 
 
 Down to the ocean, believing 
 In death she would find relief. 
 
 22 
 
The solemn silence of nature, 
 
 So majestic in repose, 
 With a feeling of awe o'ercame her 
 
 As thoughts of the future arose. 
 
 Fearing the great hereafter, 
 Without any hope in life, 
 
 Helplessly, in the darkness, 
 Crushed, she lay by the strife. 
 
 Lo ! the clouds are parted, 
 A light the darkness sends. 
 
 And a glorious form like an angel 
 On shining wings descends. 
 
 Raising the prostrate woman 
 With a tenderness born of love, 
 
 Soothing the weary spirit 
 With visions of rest above. 
 
 He placed in her hand a flower, 
 With petals so snowy and fair. 
 
 The fragrance from the blossom 
 With sweetness filled all the air. 
 
 23 
 
'As long as thou keepest this token, 
 E'en though the rude winds blow, 
 The sweetness of hope," saith the angel, 
 ''Shall vanquish every woe." 
 
 Then swiftly he winged his flight upward, 
 And the clouds hid the light again, 
 
 But the beautiful gift from heaven 
 Had quieted all the pain. 
 
 She turned to take up life's duties 
 
 With a strength which Hope brings to all. 
 
 Carefully guarding her flower 
 Lest evil should it befall. 
 
 Oft when treading the pathway, 
 
 Where the rocks were rugged and high, 
 
 The God-given blossom seemed sweeter, 
 And fairer it looked to the eye. 
 
 Journeying thus ever onward 
 
 With Hope's sweet token in view, 
 Behold, in the path before her, i 
 
 A creature of blackest hue. * 
 
 24 
 
 I 
 
A glaring light plays around him 
 From a fire-ball held in his hand, 
 
 Whence flaming tongues like serpents 
 Fall writhing upon the sand. 
 
 Nearer he comes and yet nearer; 
 
 E'en the air round about seems to burn. 
 Alas ! she cannot but meet him, 
 
 For whither has she to turn? 
 
 So, lifting her face toward heaven. 
 She pleadingly breathes the name 
 
 Of the loving and merciful angel, 
 Who promised to soothe all pain. 
 
 'Twas only a moment of waiting; 
 
 Close stood the fiend by her side, 
 His hand out-stretched for the blossom, 
 
 Whose beauty he jealously eyed. 
 
 His long, cruel fingers were closing 
 O'er the gift she held most dear. 
 
 She grasped it more firmly, unheeding, 
 Believing the angel would hear. 
 
 25 
 
When soft, like a breath from heaven, 
 
 Cooling the heated air, 
 Up from the snowy petals 
 
 Rose the sweetest of perfumes rare. 
 
 O'ercome by the subtle fragrance, 
 
 With supernatural power 
 It stayed his hand from harming 
 
 Her wonderful, priceless flower. 
 
 And now the bright wings of morning 
 Sweep the darkness of night-time away, 
 
 In her hand still bearing Hope's blossom. 
 With a glad heart she w^elcomes the day. 
 
 26 
 
RETURNED. 
 
 T^HEY sent back my little poem, 
 
 ■^ They couldn't use it; indeed 
 Only the best of poems 
 
 Would fill their magazine's need. 
 
 Their patrons were the best thinkers 
 
 Among intellectual men. 
 I fancy the theme of my poem 
 
 Was a little outside their ken. 
 
 It touched upon living duties, 
 
 The words came straight from the heart, 
 Simple and clear the meaning, 
 
 Not deeply hidden by art. 
 
 Disheartened by this? ah, indeed not, 
 
 For Longfellow was refused. 
 How often has budding genius 
 
 By editors been abused. 
 
 I'll just write them out another, 
 
 About transcendental things. 
 And the thoughts shall flutter so airy 
 
 On dainty gossamer wings. 
 
 27 
 
I trow it will need a deep thinker, 
 
 A very intelligent mind, 
 To hunt about through the mazes 
 
 And the thread of my meaning find. 
 
 Then perhaps the Editor '11 soften, 
 
 And see in my little verse 
 The spark of a kindling genius 
 
 And take it for better or worse. 
 
