* barton 
 
 San ~3FVancisco 
 1915 
 
(Topyrlg^t by 
 
 IFranK barton 
 
 1915 
 
 <3l)e "pbllopolis "pr 
 San TFranclsco 
 
jprcfacc 
 
 I dedicate this BOOK OF FRAGMENTS to the one 
 who shall find one poem that seems to have been 
 written especially for him. 
 
 ARDELIA MARIA BARTON. 
 
 53436 
 
(Tontents. 
 
 Page 
 
 Fragments 
 
 Life s Web 
 
 It Was Just What We Needed 
 
 We Should Be Satisfied 
 
 Memory s Tomb 
 
 To The Dead Moon 
 
 Our Backs Are Fitted For Our Burdens 
 
 Never Too Late 
 
 The Great Unknown - 
 
 9 1 
 
 Nature s Music 
 
 The First Of January - 
 
 Dead Years 
 
 Building Castles In The Air - 
 
 Soul Longings 
 
 Plant Sweet Flowers in Sorrow s Garden s 29 
 
 Time s Flight 
 
 Love In A Cottage 
 
 Love 
 
 Trouble 
 
 Hope 
 
 The Ship Of Life 
 
 A Monument To Fame 
 
 Such Is Fame - 
 
 What Are Dreams Made Of 
 
 Seek The Sunshine 
 
 Love s Kingdom 
 
 Love s Home - 
 
 My Soul s Mate 46 
 
 Across The " Great Divide " 
 
 Shadows - 48 
 
 IX 
 
Contents 
 
 Page 
 
 Sunshine 49 
 
 Is It Well With Thee ? 50 
 
 Hope s Sea - -52 
 
 What Is Electricity ? 53 
 
 Give Thy Best 54 
 
 Count Not On The Morrow 57 
 
 Island Of Sweet Content 59 
 
 The Island Of Rest 61 
 
 The Island Of Faraway 62 
 
 The Island Of Make-Believe 64 
 
 The Island Of Discontent 65 
 
 What Is Life ? 66 
 
 1 Thoughts Are Things " 68 
 
 " And A Little Child Shall Lead Them " 69 
 
 Today Is Ours - 72 
 
 The Goddess Love 73 
 
 Why ? 74 
 
 Don t Worry 75 
 
 Love - - - 78 
 
 To The Unknown God 79 
 
 Life s Dreams - - 82 
 
 The Mating Of The Trees 83 
 
 Life s Journey - - 85 
 
 Death s Journey - 87 
 
 Live In The Now -89 
 
 What Prayer Should Be 90 
 
 Where No Human Foot Hath Trod - 92 
 
 The Heaviest Cross ? 94 
 
 The Architect Plans: God Builds - 97 
 
 Three Score Years And Ten - 99 
 
Contents 
 
 Page 
 
 A World Of Chance - - 100 
 
 Oblivion, Hope, Life, Faith 101 
 
 Life s Mystery 102 
 
 To A Friend 104 
 
 Life s Milestones 106 
 
 Soul Thoughts - 107 
 
 Life - 108 
 
 Let Us Look On The Bright Side Of Life 109 
 
 Life s Work 111 
 
 The Ideal Home 112 
 
 Speak To Me - 114 
 
 The House By The Roadside 115 
 
 Nature s Songs 116 
 
 To Will, Is To Do 117 
 
 A Memory of Maine - 118 
 
 Some Day - 120 
 
 Silence 122 
 
 Morning - 124 
 Retrospection - - 126 
 
 Love s Chamber 127 
 
 What Doth The Future Hold For Us 129 
 
 Life s Tide 130 
 Love s Ashes - - 132 
 
 Life s Garden 134 
 
 Dead Leaves 135 
 
 Shadows - 136 
 
 Other s Burdens Are Light - 138 
 
 Nature s God 140 
 
 To The "Father Of His Country" - 142 
 
 Mirage 144 
 
 XI 
 
FRAGMENTS. 
 
 All of life is made of fragments 
 
 Fragments of the past come down. 
 Thought of God by Him created, 
 
 And in future He will crown 
 Man perfected, pure and holy, 
 
 Fit companion e en of God. 
 Man will take his place with angels, 
 
 Though his birthplace was the sod. 
 
 "Strike the harp and sound the timbrel!" 
 
 Sin will lose its power o er man; 
 He will rise and claim his birthright 
 
 Ne er on him was placed a ban 
 Of eternal grief and sorrow; 
 
 Ignorance has caused his fall. 
 Nature gives to man her records 
 
 And on them he e er can call. 
 
 And he should accept her teachings; 
 
 Ignorance should not be pall 
 To envelope his pure spirit 
 
 Man must ever rise, not fall 
 
Ever coming, ever going, 
 
 Evolution ever, aye; 
 Tis the law, and man is governed 
 
 Everyday by yesterday. 
 
 He must learn life s lessons daily, 
 
 For each day brings something new; 
 Something new for the tomorrow; 
 
 Live today that naught you rue 
 In the morrow; for the records 
 
 Show each stain that sin has made; 
 And erased can stains be never, 
 
 Though in time e en sin may fade. 
 
LIFE S WEB. 
 
 We are weaving, ever weaving 
 
 Wafp and woof of yesterday 
 Though the fabric is imperfect, 
 
 And life s web is tinged with gray; 
 
 We should choose life s thread with wisdom, 
 
 Strong and perfect it must be; 
 Perfect then the web when woven 
 
 Weave we for eternity. 
 
 We are weaving, ever weaving 
 From the warp and woof of time. 
 
 We can weave a web of beauty 
 We can make our lives sublime. 
 
 We should weave life s web from pattern 
 
 Which the Father gave to us; 
 All the colors should be fadeless, 
 
 Our life s web all glorious. 
 
 Back and forth life s shuttle flying, 
 
 Faithful, till its task is done. 
 Master hand does guide the shuttle 
 
 All life s battles mav be won. 
 
Though life s web is not yet finished, 
 Traced the pattern was, at birth. 
 
 Soon, from weary, nerveless fingers 
 Drops the shuttle to the earth. 
 
 And perhaps the web unfinished 
 
 May be taken up again. 
 We may weave in the hereafter, 
 
 And earth s weaving be made plain. 
 
 We will finish all life s weaving; 
 
 All life s work be done some day 
 But the web that we have woven 
 
 May still have some shadows gray. 
 
IT WAS JUST WHAT WE NEEDED. 
 
 In looking back o er our past lives, 
 We find there, joys and sorrows. 
 
 Though gloom made dark the yesterdays, 
 Hope brightened all the morrows. 
 
 Though poverty has been our lot, 
 
 A struggle for existence, 
 We may have seen the time when we 
 
 Could meet it with indiff rence. 
 
 Can we not see that it was best, 
 And just what we then needed? 
 
 It made us stronger for life s work 
 If we the lesson heeded. 
 
 If we have health, e en though not wealth, 
 We ll trust the Power above us. 
 
 And live our lives in sweet content 
 We know that God doth love us. 
 
 The past is past, and we see now 
 
 If lessons we had heeded, 
 We would have had a happier life 
 
 The lessons all were needed. 
 
So blind our eyes we cannot see 
 
 The good that is around us; 
 We stumble over blessings rare, 
 
 For Error s chains have bound us. 
 
 Why should we pluck the poisonous weeds 
 
 That are by wayside growing? 
 Why should we drink a poisonous draught 
 
 When founts of love are flowing? 
 
 We ll find oftimes, the fault was ours, 
 
 And that, had we but yielded 
 To circumstances that we met, 
 
 They were what we most needed. 
 
 Awake ! Arise ! See where you step, 
 And have Life s garden weeded. 
 
 Plant flowers of hope where once were weeds; 
 Hope s flowers are ever needed. 
 
WE SHOULD BE SATISFIED. 
 
 If life to thee seems dreary, 
 And pleasures oft denied, 
 
 Look only to thy blessings, 
 And then be satisfied. 
 
 Though clouds are overhanging, 
 And dark be e er life s sky, 
 
 The sun will soon be shining; 
 Life s storms may pass thee by. 
 
 Pluck from life s lowly garden 
 Sweet flowers, for they are thine. 
 
 Drink not a bitter potion, 
 Bur of life s sparkling wine. 
 
 If thou art seeking trouble, 
 Thou lt find it everywhere; 
 
 It springs from out its covert, 
 And lures thee to its lair. 
 
 Though joys of life are hidden, 
 And do not with thee bide, 
 
 E en though they hide forever, 
 Thou shouldst be satisfied 
 
The seed in earth is hidden, 
 But will not long there bide; 
 
 It struggles for the sunlight 
 It is not satisfied 
 
 To live in gloom forever 
 And in the darkness bide. 
 
 E en when it is a flower 
 Will it be satisfied? 
 
 It drinks in God s bright sunshine, 
 
 It has on Him relied. 
 And sometime in the future 
 
 It will be satisfied. 
 
 The flower came up from darkness; 
 
 The earth was but its tomb; 
 It knew that there was brightness 
 
 So would not live in gloom. 
 
 We should e er learn of nature, 
 
 And with her aye abide; 
 And take what she may send us 
 
 And then be satisfied. 
 
Life s ship will not be stranded; 
 
 It will all storms outride; 
 And if there s one to love us 
 
 We should be satisfied. 
 
 There is a life all glorious; 
 
 And drifting with the tide, 
 We ll reach the Port of Heaven 
 
 And then be satisfied. 
 
MEMORY S TOMB. 
 
 I open the door of Memory s tomb, 
 
 And gaze at the hopes within; 
 The hopes that lie buried there in gloom 
 
 Oh! Dense are the shadows therein! 
 
 Their shroud is of black, black hopelessness. 
 
 Their coffin is grim despair. 
 I call to my hopes imploringly, 
 
 But get no response to my prayer. 
 
 The hopes that seemed dead so long ago, 
 
 In time resurrected may be; 
 For hope in the heart does never die, 
 
 Though sleeping sometimes it may be. 
 
 But cold is the grave where love does lie, 
 Tis only love s ghost that is there. 
 
 A spirit it is of my past love, 
 
 As ghost it responds to my prayer. 
 
 On grave of my hopes I ll plant the rose, 
 On grave of my love will plant rue; 
 
 For love when once dead is dead for aye, 
 And bitter the tears that bedew. 
 
 10 
 
The desolate grave where it does lie, 
 
 Alas! It is buried in gloom. 
 A phantom it is that haunts me e er 
 
 A phantom in Memory s tomb. 
 
 Though thorns may e er wound the hand that 
 plucks 
 
 Love s sweetest and fairest flowers, 
 The wound will soon heal and roses fresh . 
 
 Will blossom again in Hope s bowers. 
 
 And "Memory s Tomb" be not so dark 
 All shadows will soon fade away. 
 
 The sunshine of hope illume its depths 
 And hope become brighter each day. 
 
 11 
 
TO THE DEAD MOON. 
 
 Thou glorious offspring of thy mother night, 
 Thou lookest down upon a sleeping world; 
 Serenely sailing on through unknown space 
 Majestic in thy total disregard for man. 
 
 Tis claimed that thou wast once a living world, 
 And once was peopled by a race of men 
 Perhaps of higher grade than on this world of ours. 
 E en now perchance there may be life on thee! 
 
 Wilt thou still be in ages yet to come? 
 Still keep thy course throughout eternity, 
 Whilst man shall come and go, shall come and go 
 Though little heed thou payest puny man. 
 
 Thou look st on him perhaps with silent scorn. 
 Methinks if thou wast dead, thou dst fall through 
 
 space. 
 
 If thou art dead, this world will also die 
 A cold dead moon, and then a dying world. 
 
 12 
 
Didst Thou create us, God, to satisfy Thy pride? 
 Was it but pride in Thy creative powers? 
 Creating worlds and suns, but to destroy, 
 Through all the aeons past, and yet to come? 
 
 Creating, then destroying Thy handiwork. - 
 Creator uncreated! We must bow 
 Before Thy matchless power, and to Thee kneel 
 In humble adoration of Thee, aye. 
 
 Thou art above, beneath, around, about, 
 Forever here, forever there in love, 
 In love creating, not destroying aught 
 That Thou in love hast once created, Lord! 
 
 Creation seems to die, yet it lives on. 
 
 In some new form creation lives again; 
 
 For that which once hath quickened been by God 
 
 Lives on throughout eternity eternity. 
 
 13 
 
"OUR BACKS ARE FITTED FOR 
 OUR BURDENS." 
 
 We have troubles, we have sorrows; 
 
 Many blessings we have too. 
 Though dark clouds be overhanging, 
 
 Hope s bright star will soon peep through. 
 
 Even troubles may prove blessings, 
 Though they seem so hard to bear; 
 
 Then my friend, cease your complaining, 
 Bow not down to grim Despair. 
 
 Though your burdens seem too many, 
 You, my friend, have but your share, 
 
 Every heart has its own sorrows; 
 There is trouble everywhere. 
 
 Look around upon your neighbors. 
 
 Would you change your life for theirs? 
 Would you choose their smallest trouble? 
 
 Would you change with them your cares? 
 
 14 
 
Then my friend, take up your burdens, 
 Ever look on life s bright side; 
 
 And though storms- may ever threaten, 
 Your life s ship will them outride. 
 
 Courage is the best of pilots; 
 
 Give life s ship to him, my friend, 
 He will guide you to your haven 
 
 If you trust him to the end. 
 
 Courage should forever guide you, 
 And bright Hope your captain be. 
 
 Take the blessings that are given, 
 Dark despair cast into sea. 
 
 If, for pilot, you have Courage, 
 If, for captain, you have Hope, 
 
 Even though your life be stormy, 
 With the storms you e er can cope, 
 
 15 
 
NEVER TOO LATE. 
 
