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YOUR MISSION 
 
YOUR MISSION 
 
 BY 
 
 ELLEN M. H. GATES 
 
 WITH ILLUSTRA TIONS BY 
 
 F. S. CHURCH, W. ST. JOHN HARPER 
 
 and J. W. ALEXANDER 
 
 NEW YORK 
 P. PUTNAM'S SONS 
 
 21 & 29 WEST 23d STREET 
 1882 
 
Copyright, 
 
 1881, 
 
 By G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS. 
 
YOUR MISSION 
 
 If you cannot on the ocean, 
 
 Sail amonor the swiftest fleet, 
 Rocking on the highest billows, 
 
 Laughing at the storms you meet; 
 You can stand among the sailors. 
 
 Anchored yet within the bay. 
 You can lend a hand to help them, 
 
 As they launch their boats away. 
 
 438852 
 
, '/ \ 5.- I 
 
If you are too weak to journey, 
 
 Up the mountain, steep and high, 
 You can stand within the valley. 
 
 As the multitudes go by ; 
 You can chant in happy measure, 
 
 As they slowly pass along. 
 Though they may forget the singer, 
 
 They will not forget the song. 
 
If you cannot in the harvest, 
 
 Garner up the richest sheaves, 
 Many a grain, both ripe and golden, 
 
 Will the careless reapers leave ; 
 Go and orlean amone the briars, 
 
 Growing rank against the wall, 
 For it may be, that their shadow. 
 
 Hides the heaviest wheat of all 
 
If you have not gold and silver, 
 
 Ever ready at command ; 
 If you cannot toward the needy, 
 
 Reach an ever open hand ; 
 You can visit the afflicted, 
 
 O'er the erring you can weep. 
 You can be a true disciple, 
 
 Sitting at the Savior's feet. 
 
If you cannot in the conflict, 
 
 Prove yourself a soldier true ; 
 If where lire and smoke are thickest, 
 
 There 's no work for you to do ; 
 When the battle-field is silent, 
 
 You can go with careful tread. 
 You can bear away the wounded ; 
 
 You can cover up the dead. 
 
Do not then stand idly waiting 
 
 For some greater work to do ; 
 Fortune is a lazy goddess, 
 
 She will never come to yon ; 
 Go and toil in any vineyard, 
 
 Do not fear to do or dare, 
 If you want a field of labor, 
 
 You can find it anywhere. 
 
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 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY 
 

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