 28 
 
 iJ 
 
THANKSGIVING DAY. 
 
 /^H, day of blest rejoicing, 
 ^^ A winged message thou 
 From Thee, God of our fathers, 
 
 To show thy children how 
 Thy hand is in the harvest, 
 
 That it is meet we pray, 
 Not idly pass in feasting 
 
 All of Thanksgiving Day. 
 
 29 
 
WHAT IS LIFE? 
 
 Xll/'HAT is life? 
 ^ ^ Is it a strife 
 For social position? 
 
 A series of calls, 
 
 Of teas and of balls 
 
 At the Club on the list, 
 
 And nights of bridge whist ; 
 
 Dinners of state, 
 
 Elegant plate, 
 
 Dress decollete, 
 
 Lavish display? 
 Tell me, is life naught but show? 
 Back the answer comes, ah no ! 
 
 What is life? 
 
 Is it a strife 
 For the sweets of pleasure ? 
 The ball game, the race. 
 The dogs and the chase. 
 Hunting or wheeling, 
 Automobiling, 
 Operas, plays. 
 Passion's dark ways. 
 
Wine and the dance, 
 
 The games of chance? 
 Is it life but to be gay? 
 Back the answer comes, nay, nay. 
 
 What is life? 
 Is it a strife * 
 
 For money's possession? 
 
 Working early and late 
 
 To boom real estate. 
 
 To scheme and devise, 
 
 To corner supplies. 
 
 Inflate and extend 
 
 Stocks without end. 
 
 To grasp, or worse, 
 
 To fill the purse ? 
 Is, then, life a search for gold? 
 No ! the answer back is rolled. 
 
 What is life? 
 
 Is it a strife 
 For a name as fleeting? 
 To be known of men 
 Through the poet's pen, 
 Or in art to see 
 On one's work the prijt:, 
 
 31 
 
Singers and song 
 
 Thrilling the throng, 
 
 Daring, doing, 
 
 Fame pursuing? 
 Is this life, a fame, a name? 
 Still the answer comes the same. 
 
 Life is more than fame or pleasure, 
 More than social place or treasure. 
 Life is not this selfish living ; 
 But of self the constant giving 
 For the betterment of others. 
 Thus if life brings fame or treasure, 
 Social place or harmless pleasure, 
 Twill but give an added joy 
 Other ** talents " to employ 
 For the good of mankind. Brothers, 
 This is living life's true measure. 
 
 32 
 
MARRIED. 
 
 THE words have been spoken 
 The rites have been said ; 
 The man and the maiden 
 Are legally wed. 
 
 Out into the future 
 
 Together they go ; 
 The one with gay foot-step, 
 
 The other with slow. 
 
 The one in the sunshine 
 Of youth's happy light; 
 
 The other o'ershadowed 
 With on-coming night. 
 
 The one all unknowing, 
 
 With all life before ; 
 The other a past, which 
 
 Has stood at Death's door. 
 
 And yet they have chosen 
 To walk hand in hand 
 
 Adown life's rough pathway 
 E'en unto Death's strand. 
 
 33 
 
Has Love so united 
 With magical art 
 
 The one to the other, 
 Heart joined to heart, 
 
 That each will find pleasure, 
 Sufficient, complete, 
 
 In the life of the other, 
 And sympathy sweet? 
 
 If Love be not with them 
 Ah, bitter the way ! 
 
 The empty heart's aching 
 No riches can stay. 
 
 34 
 
TWO PICTURES. 
 
 /^~^OULD an artist, with deeper insight, 
 ^-^ Paint the soul of a man from life, 
 A soul which had felt many conflicts, 
 Yet had conquered oft in the strife. 
 
 How the world would hasten to view it — 
 This great unknown first brought to light ! 
 
 Eyes classic, aesthetic, and rustic 
 Would gaze on it long with delight. 
 
 And again, if beside this picture 
 Could another as true be displayed, 
 
 Reveahng the soul of a mortal 
 By sin disgraced and betrayed. 
 