 If I were only younger 
 
 So many things I d do. 
 F d build a little cottage 
 
 Just large enough for two.. 
 
 I d have a little garden, 
 
 And plant there shady trees 
 
 From branches would hang hammock, 
 In nook have honey bees. 
 
 Would also have a fountain 
 Surrounded by sweet flowers. 
 
 In corner, vine-wreathed arbor, 
 And many shaded bowers. 
 
 Alas! A weeping willow 
 
 Should now stand by my gate 
 
 For life is almost over, 
 And now it is too late 
 
 For me to think of making 
 
 A home for you and me; 
 And we must be contented 
 
 Wherever we may be. 
 
 16 
 
We ve walked life s path together, 
 Ne er halted by the way. 
 
 Have builded many castles 
 To crumble, and decay. 
 
 We ve peopled them with angels, 
 
 These castles in the air; 
 We ve furnished them with sunbeams, 
 
 No clouds were ever there. 
 
 The castles now have fallen, 
 
 Have fallen to the ground. 
 But we still have bright sunbeams, 
 
 For happiness we ve found. 
 
 We ll try not to be selfish, 
 But work for other s weal 
 
 Build monuments from love-deeds 
 Be evei loyal, leal. 
 
 Too late it will be never 
 
 For castles in the air, 
 And though they fall in pieces, 
 
 We ll build them everywhere. 
 
 17 
 
And sow for other s reaping. 
 
 We will not selfish be, 
 But plant sweet flowers for others; 
 
 They ll bloom eternally. 
 
 18 
 
THE GREAT UNKNOWN.* 
 
 O, this eternal silence drear! 
 
 It fills my soul with dread and fear. 
 
 This Great Unknown has lured me on. 
 
 No man has ever victory won 
 
 O er this vast sea of ice and snow 
 
 All nature seems to be his foe. 
 
 Tis desolation everywhere; 
 No life, no hope naught but despair. 
 No sound I hear, not e en a breath 
 Oh! Is this life, or is it death? 
 This is the sepulcher of hope! 
 With such conditions can I cope? 
 
 The earth is buried deep in gloom 
 The sun has sunken to his tomb. 
 I am alone amid the gloom 
 To die alone is now my doom. 
 The beating of my heart I hear. 
 It desecrates the stillness here. 
 
 *Supposed to he from a memorandum book found frozen to 
 a piece of drift ice from the North Pole, A.D. 2000. 
 
 19 
 
I ve reached the end of earth, T think, 
 And now I m standing on the brink 
 Of a dead world. What hope have I? 
 O er this dark land grim death does lie. 
 Wild tumult now I seem to hear; 
 Tis but the falling of a tear. 
 
 The world is cold, and dark and drear, 
 The ice and snow will be my bier. 
 The frost-king binds me in his chains, 
 He is the monarch here, who reigns. 
 He seems to hold a sword o er all; 
 Mayhap sometime the sword will fall. 
 
 He, o er the world will hold full sway 
 O er time, o er space all must obey. 
 No man can then his will gainsay. 
 The world will turn by its great weight, 
 And fall Oh, Where! To meet its fate! 
 What though I ve reached the Polar Sea", 
 What good to man will it e er be? 
 This is unknown immensity! 
 
 20 
 
NATURE S MUSIC. 
 
 There s music in the waterfall, 
 There s music in the mighty deeps. 
 There s music in the growing grass, 
 For Nature sings e en when she sleeps. 
 
 The morning stars together sing; 
 The hills look up and joy to see 
 The planets move throughout all space, 
 A mighty wave of melody. 
 
 The dew-drops whisper words of love - 
 Tis sweeter music to the flower 
 Than sweetest song e er sung by bird, 
 Or music grand in angel s bower. 
 
 We pluck a flower from mother stem, 
 But do not hear the cry of pain 
 That wells up from the parent s heart - 
 Alas! The cry is all in vain! 
 
 Sometime our ear may be attuned 
 To Nature s pleading Nature s cry 
 Our hearts with pity may be filled, 
 And we may heed the faintest sigh 
 
 21 
 
Of dying flower, or falling leaf, 
 And hear the music of the stars; 
 As traveling on through unknown space 
 No discord e er their journey mars. 
 
 The perfect rhythm, perfect song, 
 
 The melody of all her works 
 
 Goes on through time, through space, untaught, 
 
 And only man his duty shirks. 
 
 Discordant often are the notes 
 That man doth strike on harp of life 
 But Nature s music perfect is, 
 Though in it oft seems much of strife. 
 
 When man is free from every sin, 
 No selfish thought is in his heart, 
 The song of ages he will sing, 
 In Nature s music take his part. 
 
 22 
 
THE FIRST OF JANUARY. 
 
 The old year dead! A new year born! 
 Ring merry bells this new year s dawn! 
 Our hopes, our fears, our smiles, our tears 
 Are buried in the past dead years. 
 
 They hidden are by Memory s pall; 
 No stone shall mark where dead hopes fall. 
 The past is dead, so let it rest 
 Forgetfulness is our behest. 
 
 Rich blessing, that we can forget! 
 Then Sorrow s cup holds no regret. 
 Our lives we will begin this year 
 With merry bells and blessed cheer. 
 
 We ll drape with flowers sad Sorrow s tomb, 
 For flowers of Hope will hide its gloom. 
 Another year has passed away 
 With some bright hopes, some shadows gray. 
 
 Now all the past we ll bury deep, 
 And o er that past we will not weep. 
 Ring out the old, ring in the new, 
 The past is dead and lost to you. 
 
 23 
 
Live in the now. May future years 
 Bring to you joy, ne er cause you tears. 
 Take up your life, do what you can 
 For sister woman, brother man. 
 
 Give flowers of love to cheer the way 
 Of some sad soul this "New Year s Day". 
 Love will not wither nor decay, 
 But bring to all a cheering ray. 
 
 With joy the wine of life we ll brew, 
 
 And plant each year love s flowers anew. 
 
 We ll live the coming year so well 
 
 That peace will ring each "New Year s" bell. 
 
 24 
 
DEAD YEARS. 
 
 E en though another year is dead, 
 
 Why should I weep? 
 Tis buried in Love s hallowed grave 
 
 Eternal sleep. 
 
 I laid but one forget-me-not 
 
 Upon its bier; 
 With courage will take up my life 
 
 The coming year. 
 
 My hopes, my fears, my joys, my tears 
 
 Will still go on. 
 But what to me are dying years 
 
 If love is won? 
 
 Though buried years come not again, 
 
 Why should I weep? 
 But hope for brighter years to come, 
 
 And vigil keep 
 
 O er ev ry act, and thought of mine, 
 
 O er problems deep. 
 Made up is life of buried years 
 
 We sow, then reap. 
 
 25 
 
If we sow tares on life s highway, 
 
 Tares we shall reap; 
 Abundant harvest comes to us 
 
 If so, why weep? 
 
 O er joys departed, hopes deferred, 
 
 O er dying years 
 Regrets will ne er bring back the past 
 
 All useless tears! 
 
 Why should I dread the flight of time? 
 
 Why for it weep? 
 Eternity is mine, I know, 
 
 And dreamless sleep. 
 
 Why should I think of coming years 
 
 In doubt or fear? 
 Love s benediction comes each day, 
 
 And brings me cheer. 
 
 I ll do the best that in me lies, 
 
 Though dark life s ways; 
 And will not mourn for vanished years 
 
 Dead yesterdays! 
 
 26 
 
BUILDING CASTLES IN THE AIR. 
 
 We are building, ever building, 
 
 Many castles in the air; 
 But they fall to earth in fragments 
 
 Scattered broadcast everywhere. 
 
 As each castle falls to pieces, 
 
 We begin to build anew; 
 Building ever higher higher 
 
 Towering soon beyond our view. 
 
 E en though castles have been shattered, 
 They have not been built in vain; 
 
 They have given us hope and courage, 
 And forgetfulness of pain. 
 
 So we ever will keep building; 
 
 Thongh our castles fall to earth, 
 We will gather up the fragments 
 
 And our courage have new birth. 
 
 27 
 
SOUL LONGINGS. 
 
 Our lives are made of plans 
 That never are fulfilled 
 Sweet longings of the soul 
 Which never can be stilled. 
 
 We dream from youth to age, 
 Our dreams will ne er come true; 
 We dream of flowers sweet, 
 And wake to find the rue. 
 
 The wormwood s bitterness 
 We find at every turn. 
 No wish is e er fulfilled, 
 And yet we never learn 
 
 That life is given for good, 
 And we should not complain, 
 But do the best we know 
 Though life seems filled with pain. 
 
 28 
 
PLANT SWEET FLOWERS IN 
 SORROW S GARDEN. 
 
 The ripened years oft bring the richest treasure, 
 The autumn leaves rehearse spring s gladdest song. 
 Yet may the utmost joys of youth ne er measure 
 The peace that to life s latest years belong. 
 
 Yet give me youth I ask no greater blessing 
 Though age may bring full many blessings too 
 I weep for all the past dead years, confessing 
 Though false to me, I would again them woo. 
 
 But now the past is dead, and I will bury 
 It in a grave so deep it cannot rise, 
 And o er the present I will now be merry, 
 The past forget; for in the grave it lies. 
 
 And on its grave I ll plant the weeping willow; 
 Upon the future I will plant the yew. 
 Today I ll rest upon life s rosy pillow, 
 And no sad tears shall grave of past bedew. 
 
 A mound I ll build from every grief and sorrow, 
 Entombed in it will be all cares and woes, 
 Mayhap from it will spring sweet flowers tomorrow 
 The pansy, lily, asphodel and rose. 
 
 29 
 
TIME S FLIGHT. 
 
 Roll on, O mighty wheel of Time 
 Through countless, countless years! 
 
 Thou goest ever madly on 
 
 Though deluged by our tears! 
 
 Though nations rise, though nations fall, 
 
 It matters not to thee; 
 Thou wilt not tarry in thy flight 
 
 To watch man s destiny. 
 
 Didst thou beginning ever have? 
 
 If so, thou wilt have end. 
 But now thou art the king who rules, 
 
 And all to thee must bend. 
 
 What though we beg of thee to stay, 
 
 To tarry with us now? 
 Thou rushest ever madly on, 
 
 And we must to thee bow. 
 
 Dost ever think, O Father Time 
 
 What power is given thee? 
 Thou rulest all there is of life, 
 
 And will eternally. 
 
 30 
 
LOVE IN A COTTAGE. 
 
 By brookside is a cottage 
 
 (Just large enough for two ) 
 
 With white-washed walls and ceiling, 
 The furnishings but few. 
 
 But Love sits at the fireside 
 With Confidence, his mate, 
 
 And Happiness doth ever 
 On tiny table wait. 
 
 In garden, flowers are growing, 
 By wayside, daisies bloom, 
 
 Tis ever sunshine somewhere; 
 In hearts there is no gloom. 
 
 For love brings brightest sunshine; 
 
 He lights up every nook, 
 He peeps in at the window, 
 
 And in at door doth look. 
 
 Be it a cot or palace, 
 
 If Love hath taken flight, 
 The sunshine is as darkness, 
 
 In home tis ever night. 
 
 31 
 
LOVE. 
 
 In cup of love there may be sorrow, 
 The bee has venom in its sting, 
 
 Though bee does ever gather honey, 
 And to its home does honey bring. 
 
 Though foe to man is treacherous viper, 
 And beasts of prey may ever prowl 
 
 Through the dark and gloomy forests 
 In wilderness with hate may howl, 
 
 We know there s peace, and joy and loving 
 In life, e en mong the beasts of prey; 
 
 For love doth move the world as lever 
 And all her laws we should obey. 
 
 When love, on heart and soul is written, 
 It makes of life a happy song 
 
 Tis selfish thoughts, and hate and envy, 
 That fills the world with every wrong. 
 
 32 
 
TROUBLE. 
 
 Trouble needs no invitation, 
 And no hint drives her away 
 
 Takes her place by our warm fireside; 
 When she comes, she comes to stay. 
 
 All our joy is turned to wormwood, 
 
 And we daily sip the rue. 
 Peace, contentment, now doth vanish, 
 
 Trouble doth us aye pursue. 
 
 And a funeral pall surrounds us, 
 And the grave of Hope is filled 
 
 With forebodings dark and dreary; 
 Trouble hath our courage killed. 
 
 Each today is filled with sorrow, 
 And the morrows bring no cheer. 
 
 All the yesterdays were clouded 
 With the phantoms of grim fear. 
 
 33 
 
HOPE. 
 
 Our troubles we oft make ourselves, 
 
 And drive sweet Hope from out our homes. 
 
 She waiteth patiently outside, 
 
 And from our gate not far she roams. 
 
 When Trouble enters, Hope doth smile, 
 And tries to fill our hearts with cheer. 
 But Trouble seems our chosen guest, 
 While Hope is greeted with a tear. 
 
 We ve lived the yesterday, and now 
 Today is all there is for us. 
 Tomorrow, we may never see, 
 E en though it be all glorious. 
 
 So let us drive all care away, 
 And think of only peace and joy; 
 For as we think, so shall we be, 
 And life will be without alloy. 
 
 34 
 
THE SHIP OF LIFE. 
 
 My ship has left its landing 
 Tis manned with all my hopes; 
 
 The sails are good intentions, 
 Good deeds are all the ropes. 
 
 The planks are resolutions, 
 
 The nails been driven with care, 
 
 The beams are disappointments, 
 And many burdens bear. 
 
 The masts have been well chosen, 
 Are fastened strong, secure, 
 
 The anchor is a promise 
 Which ever will endure. 
 
 Each day my log is written 
 With truthfulness and care, 
 
 In it not one false entry 
 A haven safe, my prayer. 
 
 I ve started on Life s voyage 
 
 Upon an unknown sea. 
 My compass must be trusted 
 
 Throughout eternity. 
 
 35 
 
A MONUMENT TO FAME. 
 
 Towering high within a city, 
 
 Is a monument to fame 
 Built of finest Parian marble, 
 
 And thereon is carved a name. 
 
 Though the stone has stood for ages 
 And may stand for centuries more, 
 
 It will crumble in the future 
 Lost in dust the name it bore. 
 
 And the name will be forgotten, 
 Though it honored was in past; 
 
 Though it stood for great achievements; 
 To the earth it will be cast. 
 
 And in dust the name be hidden. 
 
 Fame can ne er immortal be, 
 Who will know in future aeons 
 
 Aught but immortality? 
 
 Fame is but a passing glory, 
 
 Fame is but a shadow gray, 
 That will vanish as all shadows 
 
 Hidden in life s yesterday. 
 
 36 
 
SUCH IS FAME. 
 
 Your name is carved upon a stone, 
 Or may be written in a book; 
 In time the name will be erased; 
 And all in vain for it you look. 
 
 A monument is built for you, 
 It seems to tower to the sky; 
 In time it crumbles to the dust, 
 For all of earth must surely die. 
 
 Your name is blazoned o er the land, 
 All men may seek to honor you. 
 By some mischance you may lose caste, 
 You now are noticed, but by few. 
 
 Among the honored of the land 
 You seem to take the highest rank; 
 You lose your station, and your wealth, 
 Your very life is now a blank. 
 
 You do some good and noble deed 
 Your name with praises loud will ring. 
 Some one will find a fault in you, 
 And // to notice, gladly bring. 
 
 37 
 
Fame is a bubble on life s sea, 
 A breath of wind that bubble breaks; 
 The waves will bury it full deep, 
 And never more from death it wakes. 
 
 O Fame! Chimera of the past! 
 Tis for a moment, or a day; 
 Then seek it not, tis but a breath, 
 A vapor that soon fades away. 
 
 38 
 
WHAT ARE DREAMS MADE OF 
 
 What are dreams and visions made of? 
 
 They are made from odds, and ends, 
 Pieced together by the Dream-god, 
 
 From life s fabric, which he rends. 
 
 He has chosen none too wisely, 
 He has chosen from the past; 
 
 Or darkly prophesied the future 
 Omens, which our lives o ercast. 
 
 Wierd omens of tomorrow 
 
 Permeate our dreams tonight; 
 
 Ghosts of yesterday aye haunt us, 
 Even in the sunshine bright. 
 
 Yesterday, we think is buried, 
 
 But alas! It is not dead! 
 It arises to confront us, 
 
 By dream phantoms we are led. 
 
 Oft our waking thoughts are shadows 
 Of Life s night, when gloomy thought 
 
 Permeated all our being; 
 
 Woven by what we have wrought. 
 
 39 
 
Our bright dreams are pieced together 
 From sweet flowers, wet with dew; 
 
 They have even now the perfume 
 Of the dream-land where they grew. 
 
 Many dreams are sad, and gloomy, 
 And are wet by tears we shed 
 
 O er mistakes we e er are making, 
 Or some word we should have said. 
 
 All of life is dreaming, dreaming, 
 But some time we ll wake to know 
 
 That though life was spent in dream-land, 
 Oft we caught bright heaven s glow. 
 
 40 
 
SEEK THE SUNSHINE. 
 
 We will go where there is sunshine, 
 In the shadow will not stay, 
 
 For to us belongs the sunlight; 
 We will drink it in each day. 
 
 Do not live among the shadows, 
 For the sunlight is for you. 
 
 There is sunshine ever somewhere; 
 There are flowers as well as rue. 
 
 Do not sip the gall and wormwood, 
 Life has honey everywhere; 
 
 And it is for you to find it; 
 
 There is peace, as well as care. 
 
 If you look for grief you ll find it, 
 It is lurking on life s way, 
 
 But it has no power o er you, 
 Nor has any shadow gray. 
 
 41 
 
LOVE S KINGDOM. 
 Thou hast come into Thy kingdom. " 
 
 The kingdom is within thee, 
 
 For heaven is thy goal. 
 For thee there s joy and gladness, 
 
 For thou hast found thy soul. 
 
 Sweet flowers are all about thee, 
 
 God s sunshine in thy soul. 
 The flowers are saying to thee, 
 
 Oh, drink from Life s bright bowl! " 
 
 The flowers whisper love-words, 
 E en storm-clouds blessings bring. 
 
 The hills in their rejoicing 
 Sweet songs of gladness sing. 
 
 Thou must not be despondent, 
 
 There s happiness for thee. 
 Thy crosses are not many, 
 
 Not lighter could they be. 
 
 42 
 
Thy troubles are not many, 
 
 Nor very hard to bear. 
 Thou wilt not sink beneath them, 
 
 For God doth for thee care. 
 
 Thy home is one of beauty, 
 
 And love doth on thee wait, 
 He maketh home so happy 
 
 Tis heaven s bright golden gate. 
 
 E en though storm-clouds have gathered, 
 
 And burdens on thee lain, 
 All flowers are the brighter 
 
 When watered by the rain. 
 
 Look out upon the hillside 
 The clouds have cleared away. 
 
 Have hope for the tomorrow, 
 Forget life s yesterday. 
 
 43 
 
LOVE S HOME. 
 
 This is a little nest, dear, 
 That I have built for thee; 
 
 It is to us a mansion, 
 
 For happy hearts have we. 
 
 The sun peeps in at windows, 
 And lights up every room; 
 
 E en sunshine seems much brighter 
 When woven on Love s loom. 
 
 There s sunshine all about us, 
 No storm-cloud can we see; 
 
 With sunshine in our hearts, dear, 
 How happy we shall be ! 
 
 Though we have known some sorrow, 
 
 Perhaps twas better so; 
 For selfishness doth enter 
 
 In heart that knows not woe. 
 
 Our home hath been made dearer 
 
 By every change in life; 
 For Love hath been companion, 
 
 And driven out all strife. 
 
 44 
 
We ll have a garden, dearest, 
 
 And plant Love s sweetest flowers. 
 
 We ll prune away all discord, 
 And rest in Love s own bowers. 
 
 But we have not done building, 
 We re building home above. 
 
 God s sunshine lighting heaven 
 And filling home with love. 
 
 45 
 
MY SOUL S MATE. 
 
 Thou comest to me from out the dim past; 
 
 The love of my soul called to thee; 
 It wakened thee from thy long, long sleep, 
 
 E er more my soul mate thou wilt be. 
 
 Though now that dead past a shadow seems, 
 
 It then was as real as now 
 A heaven that past then seemed to us, 
 
 And we to that past must bow. 
 
 As never our love beginning had, 
 So never our love will have end. 
 
 Our love, with Almighty, hath a part, 
 To laws of His will we must bend. 
 
 In ages long gone, even as now 
 We plighted our troth with a kiss, 
 
 We ll never forget ever will love 
 Eternal with God is our bliss. 
 
 46 
 
ACROSS THE "GREAT DIVIDE 
 
 Across die "Great Divide" I stand, 
 
 And looking o er to thee 
 I see the gulf that tween us lies 
 
 Oh! Dost thou pity me? 
 
 Oh, heart of mine which wildly throbs! 
 
 Be still! The fault was mine. 
 I little thought that I should lose 
 
 Thy love, which was divine. 
 
 Thou art so pure, so free from sin, 
 
 Thou couldst not happy be 
 With one who is of earthly mold 
 
 Tis better thou art free. 
 
 But think of me, and pray for me 
 While here on earth you bide, 
 
 That I may sometime cross the gulf 
 May cross the "Great Divide". 
 
 If not on earth, O, then in heaven 
 
 I would with thee abide, 
 Would cross to thee o er crystal sea 
 
 Across the "Great Divide". 
 
 47 
 
SHADOWS. 
 
 There is a shadow by the fireside, 
 
 There is an empty chair, 
 I seem to hear low footsteps echo 
 
 Upon the lonely stair. 
 
 With bated breath I stop to listen 
 
 My beating heart I hear. 
 The loved ones who have gone before me 
 
 In shadowy forms appear. 
 
 I listen to their low sweet voices, 
 
 They thrill me, in the gloom. 
 They throb, and to me bear a message 
 
 That fills the silent room. 
 
 I am impatient for the roll-call, 
 
 For death, I do not fear; 
 Life s shadows darker grow, and lengthen, 
 
 I know that rest is near. 
 
 Almighty force to me is calling, 
 
 Is calling me away. 
 I cannot by the wayside tarry, 
 
 The call I must obey. 
 
 48 
 
SUNSHINE. 
 
 The sun of hope drives every shadow 
 From my heart and from my home. 
 
 In every nook and every corner, 
 
 Hope s bright flowers seem to bloom. 
 
 For loving friends are all around me, 
 There is now no vacant chair. 
 
 Sweet songs are sung by angel voices, 
 And they fill the vibrant air. 
 
 My heart with joy is ever thrilling, 
 It is filled with sweet delight. 
 
 For every shadow has departed; 
 It is nevermore dark night. 
 
 Though angel voices still are calling, 
 
 Never message has alloy; 
 And nevermore are shadows falling 
 
 For my heart is filled with joy. 
 
 The voice of God is Force Almighty, 
 
 It is all there is of life. 
 This force is in all things created, 
 
 It is harmony, not strife. 
 
 49 
 
IS IT WELL WITH THEE? 
 
 Is it well with thee, my friend? 
 Or to burdens must thou bend? 
 Even as the tree doth bend 
 To the storm that doth it rend. 
 
 Trust me, love me, O my friend! 
 I would gladly thee defend 
 Erorii each sorrow and each care, 
 That is met with everywhere. 
 
 Eor each trouble, for each grief, 
 I would gladly bring relief. 
 For in past years thou wast mine; 
 Still for thee I daily pine. 
 
 If not well with thee, my friend, 
 Wilt thou not on me depend? 
 Art thou satisfied with life? 
 With its cares and all its strife? 
 
 I have waited long for thee, 
 It doth seem eternity. 
 If thou It trust thyself to me, 
 Not in vain thy trust shall be. 
 
 50 
 
LOVE IS OUR HERITAGE. 
 
 The grave is but a covered bridge 
 That leads from light to light. 
 Therein is buried every grief 
 And phantom of life s night. 
 
 At morn we wake in heaven bright, 
 Earth s griefs forgotten are. 
 Sweet life immortal we now have, 
 With nothing to debar 
 
 Us from our heritage of love, 
 The love that is our due, 
 If we have loved our fellow-man 
 And unto him proved true. 
 
 The flowers that belong to me 
 Are earned by love, I know, 
 None others I would wish, nor have, 
 I e en would love my foe. 
 
 51 
 
HOPE S SEA. 
 
 Hope s sea is not so far away 
 
 In heart of all it ever lies; 
 Surrounded is by faith and love, 
 
 And in the heart hope never dies, 
 
 The hills surrounding sea are high, 
 
 But they are easy of access; 
 They covered are by sweetest flowers, 
 
 Which in life s book we gladly press. 
 
 Though road sometimes may seem obscured, 
 And hidden oft by shadows gray, 
 
 Discouraged we should never be, 
 
 But pluck hope s flowers on life s bright way. 
 
 On sea of Hope are many ships, 
 
 So strong, so staunch, and ever true. 
 
 The pilots e en can trusted be, 
 
 They ever keep Hope s land in view, 
 
 52 
 
WHAT IS ELECTRICITY? 
 
 It is the power that rules mankind; 
 
 The power direct from God. 
 Tis in the heavens above, around, 
 
 It is beneath the sod. 
 
 It is in every flower that grows, 
 And in each noxious weed, 
 
 It is in every thought of man, 
 And in his every deed. 
 
 It is the power that rules the world, 
 On land, and on the sea. 
 
 It is the light and heat from sun 
 E er struggling to be free. 
 
 Electric currents bind the earth 
 
 It is the God we love. 
 It is the power of evil too, 
 
 Around, about, above. 
 
 It is the hate within the heart 
 The storm upon the sea 
 
 The light that e er illumes the soul- 
 It is the love in thee. 
 
 53 
 
GIVE THY BEST. 
 
 If thou hast crushed sweet flowers beneath thy feet, 
 The flowers in dying give their fragrance sweet 
 To all the air, around, about, above; 
 It also sinks deep into hearts that love. 
 
 If thou hast broken cup that held Love s wine, 
 Some thirsty heart for wasted draught will pine. 
 Give love, e en though thou hast a cross to bear; 
 For love is what is needed everywhere. 
 
 Thou mayest hold a thought that some one needs, 
 Pray give it out, for it may kill the weeds 
 That have been springing up in questioning heart; 
 But thou must try no error to impart. 
 
 An impure thought is poison in the air; 
 Then over every thought and word have care. 
 O, give thy best, whatever it may be ! 
 A struggling soul from error thou may st free. 
 
 If thou has ever made some poor heart sad, 
 Begin at once to make another glad. 
 We little know what ill, or good we do 
 By word, or act; and often we may woo 
 
 54 
 
A weary heart, a sick and wounded soul 
 That bravely struggles on to win the goal. 
 Dost think that there is naught for thee to do? 
 Seek for the truth, and to thyself "be true. 
 
 For willing hands and hearts, there e er is work; 
 Then friend, be sure that thou no duty shirk. 
 Some sorrowing one may in his heart enshrine 
 The thought thou gav st, the cup of true Love s wine. 
 
 If thou hast failed the needed word to give, 
 Beware! Thou never canst thyself forgive. 
 When once thy opportunity is lost, 
 It comes not back it is forever lost. 
 