 How touching would be the contrast 
 
 In these pictures side by side ! 
 The one full of subtlest beauty, 
 
 The other all grace denied. 
 
 35 
 
Each heart would awaken responsive, 
 
 In reverence and in awe, 
 When in an old truth, familiar, 
 
 A strange new meaning each saw. 
 
 And all would remember the lesson 
 
 So vividly, silently learned, 
 Forgetful not of the future, 
 
 When their souls toward the light must be 
 turned. 
 
 For more than the human the soul is. 
 
 Its essence is something divine, 
 And we know in a land eternal 
 
 This something we must resign 
 
 To the Author who caused its being. 
 
 Who placed his image thereon, 
 Then gave it into our keeping 
 
 To mould our own lives upon. 
 
 Gan we know which our souls resemble, 
 Of these two pictures side by side: 
 
 The one full of subtlest beauty. 
 
 Or the other, where grace is denied ? 
 
 36 
 
 I 
 
Silence alone gives us answer ; 
 
 None in his own strength can know, 
 Since only the light of the future 
 
 Illumines the soul with its glow. 
 
 Each little act leaves its impress 
 
 As the days and months pass away; 
 
 By scanning our past sincerely 
 
 We may guess how it looks to-day. 
 
 Have we, in the highways of duty, 
 Been as brave and true as we ought, 
 
 Upholding the hands of justice, 
 
 Though with danger the act was fraught? 
 
 Have we striven with zealous fervor 
 
 To inspire with a nobler air, 
 Those who have bowed down to pleasure, 
 
 Regardless of God's higher claim? 
 
 Have we shown, as often and clearly 
 
 As an earnest one only can. 
 That the dearest of all God's creatures, 
 
 Under heaven's blue arch, is man, 
 
 37 
 
And the woe to him who ensnares him, 
 Who binds him from foot-sole to crown, 
 
 Thus giving to shame and dishonor 
 What God hath wrought for renown ? 
 
 Then we know that something of beauty, 
 Some Christ-Hke image is there ; 
 
 Though seamed and marred by shortcomings, 
 It still will remain wondrous fair. 
 
 38 
 
CHANGING THE SITE OF THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF WASHINGTON. 
 
 IV yTY Alma Mater, dost thou know 
 
 1V± jj^^^ i-j^Qy |-j.Q^ these dear walls must go 
 
 To seek a new abiding-place 
 
 Without the city gates apace? 
 
 They'll build thee beautiful and grand 
 And give thee great extent of land. 
 But say, wilt thou be satisfied 
 From all the past thy face to hide? 
 
 Dost thou not love thy little band. 
 Who, scattered now throughout the land, 
 Oft turn with tender thoughts to thee 
 And long the dear old place to see? 
 
 When forth thou goest, know full well 
 That saddened hearts will one day tell 
 How here we studied, here we read. 
 At Alma Mater's table fed. 
 
 39 
 
This, once one vast expanse of green 
 Yon mountain from the belfry seen 
 Looked finer to our youthful vision 
 Than any tale of land elysian. 
 
 Thou'lt find a newer place more fair, 
 But we shall never know thee there ; 
 Tho' still thou callest us by name 
 'Twill never be to us the same. 
 
 Fond memories in thy new place 
 The old-time scene can ne'er retrace. 
 Thou goest forth : Time changes all ; 
 We bow the head ; the blow must fall. 
 
 40 
 
THE ORGAN GRINDER. 
 
 /^N the busy streets of a city 
 ^-^ Sat a poor old man one day, 
 
 Grinding a song 
 
 For the passing throng 
 In a dull, mechanical way. 
 
 May the heavenly muse protect us 
 From that shrill, discordant tune," 
 
 Some said in scorn 
 
 As the notes were borne 
 Afar on the air of noon. 
 
 His box on the organ was empty, 
 The coins were few and small, 
 
 The sun was hot, 
 
 And the man forgot 
 As sleep made his eyelids fall. 
 
 They jostled along quite unheeding, 
 With restless, pattering feet ; 
 
 Nature was kind, 
 
 Tho' all men were blind. 
 And passed him by in the street. 
 