 Then give the word that thou this day shouldst speak, 
 Some hungry soul that word e en now doth s,eek; 
 And if thou keepest to thyself one thought 
 Which to the world is due, thou hast not wrought 
 
 The work that in this world is thine to do. 
 The workers in life s vineyard are too few. 
 If, under bushel thou dost hide thy light, 
 Thyself must suffer darkness as the night. 
 
 55 
 
Today begin; tomorrow is too late, 
 
 For even now some one for word doth wait. 
 
 No one can speak that word so well as thou, 
 
 Then do thy duty; speak the needed word just now. 
 
 56 
 
COUNT NOT ON THE MORROW. 
 
 I ll do what I can today, 
 
 Tomorrow I may die. 
 I would not leave unfinished work, 
 
 And death is ever nigh. 
 
 I ll try to bury selfishness, 
 
 And do some good each day; 
 
 Tis better far to live the right 
 Than to forever pray. 
 
 I see deep sorrow everywhere, 
 Some grief that e er hath worn 
 
 The hopefulness from heart of man, 
 More than can well be borne. 
 
 Then why should I not help to bear 
 The griefs of some poor soul? 
 
 And do the best I can on earth 
 Though heaven may be my goal. 
 
 I will not talk of Love s behest, 
 
 But give it out to all ; 
 And those who need my love and help, 
 
 Can ever on me call. 
 
 57 
 
Each day I live is one the less 
 
 That is allotted me; 
 Then I must work for poor mankind, 
 
 Must work incessantly. 
 
 I ll plant a flower of love somewhere, 
 Or give some thought to those 
 
 Who toiling on life s uphill road 
 Have naught but griefs and woes. 
 
 I m one day nearer home I know 
 
 Than I was yesterday. 
 Tomorrow may not come to me 
 
 I ll do my work today. 
 
 58 
 
ISLAND OF SWEET CONTENT. 
 
 "Sweet Content" is name of island 
 
 In Happy sea. 
 Let us land upon this island, 
 
 For it is free. 
 
 We can live upon the summit, 
 
 It is not high. 
 We can climb each day a little, 
 
 If we but try. 
 
 Though the days be dark and dreary, 
 
 And black the night, 
 We must bear the darkness somehow, 
 
 And hope for light. 
 
 Though we have but little money, 
 
 If we have health, 
 We will give up all complaining, 
 
 Gold is not wealth. 
 
 We must ever struggle onward 
 
 O er life s hard road; 
 Though we bend beneath our burdens, 
 
 Beneath each load; 
 
 59 
 
On this island we will bury 
 
 Every grief; 
 Sweet Content the mound will cover, 
 
 And give relief. 
 
 Ev ry day we ll gain a little, 
 
 Until at last 
 Sweet Content is ours forever; 
 
 To earth is cast 
 
 Ev ry sorrow, ev ry trouble, 
 
 And Sweet Content 
 Is our heritage forever; 
 
 Tis heaven sent. 
 
 Sweet Content is now our haven, 
 
 P^ound at last; 
 And life s ship will rest in harbor, 
 
 Tis anchored fast. 
 
 60 
 
THE ISLAND OF REST. 
 
 I am weary, O, so weary! 
 
 I would go to the Isle of Rest. 
 Mong the flowers would cast my burdens, 
 
 Lay them on dear Nature s breast. 
 
 " I will give you rest and comfort"- 
 
 This is Nature s glad refrain. 
 "Lean on me obey my teachings, 
 
 They will never be in vain." 
 
 Let us pack up all our troubles, 
 Take them to the Isle of Rest; 
 
 Bury them beneath the flowers; 
 Then for happiness make quest. 
 
 If we look for peace and comfort, 
 We need never seek in vain; 
 
 We can find it on Rest Island, 
 No one ever need complain. 
 
 When at last earth life is over, 
 And we come to our long rest, 
 
 Though we ve made mistakes full many, 
 We perhaps have done our best. 
 
 61 
 
THE ISLAND OF FARAWAY. 
 
 To this island of joy and of gladness, 
 
 I am traveling ever and aye; 
 To this isle of perpetual sunshine, 
 
 To the island of far, Faraway. 
 
 I am seeking this island of sunshine; 
 
 It has never a shadow of gray, 
 But its shore-line is ever receding, 
 
 The bright haven of isle Faraway. 
 
 To the isle of eternal bright sunlight, 
 My weak life-ship is speeding alway. 
 
 To the island of Hope s brightest promise, 
 To the isle of Hope s dreams, Faraway. 
 
 Oh, so many the ships that have sunken 
 On the breakers of Faraway bay! 
 
 Also lost all the hopes that were in them, 
 Near the island of sad Faraway. 
 
 Though my hopes may seem buried forever, 
 And sweet dreams may have vanished away; 
 
 All the dreams may come true some fair morning, 
 And my hopes be fulfilled some bright day. 
 
 62 
 
If we re seeking for fame and for honor, 
 
 They elude us forever and aye; 
 They seem buried beneath the dark waters 
 
 Neath the shadows of life s Faraway. 
 
 We must never, though, give up discouraged, 
 But must seek to rise higher each day. 
 
 Though life s ship may be weighted with sorrows 
 Heaven s harbor is not far away. 
 
 In this harbor is never a sorrow, 
 
 Songs of gladness are heard all the day. 
 
 E en the ocean seems singing a love song 
 Near the island of bright Faraway. 
 
 We shall enter this harbor of heaven, 
 If our Captain s commands we obey. 
 
 In the sea of God s glory is island; 
 This fair island of sweet Faraway. 
 
 63 
 
THE ISLAND OF MAKE-BELIEVE. 
 
 I am going to Make-believe island ; 
 
 It is in the lake Bye-and-bye, 
 I shall evermore live on this island, 
 
 Never cloud obscures the bright sky. 
 
 I shall be so contented and happy 
 On this island of Make-believe. 
 
 There will never be trouble, nor worry, 
 And bright fairy tales I shall weave. 
 
 On this island no friend will prove faithless, 
 I shall have the love of mankind. 
 
 Untold wealth will be mine for the wishing - 
 On this isle, rare jewels I ll find. 
 
 All my gowns will be dreams of rare beauty, 
 
 And a palace will be my home. 
 Love will reign, and will rule on this island; 
 
 From this isle I never will roam. 
 
 64 
 
THE ISLAND OF DISCONTENT. 
 
 There is an isle called "Discontent", 
 
 And many on it land; 
 Though nothing there is ever right, 
 
 And homes they left "were grand". 
 
 It is too hot, or is too cold. 
 
 If they had stayed at home 
 They would have been so happy now; 
 
 Alas! Why did they roam! 
 
 The people dwelling on this isle, 
 
 Unhappy are; distraught. 
 O, why did they come to this place, 
 
 Where each some trouble brought? 
 
 And all who land upon this isle, 
 
 Are filled with discontent, 
 For happiness is not here known, 
 
 By trouble it is rent. 
 
 Tis ever thus with discontent, 
 
 What er is past is best. 
 Complaints are all you ever hear, 
 
 From them you have no rest. 
 
 65 
 
WHAT IS LIFE r 
 
 Tis scattering sand at the seaside, 
 Tis scattering flowers by the way, 
 Tis sending forth love to the loveless, 
 Thus bright ning each dark, gloomy day. 
 
 The sand that we scatter at seaside, 
 In time, will e en nourish sweet flowers, 
 The flowers that we drop on life s pathway, 
 Help ever to brighten Love s bowers. 
 
 The thoughts that we send where most needed 
 Help ever to brighten some heart, 
 Will lighten some soul s heavy burden, 
 If we, in our strength, bear a, part. 
 
 Thought nurtured by reason and knowledge, 
 When nourished by Love at the root, 
 Will hide all the places unsightly, 
 And flowers of the soul upward shoot. 
 
 To send out our thoughts to the thoughtless, 
 E er helps them their souls to unfold. 
 To teach them to think is far better 
 Ear better than silver or gold. 
 
 66 
 
Then send to the weary a soul-thought, 
 If sent from life s garden each day, 
 Tis better than wealth, fame or honor; 
 O, scatter good thoughts on life s way! 
 
 By casting good thoughts on life s waters, 
 Full many a soul will be fed, 
 And hearts be refreshed, and made happy- 
 By reason should man e er be led. 
 
 If we could but know all the heart aches 
 That sister, or brother must bear; 
 We ever would pity, not censure, 
 As on life s hard journey we fare. 
 
 The good that we cast on life s waters, 
 Returns on the incoming tide; 
 Good thoughts that we scatter while living, 
 In heaven, with us will abide. 
 
 Good travels on beams of bright sunlight, 
 And sows her kind deeds by the way; 
 Though Evil is sometimes her shadow, 
 He cannot, by Good, ever stay. 
 
 67 
 
THOUGHTS ARE THINGS." 
 
 Blest are the tears of sympathy! 
 
 Blest is the heart that swells 
 With pity for poor brother man, 
 
 For love within it dwells. 
 
 The world is made from what we are, 
 
 And e en our simplest thought 
 Is garnered up by some one s soul, 
 
 And good, or ill is wrought. 
 
 We little know, as we pass on, 
 
 What power we have had 
 On those whose garments we have touched, 
 
 Impressing good, or bad. 
 
 For "Thoughts are Things", we surely know, 
 
 O, stain them not by ill! 
 Have clean the garments of the soul, 
 
 And love-songs ever trill. 
 
 Could friend, or foe, our hearts inspect, 
 
 What blemish could they see? 
 A tarnished surface, possibly 
 
 From selfishness not free. 
 
 68 
 
"AND A LITTLE CHILD SHALL 
 LEAD THEM." 
 
 A storm is raging, and the thund rous clouds 
 
 Make black the night; while mong the shrouds 
 
 The wind is howling like a demon wild. 
 
 Yon laboring ship with wreckage high is piled 
 
 When Lo! A cry is heard from out the gloom, 
 
 Another ship is sinking to her tomb! 
 
 A flash of lightning shows (upon the wave) 
 
 A little child fast sinking to her grave. 
 
 A sailor with a thought of child, and home, 
 Springs from the deck into the seething foam. 
 His brawny arms outstretched, he grasps the mite, 
 And then begins his seeming futile fight 
 To save this child; she seems to him his own. 
 His very soul with agony doth groan; 
 And death to him is naught to loss of child, 
 But gentle breeze to him the tempest wild. 
 
 From seeming sinking ship -a rope is thrown; 
 A piece of wreck to him is also blown. 
 With aid of these he once more reaches ship 
 And grasps with almost superhuman grip 
 
 69 
 
The willing hands of mates held out in love; 
 And soon both child and man are raised above 
 The vessel s side, from out the raging sea, 
 From out the seething black immensity. 
 
 A tiny baby girl! O, why was she 
 Saved from the treach rous, black, tumultuous sea? 
 No father, mother, knowing not her name 
 Her place of going, nor from whence she came. 
 An angel child from heav n she may have been, 
 Sent to this earth to save mankind from sin, 
 And sin s dark offspring never sleeping woe; 
 Who can the mys try solve? Ah! Who can know? 
 
 Life s meaning, or its many problems deep, 
 
 The why we live, or die, or laugh or weep. 
 
 They felt she was a gift direct from God, 
 
 So named her "Angel Child" with one accord. 
 
 She worshipped was by captain, sailor, mate, 
 
 They fashioned her a throne, and all did wait 
 
 Upon their queen, who sat in regal state; 
 
 And bright now seemed the ship, as heaven s gate. 
 
 70 
 
To find some dainty thing to make the child a slip 
 Each vied with each, on board the ship. 
 No oath, nor impure word was ever heard; 
 And every heart with love for child was stirred. 
 They all began to plan what they might do. 
 By loving her it made their lives more true. 
 Henceforth was "Angel Child" the beacon star 
 To rule their lives, and guide them o er Death s bar. 
 
 71 
 
TODAY IS OURS. 
 
 Today is ours to rectify 
 Mistakes we made on yesterday. 
 Tomorrow never comes to us, 
 E en though for it we ever pray. 
 
 Today is ours with all it holds; 
 We ll bury sad, sad yesterday 
 And plant the yew upon its grave, 
 Then leave the mound forever, aye. 
 
 And on the grave of yesterday 
 We will not shed one single tear; 
 E en though it brought us many griefs, 
 It also gave us much of cheer. 
 
 We have today to do our work; 
 Tomorrow may bring us regret; 
 But we should only count the now, 
 Why worry o er the past, and fret? 
 
 Our life is what we make of it; 
 Then watch o er every word and deed; 
 Forget the past, yet hold the good, 
 And of the present only heed. 
 
 72 
 
THE GODDESS LOVE. 
 
 The goddess Love came to my home, 
 
 Left flowers everywhere. 
 Then, pleadingly, this favor asked, 
 
 That she my home might share. 
 
 I bade her welcome to my hearth, 
 
 Took note of all she said. 
 I found I oft had made mistakes, 
 
 Had not by Love been led. 
 
 Love is the queen that rules the world; 
 
 None can her word gainsay. 
 She ever dries the mourner s tears 
 
 E en sin will her obey. 
 
 And on the lower planes of life 
 
 The tie of Love doth bind 
 The bird to bird, the beast to beast; 
 
 Each one to his own kind. 
 
 Then let us cherish Love alvvay, 
 
 In reverence to her bow. 
 A laurel wreath of loving deeds 
 
 Entwine upon her brow. 
 
WHY ? 
 
 Why should not we be happy? 
 
 The birds around us sing, 
 The flowers send forth their perfume, 
 
 The bees their honey bring. 
 
 The sun is shining brightly, 
 
 No cloud is in life s sky; 
 Then why should we e er worry 
 
 About the bye and bye? 
 
 Though clouds may come tomorrow, 
 The flowers still will bloom, 
 
 Will still send forth their perfume, 
 Then why are we in gloom? 
 
 Away, dull care forever! 
 
 With joy we ll mark today 
 And count our many blessings, 
 
 Forget sad yesterday. 
 
 And happiness now treasure, 
 
 Tis better far than gold, 
 Joy comes if we will let her 
 
 And peace will us enfold. 
 
DON T WORRY. 
 
 What is the use to worry? 
 
 What is the use to fret? 
 Though life has many problems, 
 
 They ever can be met. 
 
 Though life seems full of sorrow, 
 There s much of happiness; 
 
 If seeking it, you ll find it, 
 God will your efforts bless. 
 
 We find whate er we look for; 
 
 Then look for joy, not woe; 
 Behind life s clouds is sunshine, 
 
 On others, it bestow. 
 
 The mornings may be gloomy, 
 And clouds obscure the sky; 
 
 By noon the sun be shining, 
 Life s day clears bye and bye. 
 
 By nursing little troubles 
 They grow, until at last 
 
 Life seems not worth the living, 
 It is with clouds o ercast, 
 
Is filled with dark forebodings, 
 Its pleasures we forget; 
 
 Dark phantoms e er surround us, 
 And life is one regret. 
 
 And never talk of trouble, 
 It grows with every word, 
 
 And soon it overwhelms us; 
 By demons it is heard, 
 
 f 
 
 Who glory in your troubles, 
 Help nurse them in your heart; 
 
 They help to nurture anguish 
 Till of your life tis part. 
 
 No need to nurse your sorrows, 
 They thrive with little care; 
 
 They thrive on your forebodings, 
 Despondency their fare. 
 
 Then never, never worry, 
 Then never, never fret; 
 
 Though troubles come not singly, 
 Why not them all forget? 
 
 76 
 
And bury every sorrow, 
 
 And cover it full deep; 
 Plant heart s-ease by the tombstone. 
 
 Go not to grave to weep. 
 
 Sweet flowers will soon be growing, 
 Upon the grave of past; 
 
 Sad yesterday we ll bury; 
 Our life she shall not blast. 
 
 Though trouble seems to haunt us, 
 We can its ghost e er lay; 
 
 It only comes in darkness, 
 Will flee by light of day. 
 
 Has life to us been given? 
 
 To fill with vain regret? 
 O, bury all past troubles, 
 
 And then, them all forget! 
 
 77 
 
LOVE. 
 
 What now shall be my subject? 
 
 What next shall be my theme? 
 Shall it be Love immortal? 
 
 Shall it be Love s sweet dream? 
 
 If Love inspires my poem, 
 And it may worthy seem; 
 
 It is my soul s sweet sleeping, 
 Love is my soul s pure dream. 
 
 E en in all rhyme and reason 
 Love guides, and Love enfolds; 
 
 There is no life without it, 
 All life it builds and molds. 
 
 I ll sing a song of loving; 
 
 There s nothing else to say, 
 For Love rules all creation, 
 And we must her obey. 
 
 78 
 
TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. 
 
 God of nature, Thou art building, 
 Building now, as in past ages. 
 Didst Thou build, create, from nothing? 
 From the atom, Thou hast builded, 
 But from what didst thou make atom? 
 Thou the hills and valleys madest, 
 Ne er beginning, never ending. 
 
 First the clouds, and then the rain-drops; 
 First the lightning, then the thunder; 
 Gentle winds, and welcome sunshine; 
 Sunlight, moonlight, outer darkness. 
 Tiny dew-drops, falling, falling 
 On the mountains, in the valleys, 
 Flowers drinking of the nectar. 
 
 There was life within the aeons, 
 
 There is life in all creation. 
 
 Nature sings to Thee sweet anthems. 
 
 Hallelujahs to Thy glory. - 
 
 After seed time comes the harvest; 
 
 After blossoms comes the fruitage ; 
 
 All is law, through seeming chaos. 
 
 79 
 
Last came man, perhaps the highest, 
 Though his birthplace was the atom, 
 He may mate some day with angels, 
 E en companion of the Master. 
 Master builder, the Creator 
 Of the seed, the flowers, the atom, 
 Of the suns, the stars, the planets. 
 
 Will we ever know in future 
 
 Any better than at present? 
 
 E er behold Thee, ever know Thee. 
 
 To primordial man Thou gavest 
 
 Messages for all his future; 
 
 Gav st to him a soul, a spirit, 
 
 Whispered to his soul, commandments. 
 
 Unknown God, we feel Thy presence, 
 Eeel Thy presence, hourly, daily; 
 See Thee in the tiny dew-drop, 
 Feel Thee in the thunder, lightning, 
 See Thee in all things created. 
 Seeing Thee, and yet not seeing, 
 Knowing Thee, and yet not knowing. 
 
 80 
 
Though unknown, we know we love Thee. 
 Thou wast God in the beginning. 
 Was there ever a beginning? 
 W 7 ill there ever be an ending? 
 W r orld and planets Thou hast builded, 
 Even though by evolution. 
 Thou art God, the great Creator, 
 Ever was, and ever will be. 
 
LIFE S DREAMS. 
 
 From the cradle to the grave, 
 
 Life is a dream. 
 Full oft a nightmare dark and drear, 
 
 And then a gleam 
 Of light celestial from on high 
 
 Doth come to us, 
 It seems to come from heaven s gate 
 
 All glorious. 
 
 The dark, dark night doth pass away, 
 
 Then comes the morn: 
 A flood of light resplendent, 
 
 Effulgent dawn. 
 The gloomy dream hath passed away 
 
 With the dark night. 
 The morning brings to us sweet Hope 
 
 And Hope brings light. 
 
 82 
 
THE MATING OF THE TREES. 
 
 The trees are kissing each other, 
 And whispering words of love. 
 
 The wind sends forth a jealous cry: 
 The sun looks down from above 
 
 And warms the home of the wedded trees, 
 Gives flowers to the happy pair. 
 
 The wind is conquered by the sun, 
 That sends its rays everywhere. 
 
 A storm cloud passing o er the sky 
 Saw what the angry wind had done, 
 
 And shedding tears of sympathy, 
 A victory o er the wind soon won. 
 
 The squirrels jump from tree to tree, 
 And watching e er the happy pair, 
 
 Begin to think of love themselves, 
 For love is filling all the air. 
 
 The flowers breathe love to other flowers, 
 And will to them their pollen give: 
 
 Thus bringing beauty to their lives: 
 Though flowers accept, they always give. 
 
 83 
 
All nature sings glad songs of joy - 
 The brook goes dancing on its way; 
 
 E er singing joyons songs of love, 
 Is happy all the livelong day. 
 
 The birds are mating in the trees; 
 
 The crickets sing among the ferns 
 The bee is sipping honey-dew, 
 
 And love from nature ever learns. 
 
 For e en the snake doth love his mate, 
 And follows her where er she goes. 
 
 And if by death he loses her, 
 
 Will seek revenge upon her foes. 
 
 Though nature sings sweet songs of joy, 
 She often grieves o er pleasures lost. 
 
 All life is much the same on earth, 
 And all of life is tempest-tossed. 
 
 84 
 
LIFE S JOURNEY. 
 
 A few more days of worry, 
 A few more days of care, 
 A few more tears have fallen, 
 A few more griefs we bear. 
 
 A few more days of laughter, 
 A few more days of joy, 
 A few more days of pleasure, 
 Not darkened by alloy. 
 
 Then Whither are we going? 
 When we lie down to sleep, 
 The sleep that knows no waking 
 The long, long dreamless sleep! 
 
 We say good night to earth-life; 
 The morning brings us light. 
 We wake to new conditions, 
 So joyous and so bright. 
 
 Eorgetting all past worries, 
 Eorgetting all past tears 
 Eorgetting all past sorrows, 
 Forgetting all past fears. 
 
 85 
 
Though hand is not so steady, 
 And eye-sight not so clear, 
 Though memory is failing, 
 And we have less of cheer, 
 
 Though days begin to lengthen, 
 And shadows longer grow, 
 Though pleasures seem more fleeting 
 And greater seems each woe 
 
 Though step has lost its lightness 
 And harder is life s race, 
 Though shortening is our life lease 
 And age comes on apace, 
 
 We ve just begun life s journey, 
 Real life is not on earth. 
 True life is the hereafter 
 We find it at re-birth. 
 
 We re born into the heaven 
 That we have made below, 
 We re building, ever building, 
 For happiness or woe. 
 
 86 
 
DEATH S JOURNEY. 
 
 I am going on a journey, 
 But the way I do not know. 
 
 Death puts forth his hand and calls me 
 Is he friend, or is he foe? 
 
 Shall I go from light to darkness, 
 From the sunshine, into gloom? 
 
 Shall I come from out the shadow, 
 Or will darkness be my doom? 
 
 E en though Death may seem a terror 
 Would we live forever on? 
 
 Would we stay on earth forever? 
 Never longing for the dawn? 
 
 For the bright and glorious haven, 
 Where we lay our burdens down; 
 
 If we bear them, not complaining, 
 We shall win a jeweled crown. 
 
 Though our crosses may seem heavy, 
 And we bend beneath their weight, 
 
 We must think of other s burdens, 
 As we meet them at Life s gate. 
 
 87 
 
And each time we help to carry 
 Crosses that are not our own ; 
 
 Troubles of our own will lighten, 
 For we bear them not alone. 
 
 We must help our brothers, sisters, 
 In this world of care and grief: 
 
 And by doing so we wonder 
 That we find such sweet relief. 
 
 And Death s Journey will have shortened, 
 We shall find no dark, dark road, 
 
 Sunshine bright will light our pathway, 
 Lighter now will be each load. 
 
 88 
 
LIVE IN THE NOW. 
 
 j 
 We hold no lease of tomorrow, 
 
 We only have the now. 
 Then take no heed for the future, 
 
 But to the present bow. 
 
 There s work for you now waiting, 
 And you must do that work. 
 
 Take up your burdens gladly, 
 And never duty shirk. 
 
 And never trouble borrow, 
 For interest you must pay. 
 
 It does no good to worry 
 Forget the yesterday. 
 
 And count your many blessings, 
 
 And you will often see 
 That they outnumber sorrows, 
 
 Then happy try to be. 
 
 Sweet flowers you ll find in pathway, 
 And they God s laws obey; 
 
 They think not of the morrow, 
 But smile for Him today. 
 
 89 
 
WHAT PRAYER SHOULD BE. 
 
 Prayer should be the overflowing 
 Of the soul in sweet communion 
 With the over-soul of Nature; 
 With the Power around, above us. 
 Words are oftimes senseless babbling, 
 With no meaning, and not helping 
 Those who listen, those who speak them. 
 
 God speaks words to all who listen; 
 Speaks them to the soul within us; 
 Silent thoughts so pure and helpful 
 To the world, and to the thinker. 
 Nature speaks to man forever 
 In sweet flowers by wayside growing, 
 In the water-fall s loud roaring; 
 
 In the ocean s waves e er dashing 
 On the shores in rhythmic measures: 
 In the wind s weird moaning, sighing, 
 In the sunshine, in the shadows, 
 In the thunder, in the lightning, 
 Morning stars may sing together, 
 Angels listen to their music. 
 
 90 
 
All the air is singing anthems, 
 
 All creation rings with praises: 
 
 Praises to the Great Creator 
 
 Of all things from man to atom. 
 
 And perhaps God loves the atom 
 
 E en as much as man. Who knowethr 
 
 91 
 
WHERE NO HUMAN FOOT HATH TROD, 
 
 Give to me the virgin forest, 
 
 Where no human foot hath trod; 
 
 Where the trees in stately grandeur 
 Only bow their heads to God. 
 
 Where no voice hath desecrated 
 The music of the woodland call 
 
 In the droning of the insect, 
 Or the song of waterfall. 
 
 As a benediction holy, 
 
 This sweet music doth enthrall 
 Filling all the fragrant forest 
 
 And my heart doth answer call. 
 
 E en the birds are singing love-songs 
 
 To each other all the day; 
 And the waterfall is singing 
 
 On its laughing, winding way. 
 
 Careless man hath not yet trodden 
 
 The woodland flower beneath his feet 
 
 Nor defiled the sparkling water 
 That with joy doth seem to greet 
 
 92 
 
Every blade of grass, or pebble 
 
 That it touches on its way, 
 Struggling onward to the ocean, 
 
 Never resting night nor day. 
 
 My awakened soul doth listen 
 
 To The still small voice of God", 
 
 That is speaking in the silence, 
 
 Where no human foot hath trod. 
 
 I would sit beneath the branches 
 Of some tree beside a brook 
 
 I would listen to the voices 
 
 That e er speak in Nature s book. 
 
 Far away from habitation ; 
 
 Though I seem to be alone, 
 Birds and flowers and trees are speaking, 
 
 \Yords of love they seem to drone. 
 
 93 
 
THE HEAVIEST CROSS? 
 
 Look around upon your neighbor 
 Would you choose his cross to bear? 
 
 Would you think your own so heavy 
 If you knew what he must bear? 
 
 You have many, many blessings, 
 Try to find them, O, my friend! 
 
 Then your cross will seem less heavy, 
 As your back to it you bend. 
 
 Try to bury all your troubles 
 In the grave of past dead years; 
 
 Plant sweet flowers of hope upon it, 
 Do not water them with tears. 
 
 You will watch the flowers blooming, 
 And will then forget the past. 
 
 And so bright will be the present, 
 When to yesterday you cast 
 
 All your griefs, and all your sorrows; 
 
 Bury them in grave so deep 
 They can never more confront you, 
 
 And you ll wonder why you weep. 
 
 94 
 
Faith and Hope are loving sisters, 
 They go ever hand in hand, 
 
 ^Vith their arms entwined about you, 
 Ever by your side they stand. 
 
 Though the daylight may be waning, 
 And life s shadows longer grow; 
 
 In the future there is sunshine, 
 On your brow is sunlight glow. 
 