 41 
 
Dream fairies were hovering round him, 
 Soothing his tired brain, 
 
 And all looked bright 
 
 In a land of light. 
 Whence cometh no sorrow or pain. 
 
 He was king in a realm of beauty, 
 And sat on a throne of love. 
 
 His bitter tears 
 
 In the land of years 
 Formed a rainbow arch above. 
 
 Such joyous soul-stirring music 
 As floated adown the air, 
 
 Pulsated wings 
 
 Of myriad things 
 That were dancing everywhere. 
 
 Whence cometh these strains entrancing? 
 And whence this winged brood 
 
 Fluttering by. 
 
 Now low, now high, 
 Changing with each changing mood? 
 
 42 
 
 9l 
 
'Tis the labor of careless thousands 
 Who passed him by in the street, 
 
 Toiling alway, 
 
 By night and by day, 
 To make his pleasure complete. 
 
 43 
 
REVERIE. 
 
 /^^OME out of the shadows that deepen ; 
 ^^ Thou art sad and wouldst hide thy grief. 
 Thou hast not grown old to me, New Year, 
 Thy days were indeed too brief. 
 
 New Year, thou cam'st to me bringing 
 New hopes, new purposes true. 
 
 Ah, Time, thou art ever flinging 
 Thy shadow o'er all the new ! 
 
 My New Year, come close to me, listen ; 
 
 I have taken thee into my heart ; 
 I have need of thee ever beside me. 
 
 Of my life henceforth thou art part. 
 
 Teach me ; I know thou art willing, 
 For a purpose thou gavest to me. 
 
 Together we'll seek its fulfilling 
 Through time to eternity. 
 
 44 
 
CONSOLATION. 
 
 T HAVE seen him : the pain was not greater 
 -■" Than my heart had strength to bear. 
 No one knew of the burning — 
 Ah ! but the scar will be there. 
 
 Yet no one shall know of the paining 
 Though a blackened ember lay, 
 
 E'en charred beyond all feeling, 
 Where throbs the heart to-day. 
 
 I know he is pledged to another ; 
 
 I know that I shall not die 
 From sorrow — useless longing, 
 
 And other work have I. 
 
 It may be this trial will free me 
 From the sin of selfish desire, 
 
 For " gold tried in the furnace 
 Is not consumed by fire." 
 
 45 
 
It may show the path of the helper, 
 Who carries another's pain, 
 
 And always sees in lost things 
 A more than equal gain. 
 
 Then when my life here is ended 
 The happiness there will be 
 
 That this world was made better 
 Because of even me. 
 
 46 
 
A TRIPLET FOR THE CHILDREN. 
 
THE SONG OF A NEST. 
 
 ONLY a tall green fir tree, 
 Only a little brown nest, 
 Only a patient mother 
 
 With two little eggs 'neath her breast. 
 
 Only a stone thrown slyly, 
 Only a crash in the tree, 
 
 Only a shout of laughter, 
 But ah ! what do we see? 
 
 Only a lonely treetop, 
 No little soft brown nest. 
 
 Only a sorrowing mother 
 Hopeless and distressed. 
 
 49 
 
MY PUSSY. 
 
 T^EAR little Fluff, you're so dainty 
 ■*-^ And loving and soft and sweet ; 
 You are just a little snowball 
 
 From the tips of your ears to your feet. 
 
 You are nicer than any snowball, 
 
 For that is cold and wet. 
 And you are a warm down pillow 
 
 To snuggle my cheek on, pet. 
 
 And you make me feel so happy 
 As you softly purr in my ear, 
 
 I call you my little music box, 
 
 My fluff ball, my precious, my dear. 
 
 50 
 
MY DOG. 
 
 TNTO the house comes Mascot, 
 A perfect whirlwind of legs. 
 
 I try to make him be quiet, 
 But he only jumps and begs 
 
 For me to come into the garden 
 Where we can frolic and play ; 
 
 He's full of fun, is Mascot, 
 And it's hard to say him nay. 
 
 I pat and I whip and I scold him, 
 
 I tell him to '' charge " and " be still," 
 
 But he's always up and doing, 
 For he has his own little will. 
 