 Take your cross, and bear it bravely 
 
 For no other can it bear; 
 And your back is fitted for it; 
 
 Pluck life s flowers, sweet and rare. 
 
 Then your cross will seem much lighter 
 When tis hidden by flowers sweet 
 
 You may find a crown of roses 
 
 Mid the thorns that pierce your feet. 
 
 Look again upon your neighbor 
 
 Note his heart-aches, note his pain 
 
 Then begin to count your blessings, 
 And the burdens on him lain. 
 
 95 
 
Blessings may not be divided 
 As you think they ought to be: 
 
 But would you divide more justly 
 If from trouble you were free? 
 
 96 
 
THE ARCHITECT PLANS ; GOD BUILDS. 
 
 "O, architect, architect, plan me a home! 
 
 So weary I am, that no more would I roam. 
 
 I long for a home with true Love there enshrined; 
 
 A garden of flowers with sweet roses combined. 
 
 * There must be a place for true Love everywhere. 
 A palace is dreary if Love is not there; 
 Enshrined must he be in each corner and nook, 
 His smile must e er greet me wherever I look. 
 
 "Then spare no expense, I have riches untold, 
 But Love is far better than silver or gold. 
 Imprison the God, that he go not astray; 
 In bonds I would keep him with me must he stay." 
 
 "Imprison not Love, he must ever be free; 
 Love s fetters alone can bind Love unto thee. 
 The fetters of Love must be welded by Love, 
 The heart be the prison, the chain forged above. 
 
 97 
 
"Alas! O, architect, what have you done? 
 The house is a palace, but Love is not won! 
 I ve searched for true Love from basement to dome, 
 If Love has departed, Oh! What is my home!" 
 
 "O, Architect God, I will come unto Thee! 
 A home Thou wilt give me, Thy love will be free. 
 The home that Thou givest is filled with Thy love, 
 Eternal in glory, eternal above/ 
 
 98 
 
THREE SCORE YEARS AND TEN. 
 
 Smiles and tears are near the surface, 
 
 So recede with coming years, 
 But our thoughts are deeper, stronger, 
 
 And the past to us appears 
 As a landscape dim with shadows; 
 
 We now live that past in dreams. 
 More substantial is the present, 
 
 And to us it ever seems 
 E er recurring, accidentals, 
 
 Making discord in life s tune; 
 Sharps where they are least expected, 
 
 Making death to us a boon. 
 
 Vanished joys are soon forgotten, 
 
 All past pleasures are as naught: 
 And the future holds no promise 
 
 Present battles must be fought. 
 As a journey not yet taken, 
 
 We know nothing of the way, 
 We must have a guide to help us, 
 
 And the guide we must obey. 
 We are thinking more of heaven 
 
 Knowing that we soon must cast 
 Off this earthly tabernacle, to 
 
 Enter realms made up of past. 
 
 . 99 
 
A WORLD OF CHANCE. 
 
 A world of chance ! Can we conceive 
 
 No ruling power above? 
 No order in the universe, 
 
 To govern us by love? 
 
 I shrink, and shiver at the thought 
 Of what we might have been, 
 
 Had there not been a "First Great Cause" 
 To govern all within 
 
 This world so grand, so beautiful, 
 
 And other worlds in space 
 And all the planets and the stars 
 
 That God doth keep in place. 
 
 We do not know we cannot know 
 
 The origin of life! 
 Was man an ^7/?^r-th ought of God 
 
 Made up of sin, and strife? 
 
 Who soon began to doubt the laws 
 
 That God gave unto him, 
 Who lived in darkness in the past, 
 
 Still lives in shadows dim. 
 
 100 
 
OBLIVION. 
 
 In grave of deep oblivion 
 Sad memory doth gladly rest, 
 And Love is sleeping by her side: 
 Step softly, let sad mem ry rest. 
 
 HOPE. 
 
 The flower of Hope may bud and bloom 
 From dark, dark seeds of grim Despair; 
 Tis only sunshine that it needs, 
 And th sun doth ever shine somewhere. 
 
 LIFE. 
 
 Life s fabric nearly finished is, 
 
 It is imperfect, though; 
 So many stitches broken, dropped, 
 
 W 7 hich in Life s web will show. 
 ***** 
 
 FAITH. 
 
 We scatter seeds, and Faith bids us believe 
 That they will burst their bonds beneath the sod, 
 And springing up with love, and thankfulness, 
 Pay tribute to their Maker, to their God. 
 
 101 
 
LIFE S MYSTERY. 
 
 How little we can understand 
 
 The mystery of life! 
 From whence it comes and where it goes, 
 
 And all the seeming strife 
 
 That ever fills the universe 
 
 And yet, all strife is law. 
 The earth may quake in seeming wrath, 
 
 And everywhere fierce war. 
 
 But all is needed in God s plan 
 
 Of building up this world 
 From c/iaos, order is evolved, 
 
 No lightning bolt is hurled 
 
 By mother Nature in her work, 
 
 But that is sent for good. 
 Volcanoes burst from mountain tops, 
 
 As part of Nature s mood. 
 
 Though worlds from star-dust may be formed, 
 
 Created by the Power 
 The Father of the universe, 
 
 As well as tiny flower. 
 
 102 
 
Perhaps in fire-mist life was born 
 
 In aeons long gone by. 
 We know not when the soul had birth, 
 
 But know it will not die. 
 
 Life may be part of God himself, 
 
 Absorbed again will be 
 Into the Power that put us here, 
 
 But this is mystery. 
 
 It was not chance that gave us birth; 
 
 Chance cannot rule nor bind. 
 Intelligence of unknown power 
 
 Doth ever rule mankind. 
 
 Not only man, but everything 
 
 Around, about, above; 
 And this we feel within our soul 
 
 The ruling is by love. 
 
 (), man! If thou couldst realize 
 
 That thou art but a breath 
 Of the great living universe! 
 
 That life is thine not death ! 
 
 103 
 
TO A FRIEND. 
 
 The clouds now dark, will clear away, 
 
 And sunshine come to you; 
 Tis ever darkest fore the dawn 
 
 In every life is rue. 
 
 Keep up your courage my dear friend; 
 
 No life is free from pain. 
 All hearts have some of bitterness, 
 
 And burdens on them lain. 
 
 The rose has ever its sharp thorns. 
 
 Life s garden has its weeds, 
 But we must try to cover them, 
 
 By sowing heart s-ease seeds. 
 
 The cypress in life s garden grows, 
 
 The nightshade and the rue, 
 Though many pois nous weeds are there, 
 
 They were not meant for you. 
 
 In life s fair garden pluck not weeds, 
 
 But choose the asphodel, 
 For it wi 1 fill your heart with joy, 
 
 And all its gloom dispel. 
 
 104 
 
The sun will shine tomorrow, friend, 
 E en though it storms today; 
 
 Look forward to the sunshine bright 
 All clouds will clear away. 
 
 And when the past is dead and gone 
 
 No cloud shall it o ercast. 
 So bury every cross you have 
 
 In grave of the dead past. 
 
 At loss of friends, Oh, do not grieve; 
 
 Though you need not forget. 
 Though loss is yours, the gain is theirs, 
 
 Then have no vain regret. 
 
 105 
 
LIFE S MILESTONES. 
 
 Another milestone has been passed, 
 
 Another year has gone. 
 How many battles have we fought? 
 
 How many vict ries won 
 
 O er selfishness, and unkind thoughts, 
 
 O er envy, malice, greed; 
 The milestones nearer are each year 
 
 As o er life s road we speed. 
 
 The past is past, and buried deep 
 
 Beneath life s yesterday. 
 Today we ll do the best we know, 
 
 On grave of past we ll lay 
 
 A wreath of sweet forgetfulness. 
 
 Far better to forget 
 Each good, or evil deed in life, 
 
 Than live in vain regret. 
 
 Another milestone soon will come; 
 
 We ll welcome it with joy; 
 It points the way to Heaven s gate, 
 
 And life without alloy. 
 
 106 
 
SOUL THOUGHTS. 
 
 Weave your, soul-thoughts from the sunbeams, 
 Never weave them from the gloom, 
 
 Warp and woof from purest soul-thoughts 
 W^oven ever on Love s loom. 
 
 Flowers will bloom in Life s bright garden, 
 
 If we sow but flower seeds. 
 But dissension will e er hide them, 
 
 By allowing poisonous weeds 
 
 To spring up in place of blossoms, 
 Hiding all of Love s sweet flowers. 
 
 Cultivate the good within you, 
 It will bloom in heaven s bovvers. 
 
 Watch Love s flowers, blooming daily; 
 
 If they show the least decay, 
 Prune with care the dying branches, 
 
 Cast the withered ones away. 
 
 Then the buds of love will blossom. 
 
 With your smiles then cultivate 
 All your soul-thoughts, pure and tender; 
 
 For your love they ever wait. 
 
 107 
 
LIFE. 
 
 A dream, a phantasy is life; 
 For some tis peace, for some tis strife; 
 And yet, all cling to it. 
 
 Tis made of smiles, tis made of tears; 
 When filled with joy how few the years! 
 Life seems a blessing then. 
 
 We yet may solve life s mystery, 
 Why joy, or woe, our legacy; 
 
 And learn to cull life s flowers. 
 
 From whence came we? Where do we go? 
 On earth do we leave all of woe? 
 Have only peace in heaven. 
 
 We are but atoms in life s plan; 
 
 Yet reaching up to God, is man ; 
 
 He claims his heritage. 
 
 Man came to earth, he wished it not, 
 And with his coming, evil wrought; 
 Or so the legend reads. 
 
 But he is here, must do his work, 
 And should not e en one duty shirk. 
 His life work seems mapped out. 
 
 108 
 
LET US LOOK ON THE BRIGHT 
 SIDE OF LIFE. 
 
 Though our burdens seem too heavy, 
 Even more than we can bear, 
 
 If we look around, about us 
 We see sorrow everywhere. 
 
 If we nurse our little troubles, 
 They grow greater every day; 
 
 Till at last they overwhelm us, 
 And will ever with us stay. 
 
 O, the trouble! O, the sorrow 
 That is met with everywhere ! 
 
 Let us try to be unselfish, 
 
 And life s burdens help to share. 
 
 And by helping friend, or neighbor 
 Upon whom life s burdens fall, 
 
 We forget ourselves a moment, 
 And our troubles will seem small. 
 
 We have many, many blessings; 
 
 Let us try to find them, friend. 
 Search for happiness, not sorrow; 
 
 Many troubles will then end. 
 
 109 
 
We are apt to see but storm-clouds, 
 And forget the sunshine bright, 
 
 But the clouds will sometime vanish, 
 Back of them tis always light. 
 
 All around us there is sorrow, 
 
 But a ray of light we see 
 Penetrating all life s shadows; 
 
 For from sunlight shadows flee. 
 
 And though burdens may be heavy, 
 By the wayside lay them down. 
 
 Though your life is full of crosses, 
 Drop the crosses, raise the crown. 
 
 110 
 
LIFE S WORK. 
 
 There is some work for every one, 
 
 And we our part must do 
 With patient hearts, and willing hands, 
 
 And not with tears bedew 
 
 The work that is mapped out for us; 
 
 That w r ork is ours alone, 
 And if another it assumes 
 
 We must for it atone. 
 
 To lay our burdens on our friends 
 
 Is selfish, I avow, 
 And only thoughtless, heedless souls, 
 
 Are willing to allow 
 
 Their friends to bear their cares, and griefs 
 
 E en if they re willing to. 
 So do life s work, what e er it is, 
 
 Then naught you ll have to rue. 
 
 Ill 
 
THE IDEAL HOME. 
 
 If we have faith, we e en can move 
 
 A mountain of despair; 
 Though burdens still may heavy be, 
 
 Our troubles we can bear. 
 
 Twin sister of sweet Faith is Hope; 
 
 If Charity is guest, 
 She throws a mantle over all, 
 
 Tis given at Love s behest. 
 
 The world is better where they dwell 
 If Peace with them combines, 
 
 It makes a heaven bright on earth; 
 For Peace a wreath entwines 
 
 Of sweet content and happiness 
 
 In this ideal home; 
 Joy gladly then will come to us, 
 
 No longer will she roam. 
 
 Then Justice comes, so stern and cold; 
 
 Commanding without fear; 
 If we obey his mandates just 
 
 They ever bring good cheer. 
 
 112 
 
Another sister is pure Trust; 
 
 She ever sees the good. 
 She knows that there is evil though, 
 
 But o er it does not brood. 
 
 All love pure Trust; she never seeks 
 
 To injure or defame; 
 (E en though suspicion rampant is,) 
 
 No blot is on her name. 
 
 Then comes to home unerring Truth, 
 With courage she holds sway. 
 
 Deceit will tremble at her glance, 
 And flee the light of day. 
 
 This ideal home is Harmony, 
 Bring not Contention there; 
 
 For none within this peaceful home, 
 Can Discord ever bear. 
 
 It is the place where angels dwell, 
 And naught but love they bring; 
 
 In home, these sweet voiced angels slay- 
 Grand symphonies they sing. 
 
 113 
 
SPEAK TO ME. 
 
 O, speak to me! Though but one word, 
 
 For I so long to know 
 That Death is Death, but in the name, 
 
 And is a friend, not foe. 
 
 And though we weep at loss of thee, 
 We would not keep thee here; 
 
 The loss to us is gain to thee, 
 And we have not one fear 
 
 But that the house thou mad st on earth 
 
 In heav n will fairer be, 
 For thou hast builded by thy love, 
 
 Love for humanity. 
 
 Oh, that thou couldst speak but one word! 
 
 (Before thy soul takes flight!) 
 To ease my heart of its great grief 
 
 Thy morning is my night. 
 
 Then speak to me! Life will be drear, 
 When thou hast gone away, 
 
 I love thee so, I ll miss thee so 
 Dark will be even day. 
 
 114 
 
THE HOUSE BY THE ROADSIDE. 
 
 I live in a house by the road, 
 
 The road that has many sharp turns. 
 
 As watching the people pass by, 
 My heart for humanity yearns. 
 
 How many are happy and glad? 
 
 How many are hungry and cold? 
 How many have sin in their hearts 
 
 As madly they struggle for gold? 
 
 O, if we but knew the sad thoughts 
 That lie in the hearts of the throng, 
 
 As wearily walking the road: 
 
 Perhaps even planning some wrong. 
 
 How little they know how they build! 
 
 Foundation if laid in the sand 
 Is weak: and life s structure will fall. 
 
 The Architect, God, doth command 
 
 That man should e er build while on earth 
 The home that he lives in above : 
 
 Foundation on Justice be laid 
 
 His home must be furnished with love. 
 
 115 
 
NATURE S SONGS. 
 
 Nature sings to us sweet love-songs 
 We should try to understand 
 
 The clear notes in Nature s song-book, 
 And her anthems ever grand. 
 
 Nature sings a note of gladness, 
 All her songs seem songs of glee. 
 
 Then she sounds a note of sadness 
 A low wail in minor key. 
 
 Listen to the rain drops falling, 
 And the moaning of the sea, 
 
 Or the rolling of the thunder 
 Seeming strife, is symphony. 
 
 Listen to the flowers, thanking 
 The warm sunshine that gives life 
 
 To the leaves, the buds, the blossoms: 
 Sometimes though, a note of strife 
 
 We can hear in Nature s music; 
 
 But the warfare lasts not long. 
 Sharps are needed in the making 
 
 Up of Nature s loving song. 
 
 116 
 
TO WILL, IS TO DO. 
 
 To do, is but the will to do. 
 Have courage ever on life s way; 
 Fight all life s battles howe er great 
 Your burdens drop, do not delay. 
 
 Though you may sometimes seem to fail, 
 Tis but the common lot of all. 
 Though path be rugged, strewn with thorns, 
 Though you may slip, you need not fall. 
 
 Be up and doing, early, late : 
 No other one can do your work; 
 It is mapped out for you alone, 
 Your duty you should never shirk. 
 
 Success attends each task if you 
 But bend your back to lift your load. 
 Though journey may be long and rough, 
 You must not falter on life s road. 
 
 Your cross may seem too hard to bear; 
 Sometimes you fall beneath its weight; 
 Arise, and take it up again, 
 Success stands smiling at your gate. 
 
 117 
 
A MEMORY OF MAINE. 
 
 I m carried back to dear old Maine, 
 Again I drink of life s rich wine, 
 Amid the fragrant, spicy woods 
 Of spruce and hemlock, fir and pine. 
 
 I dance along the country road, 
 No grief, no pain, no sorrow mine, 
 I pluck sweet flowers by the way, 
 Inhale the fragrance of the pine. 
 
 The years, like shadows come and go, 
 Like sentinels they pass in line 
 But mem ry still doth hold in view 
 The woods of hemlock, fir and pine. 
 
 The friends I loved have passed away, 
 But in my heart I still enshrine 
 The mem ries dear of happy youth, 
 Made dearer by the fragrant pine. 
 
 My loved ones have a fairer home, 
 The gain is theirs, the loss is mine. 
 The fragrant winds blow o er their graves 
 The sun doth ever on them shine. 
 
 118 
 
At loss of friends I ever grieve 
 Sweet mem ries linger at Love s shrine; 
 I ne er forget my childhood s home, 
 Nor subtle fragrance of the pine. 
 
 119 
 
SOME DAY. 
 
 Some day we may know life s meaning 
 Some day we may understand 
 
 All the problems that surround us, 
 That we meet on every hand. 
 
 And that day is drawing nearer; 
 
 It is just across the way, 
 And today it may confront us, 
 
 Shadowed by dead yesterday. 
 
 Ghosts of the dead past may haunt us; 
 
 Shadows of some vain regret. 
 But the past is gone forever, 
 
 And that past let us forget. 
 
 Some day Hope may to us beckon, 
 We have waited for her long; 
 
 For her coming, for her greeting; 
 For her sweet and happy song. 
 
 Some day in the coming future 
 We shall close our eyes in sleep; 
 
 And on earth no more shall waken; 
 We have solved life s problem deep. 
 
 120 
 
When the book of life is opened, 
 We shall read our record there. 
 
 Is there ought within its covers 
 That will not inspection bear? 
 
 Is there aught upon Life s journal 
 That we gladly would erase? 
 
 Some day we must balance ledger, 
 Is there aught we would efface? 
 
 Turn the pages, weep not o er them, 
 For we did the best we knew; 
 
 There s another life before us 
 And the past we need not rue. 
 
 In the grave of earth we ll bury 
 Every deed, both good and bad, 
 
 Plant upon it Love s sweet roses 
 It is useless to be sad. 
 
 121 
 
SILENCE. 
 
 How sweet to us is silence 
 
 When heart is filled with grief? 
 
 We are at peace one moment, 
 In silence find relief. 
 
 Our loved ones have departed, 
 Are free from care and woe; 
 
 We know that they are happy, 
 But O, we miss them so! 
 
 We know that we shall meet them 
 Upon the heavenly shore. 
 
 With them will be united 
 
 Where partings are no more. 
 
 But far away seems heaven 
 Eor though our loved ones dwell 
 
 In peace across the border, 
 We ne er forget the knell 
 
 Of death when its dark shadow 
 Has settled in our heart; 
 
 When friends are taken from us, 
 And we are forced to part. 
 
 122 
 
The world seems dark and dreary, 
 
 We are so lonely now, 
 We miss our loved ones ever, 
 
 But to God s will we bow. 
 
 Our years are few and fleeting, 
 And pass e en as a dream, 
 
 But morning light is breaking, 
 We catch a heavenly gleam 
 
 Of light celestial, dawning, 
 
 A breaking of the day 
 When sorrow has departed : 
 
 But shadows seem to stay 
 
 And tinge our days with sadness, 
 And all our nights with gloom, 
 
 Our lives seem filled with sorrow 
 From cradle to the tomb. 
 
 But there s a bright hereafter, 
 God lightens every grief 
 
 Helps us to bear our burdens 
 In Him we find relief. 
 
 123 
 
MORNING. 
 
 Now the morning light is breaking, 
 And the clouds have cleared away. 
 
 I will give up all complaining, 
 
 There s a bright, though narrow way. 
 
 I am now on Hope s bright mountain; 
 
 Though the valley may be drear, 
 There is sunshine all around me, 
 
 And it fills my heart with cheer. 
 
 I now dwell in Love s own kingdom, 
 And am sitting on his throne. 
 
 There hath come a benediction, 
 All unhappiness hath flown. 
 
 I can see the bow of promise, 
 It doth span the morning sky. 
 
 All the clouds have silver linings; 
 In my soul sweet peace doth lie. 
 
 I will grasp the sunshine ever, 
 Hold not shadows in my heart, 
 
 Sunshine bright to me is given 
 It is of my life a part. 
 
 124 
 
Morning stars are ever singing 
 Love-songs to the god of day. 
 
 Thirsty flowers are drinking dew-drops 
 That God scatters by their way. 
 
 Ears attuned to Nature s music, 
 Hear the still, small voice of God, 
 
 Speaking to His children ever, 
 Even from beneath the sod. 
 
 Nature s forces singing anthems 
 To the power that gave them birth. 
 
 Hallelujahs e er ascending 
 
 To the heaven from out the earth. 
 
 125 
 
RETROSPECTION. 
 
 We re living in the dead, dead past, 
 When we should live the now. 
 
 The past can never be recalled, 
 We should not to it bow. 
 
 The future we may never see, 
 Then why with clouds o ercast 
 
 The present, which is all we have, 
 And life is ebbing fast? 
 
 Why think of what we might have done? 
 
 For if we could recall 
 One single hour, we d do the same; 
 
 For o er our past hangs pall 
 
 That we have made by our mistakes. 
 
 The past is past, and dead. 
 Let not its ghost then haunt us now; 
 
 By phantoms be not led. 
 
 Then bury now the dead, dead past. 
 
 And bury it so deep 
 That flowers will grow upon its grave, 
 
 O er it no longer weep. 
 
 126 
 
LOVE S CHAMBER. 
 
 There is an inner chamber 
 Within the heart of man, 
 
 Where no one ever enters, 
 And no one ever can. 
 
 Tis filled with joys and sorrows 
 Of th dear and sacred past. 
 
 The pleasures may be fleeting, 
 But sorrows ever last. 
 
 The room is locked and bolted - 
 Tis filled with shadows aye, 
 
 But often mid its shadows 
 My soul doth try to pray. 
 
 Though Love is ever welcome 
 Within the chamber small; 
 
 Alas! he sometimes wanders 
 Beyond, beyond recall. 
 
 His vows may be forgotten, 
 And he may go astray ; 
 
 But if he is repentant, 
 Again Love s laws obey 
 
 127 
 
He sometimes is forgiven, 
 Unlocks Love s sacred door, 
 
 But though again he enters, 
 Tis never as before. 
 
 128 
 
WHAT DOTH THE FUTURE HOLD 
 FOR US ? 
 
 As looking o er the long, long past 
 
 I fain would let it go ; 
 Though some of it is filled with joy, 
 
 There s much in it of woe. 
 
 There s much that I would now forget; 
 
 Alas! It cannot be, 
 For we can never quite forget 
 
 Through all eternity. 
 
 What does the future hold for us? 
 
 Tis well we do not know. 
 We ll live today the best we can, 
 
 For it is better so. 
 
 To us, tomorrow may not come ; 
 
 Then let us grasp the truth, 
 And do each duty in the now. 
 
 Today is all of youth 
 
 Tomorrow is a phantom dark 
 
 It haunts us in our dreams. 
 A nightmare, robbing us of sleep 
 
 With viciousness it teems. 
 
 129 
 
LIFE S TIDE. 
 
 Upon the tide now coming in 
 We see a board, a broken mast: 
 A shattered sail, and tangled ropes 
 Are by the angry waves now cast 
 
 Upon the shore: They tell a tale 
 Of loss of life, of suffering deep, 
 Of stranded hopes on unknown sea 
 Of those now left alone to weep. 
 
 The tide comes in, the tide goes out, 
 
 We know not whence, we know not where; 
 
 And so it is with our short lives, 
 
 Life s tattered sails we all must bear. 
 
 The broken masts, and tangled ropes 
 Erom our life s ship are ever swept. 
 We know not whence we came, nor go; 
 Alas! Life s log we have not kept. 
 
 Life s ship must sink, Alas! Alas! 
 Our compass and our glass is lost. 
 By demons we seem guided now, 
 
 On reefs, or shoals we re ever tossed. 
 
 130 
 
We re sailing on an unknown sea, 
 Or stranded on some unknown shore. 
 By baffling winds and hidden shoals 
 Life s ship seems lost for evermore. 
 
 We see the beacon light of truth 
 God hears our call and answers cry. 
 He sends a pilot to our aid, 
 We ll evermore on him rely. 
 
 And though our life ship stranded is; 
 And life seems but a wreck of hopes, 
 Of tattered sails and broken masts, 
 We find our log mid tangled ropes. 
 
 131 
 
LOVE S ASHES. 
 
 The last bright rays of setting sun 
 
 Are ling ring in the sky. 
 The dead, dead ashes of Love s rose 
 
 Upon the earth now lie. 
 
 The withered petals of a flower 
 
 Is all that s left for me; 
 Dry ashes of a dead, dead love 
 
 Is all that I now see. 
 
 And fallen is the fruit of life, 
 Tis sapless, withered, dead 
 
 Like ashes of a fire burned out 
 The hearth-stone now its bed. 
 
 Will aught awaken Love again? 
 
 Ah, no! When love is dead 
 He resurrected ne er can be, 
 
 We, only tears can shed. 
 
 Our withered hopes are all that s left, 
 
 In ashes buried deep. 
 There s naught but ashes on Love s grave, 
 
 Where we now sit and weep. 
 
 132 
 
And mem ry now is all that s left 
 
 To haunt our life alway; 
 Tis ashes of a fire burned out 
 
 Twas born but to decay. 
 
 O, Love! Why didst thou flatter me 
 
 With promises divine? 
 Twere better hadst thou passed me by, 
 
 Than desecrate Love s shrine! 
 
 Twere better hadst thou died at birth 
 
 If born but to decay. 
 A weakling at the very dawn 
 
 Dark shadows with thee lay. 
 
 Then fare thee well! O, Love, farewell! 
 
 Thou leav st a broken heart 
 For burned to ashes now is life 
 
 Since I from thee must part. 
 
 Ah, no! I will not say farewell! 
 
 Love s home is in my heart! 
 He reigns supreme within my soul, 
 
 And is of life chief part. 
 
 133 
 
LIFE S GARDEN. 
 
 Life is a most beautiful garden, 
 Though often its beauty we hide, 
 
 Allowing rank weeds most unsightly 
 Within its sweet limits to bide. 
 
 O, sow then the seeds of right living 
 Illumine the depths of your soul. 
 
 Though poisonous weeds may be growing 
 O er them you can have full control. 
 
 Though weeds in life s garden are growing, 
 And often is seen there the rue; 
 
 O, plant in its place sweetest roses, 
 And Love will plant roses for you. 
 
 O, cultivate ever the flowers 
 
 That in your life s garden once grew: 
 Again they will thrive by your nursing, 
 
 Will soon again blossom for you. 
 
 No rose in your garden is thornless, 
 
 And thorns you will find in your life. 
 
 By bearing your troubles with patience 
 Sweet peace will come into your life. 
 