 He barks at the dogs and the children, 
 He worries the rats and the cat ; 
 
 He's a terribly troublesome plaything, 
 But I love him for all of that. 
 
 51 
 
FLAG RAISING. 
 
 Camp Ken loch, 
 
 TTURRAH for the Stars and Stripes ! 
 -*■ ^ Pledge we ourselves anew 
 To our country's flag, which has never been down. 
 Here's to the red, white, and blue ! 
 
 Hurrah for the Camp Kenloch ! 
 
 Where friends are loyal and true, 
 Where hospitality reigns supreme ; 
 
 Here's to the flag and to you ! 
 
 52 
 
THE GOOD-NIGHT. 
 
 nPHE lights are turned out, the prayers have been 
 
 ■^ said, 
 Down on the pillows rests each little head ; 
 Two little girlies with eyelids shut tight, 
 Take care of them, Father, all through the night. 
 
 They've been such good girlies, tho' the wind howled 
 
 outside, 
 They've worked all the day time, and one shows with 
 
 pride 
 A long hemstitched ruffle for a baby-doll's gown ; 
 The other a sailboat on the bowl floating round. 
 
 They've practised so faithfully cannon and song, 
 And added their fractions with not a sum wrong; 
 The fishes, the bird, and the cat they have fed ; 
 And baby doll undressed and tucked safe in bed. 
 
 Oh, dear little girlies, what a world full of care ; 
 From buttoning your frock and tying your hair 
 To behaving at table, and eating with grace ; 
 And always presenting both clean hands and face. 
 
 53 
 
We are glad that we have you, we hold you so dear, 
 For without our two girlies 'twould be empty and 
 
 drear. 
 May we do our whole duty by you every day. 
 O Heavenly Father, hear when we pray ! 
 
 54 
 
IN MEMORIAM. 
 
 /^^RUEL seems Death in his taking, 
 
 ^^^ His life's work was just begun ; 
 
 We cannot understand 
 
 Why it is that the hand 
 
 Was placed upon just this one. 
 
 Tears, cease your useless flowing, 
 Ye could not stay his going, 
 The blow came all unknowing 
 Adown a bitter way. 
 While we are groping blindly, 
 God watcheth o'er us kindly. 
 Wherever we may stray. 
 
 We're working out a mighty plan, 
 Which God thought ere the world began, 
 Ere yet the fire mist he cast 
 Out into regions boundless, vast. 
 So great the plan, we cannot see, 
 'Tis measured by eternity. 
 
 55 
 
*'LIFT UP THINE EYES." 
 
 'THHIS world is a beautiful, wonderful world, 
 
 If you stand on the heights to know. 
 Its fashion of mountains and rivers and seas, 
 Of trees and of all things that grow. 
 
 Around and around this beautiful world 
 
 Swings in a wonderful way 
 The night time, and darkness and shadows come. 
 
 And then follows sunlight and day. 
 
 And over and over the days come and go, 
 
 As it rolls down the orbit of time, 
 An elliptical path in the azure blue. 
 
 In a wonderful way and sublime. 
 
 But greater than all these wonderful things 
 Is the sun, which controls from afar 
 
 The movements of all this wide universe, 
 When the world's but a twinkling star. 
 
 56 
 
Yet higher than all this beautiful world, 
 And more wonderful still than the sun, 
 
 Is the great white throne in heaven above. 
 The seat of the Holy One. 
 
 And around this wonderful sacred seat, 
 
 In grand processional tread. 
 May not the sun and its universe 
 
 By the power of God be led ? 
 
 57 
 
CREDO. 
 
 T BELIEVE : yes, I believe : 
 -■■ What joy, what peace serene, • 
 To know that God our Father rules 
 In Heaven ; on earth supreme. 
 
 I believe : yes, I believe : 
 
 That all things work for good 
 
 To those who seek believing 
 The world's great brotherhood. 
 
 I believe : yes, I believe : 
 'Tis hard to know or say. 
 
 But I believe when night is past 
 We'll find another day. 
 
 58 
 
JAM