 134 
 
DEAD LEAVES. 
 
 To the earth dead leaves are falling, 
 On the trees are withered leaves. 
 
 So in life if hope hath left us, 
 
 Naught remains but sapless leaves. 
 
 Yet perchance some flower may blossom 
 Mong the dry and withered leaves; 
 
 Drawing warmth from the bright sunshine; 
 Thus the Eather gathers sheaves 
 
 That are nourished by our love-deeds, 
 They will bloom in heavenly bowers. 
 
 From the pure in heart, e er pointing 
 To the bright and heavenly flowers. 
 
 And on earth no spot so arid 
 
 But some flower will bloom thereon; 
 
 And no life (however sinful) 
 But some victory hath won 
 
 Over sin and degradation, 
 
 Some pure thought doth hold with love, 
 And that thought will live forever, 
 
 Pure on earth, and pure above. 
 
 135 
 
SHADOWS. 
 
 There is a road from youth to age; 
 
 Though often on the way 
 Are thorns, and brambles, poisonous weeds, 
 
 And shadows there alway. 
 
 We start in youth upon this road; 
 
 Then all is bright and fair. 
 When hope is strong within the heart 
 
 No cross is hard to bear. 
 
 The noon-day comes, and we begin 
 
 To worry and to fret. 
 For hope is now less strong in heart 
 
 And we can ne er forget 
 
 That age is coming on apace, 
 
 T hat shadows longer grow, 
 That crosses e er grow heavier. 
 
 No more we see the bow 
 
 Of promise, in the evening sky, 
 
 And darkness comes apace, 
 But age will bring its recompense 
 
 If we keep up the race. 
 
 136 
 
And e en though there are shadows dark, 
 
 And clouds are in life s sky, 
 We know that we can bear our cross 
 
 E en though for it we die. 
 
 137 
 
OTHER S BURDENS ARE LIGHT. 
 
 For us, it is so easy 
 
 When brother carries load, 
 
 Though he may often stumble 
 Upon the uphill road. 
 
 We do not feel the heartache 
 When some one else is spurned; 
 
 We think tis retribution, 
 
 That he the pain has earned. 
 
 We say we are so sorry 
 
 When some one else is burned; 
 The smart to us is painless, 
 
 And lesson he has learned. 
 
 The crosses are not heavy 
 
 That brother has to bear. 
 The mountains are but hillocks 
 
 O er which he has to fare. 
 
 No briars in his pathway, 
 No thorns obstruct his way, 
 
 The road is straight and narrow, 
 From it he need not stray. 
 
 138 
 
The troubles of our neighbors 
 
 Are very, very light: 
 With us it is quite different 
 
 A shadow makes dark night. 
 
 139 
 
NATURE S GOD. 
 
 Dear mother Nature, we would be 
 In perfect harmony with thee. 
 Would feel that we are but a part 
 Of thy full life, of thy great heart. 
 
 We know that if we follow thee, 
 From error we shall e er be free; 
 Sometimes thy forces may us awe, 
 And yet we know they are thy law. 
 
 Though oftimes thou may st angry seem, 
 And thy fair face with fury gleam; 
 We know there is a power above 
 That quells thy rage with words of love. 
 
 Though winter s storms and frosts may kill 
 Sweet Springtime whispers, * Peace, be still" 
 Then flowers spring up from neath the sod, 
 Obeying the command of God. 
 
 And God in nature we can trust; 
 His laws are perfect, therefore just. 
 Our trust is firm, we will not fear, 
 God s voice in nature we can hear. 
 
 140 
 
The storms may come, the winds may blow, 
 We have no fear, for we do know 
 That "bow of promise" in the sky 
 Will span the arch of Bye and Bye. 
 
 141 
 
To the "Father of His Country," Strong 
 He Knew No Evil, Did No Wrong. 
 
 To thee, revered Washington 
 I dedicate my simple song: 
 Unworthy though the verses be, 
 My love for thee is deep and strong. 
 
 Though generations pass away, 
 Forgotten, thou wilt never be; 
 In this, the home of true, brave men : 
 This glorious land of liberty. 
 
 And sacred seems to be thy name 
 In every home, in every heart. 
 Por thou wast ever honest, true, 
 And in this world did well thy part. 
 
 Thy statesmanship above reproach; 
 Self held no part In thy command. 
 Thy rule was marked with wisdom rare, 
 With loving words and gentle hand. 
 
 The years have come, the years have gone, 
 But in all hearts thou art still dear. 
 A hero thou, upright and brave, 
 Who did each duty without fear. 
 
 142 
 
My song will be forgotten soon, 
 But thou wilt e er remembered be. 
 The impress of thy life be felt 
 Through time, and in eternity. 
 
 143 
 
MIRAGE. 
 
 All life is a mirage, 
 More often sad than gay: 
 One moment, picture seen, 
 And then it fades away. 
 
 Would we one picture hold, 
 And gaze at it again ? 
 Or cast it to the winds, 
 Far, far beyond our ken. 
 
 Life is a dull mirage : 
 Unstable as the wind. 
 Subconsciousness doth cause 
 Illusions of the mind. 
 
 Hereafter we shall see 
 A picture bright, sublime : 
 The Master painted it 
 Twill fade not in all time. 
 
 Tis painted on the heart, 
 Tis pictured on the brain. 
 Mirage though it may seem 
 In soul it long hath lain. 
 
 144 
 
WAITING. 
 
 I am waiting, only waiting 
 For the clouds so clear away. 
 
 I am waiting for the sunshine, 
 Waiting for the break of day. 
 
 There is naught but dark, dark shadows, 
 
 And they ever longer grow. 
 I am weary, O, so weary! 
 
 Will the shadows never go? 
 
 Oh, the darkness is appalling! 
 
 And the world seems filled with grief. 
 Can I ever grasp life s sunshine? 
 
 Can I ever find relief? 
 
 I am waiting for Love s music: 
 
 I have waited, O, so long! 
 All the melody is lacking, 
 
 There is discord in Love s song! 
 
 On my heart is weight so heavy, 
 
 As of some impending ill, 
 And I cannot rise above it, 
 
 For it seems my soul to fill. 
 
 145 
 
I am lonely, O, so lonely! 
 
 I would fain give up life s fight,- 
 Is there no surcease from sorrow? 
 
 Must I struggle day and night? 
 
 146 
 
THE INEVITABLE. 
 
 We are .of little consequence; 
 
 Though we may think the world 
 Would darker be at our demise, 
 
 To unknown depths be hurled. 
 
 The world goes ever on the same, 
 The sun will shine, rain fall 
 
 The harvest ripen, flowers bloom ; 
 On home will rest no pall. 
 
 Though friends forget us in a day, 
 
 It is far better so; 
 Why should they ever mourn and weep? 
 
 Their hearts be filled with woe? 
 
 Though it may sadden us to think 
 
 That home will be complete, 
 When we have passed from neath its roof, 
 
 And we not there to greet 
 Their coming in, their going out, 
 
 Our name not heard in prayer, 
 But we should even happ\ be 
 
 To know that peace is there. 
 
 147 
 
In every home, at every hearth, 
 
 * There is a vacant chair. 
 It is far better friends forget: 
 Resigned their griefs to bear. 
 
 For if the world was filled with tears 
 
 Life s sun obscured would be, 
 And naught but clouds and misery, 
 
 Throughout eternity. 
 
 Though friends have gone beyond our ken, 
 
 A moment to us lost; 
 Again we see them, deified 
 
 Then not by doubts be tossed. 
 
 148 
 
FOR A GOLDEN WEDDING. 
 
 A string of golden years 
 
 A rosary of love; 
 To us these years have been 
 
 A gift from God above. 
 
 Each year has been a chime, 
 
 A symphony, a song 
 Intoned by angel choir; 
 
 A happy heavenly throng. 
 
 We bless the tie that binds 
 Our loving hearts on earth ; 
 
 When loosed this tie by death, 
 Tis joined by heaven s rebirth. 
 
 These years, like golden bells 
 Upon love s chain are strung. 
 
 All sweet the bonds have been, 
 No discord e er has flung 
 
 Its pall upon our home, 
 No blight upon our hearth. 
 
 Sweet Peace has been our guest, 
 And lingered on our path. 
 
 149 
 
Now ring out marriage bells! 
 
 All sorrow cast aside, 
 And joyful be the strains 
 
 While we together bide. 
 
 Sound the timbrel, strike the chord, 
 Sweet psalms of praise we sing: 
 
 A melody of joyful notes 
 Upon these bells we ll ring! 
 
 150 
 
WRITTEN FOR MY FRIEND S GOLDEN 
 WEDDING. 
 
 Your "Golden Wedding!" Ah! how few 
 
 Can celebrate the happy day! 
 Though fifty years have come and gone, 
 
 I know that Love doth with you stay. 
 
 Your lives have been a symphony, 
 With scarce a grief, or sad refrain; 
 
 It e er hath been with blessings filled, 
 And few the burdens on you lain. 
 
 May you still have all peace and joy, 
 Sweet mem ries of past happy years. 
 
 I pray that Life s bright golden bowl 
 Be never stained by Sorrow s tears. 
 
 151 
 
FLOWERS MAY HAVE SOULS. 
 
 O take this pansy blossom, 
 
 And look into its face, 
 Canst thou not sense divinity? 
 
 Canst thon not see a trace 
 Of soul within its calyx? 
 
 Of love within its heart 
 It e en may have a language, 
 
 And can its love impart. 
 
 And pain it too may suffer 
 
 When plucked by ruthless hand: 
 And it may be unhappy, 
 
 And even understand 
 The power within its petals, 
 
 The power within its soul; 
 The hope that God hath given, 
 
 Which doth its life control. 
 
 152 
 
THE WONDER ELOWER. 
 
 My garden has a wonder flower: 
 
 It grows beside the walk. 
 I often hear low whisperings: 
 
 It seems to laugh and talk. 
 
 I thought I heard these words one day 
 11 My home was in the earth: 
 
 I asked the Father for more light, 
 And then I had new birth. 
 
 " I then began to see the flowers, 
 
 And hear the robins sing 
 More beautiful seems now the world; 
 
 Each day new pleasures bring." 
 
 " Some day I shall return to earth, 
 Eor change is e er the law. 
 
 Not even Wonder flowers can bring, 
 To Nature, the least flaw." 
 
 153 
 
LOVE S FLOWER GARDEN. 
 
 Love made himself a garden, 
 But Love, you know, is blind; 
 
 In dreams were thornless Roses 
 
 With Smilax" round them twined. 
 
 He planted Gladiolus, 
 
 In place came up the rue; 
 Instead of "Honeysuckles", 
 
 The bitter "Wormwood" grew. 
 
 He had the " Easter Lily", 
 
 And sought her heart to win, 
 
 There was the " Breath of Heaven " ; 
 But soon dark sin crept in. 
 
 By paying court to many, 
 
 " Love-in-a-Mist " he saw 
 
 The "Passion Flower" soon faded, 
 In it he found a flaw. 
 
 Love thought he planted " Heartsease", 
 But Tansy " grew instead. 
 
 At last Love s eyes were opened 
 Fair "Marguerite" he wed. 
 
 154 
 
But "Whispering Bell" then whispered 
 
 That Love, no longer blind, 
 Was much too fond of flirting: 
 
 New loves e er sought to find. 
 
 She said that " Summer s Darling" 
 
 Was using all her wiles 
 To win Love to her arbor, 
 
 Enticing him by smiles. 
 
 And also "Sweet Alyssum " 
 
 Was seeking to entice 
 Love from his wedded darling: 
 
 But he was cold as ice. 
 
 Though Love was false to many, 
 
 To "Marguerite" was true; 
 But Love, so often fickle, 
 
 May sometimes sip the "Yew". 
 
 In garden bloomed the " Sunshine" 
 And " Daisy" too, was there; 
 
 " Sweet William" as companion, 
 Their burdens helped to bear. 
 
 155 
 
Love gave a "Princess Feather" 
 
 To his fair "Marguerite ", 
 With "Violets" and "Tulips", 
 
 Her lover she did greet. 
 
 Then came sweet " Baby Blue Eyes ", 
 
 Love s gift to his fair bride. 
 In Love s bright, fragrant garden 
 
 They all now dwelt in pride. 
 
 Then came to Love great riches: 
 He first found " Marigold " ; 
 
 Then " Golden Rod" came to him, 
 She brought him wealth untold. 
 
 Then came bright "Silver Maple", 
 Where once dwelt " Poverty Weed ". 
 
 And " Bread P>uit" was abundant 
 No more for wealth Love pleads. 
 
 Then " Black-Eyed Susan", angered 
 
 At Love, and all his flowers, 
 Made friends with fierce "Snap Dragon 
 
 Who dwelt in " Spikenard s bowers. " 
 
 156 
 
LOVE S GARDEN. 
 
 In Love s garden flowers are growing, 
 Seeds of discord are not there; 
 
 But in it are thornless roses, 
 
 And Love s blossoms everywhere. 
 
 Though you pluck the flowers daily, 
 Love s sweet blossoms ne er grow less. 
 
 Love imparting, Love begetting, 
 True Love ever comes to bless. 
 
 Love doth cover up rough places, 
 Love doth sing a joyous song. 
 
 Doth forgive, and is forgiving, 
 
 Even though Love is in the wrong. 
 
 True Love s roses are unfading, 
 True Love s roses never die; 
 
 Nor do they e er lose their fragrance, 
 Though in shadow they may lie. 
 
 Love in palace is no stronger 
 
 Than it is at the small gate 
 Of the peasant s humble cottage, 
 
 Faithful to her trusting mate. 
 
 157 
 
"NO MAN KNOWETH GOD." 
 
 O, what art Thou, and where art Thou? 
 My struggling soul asks this of Thee! 
 Whence earnest Thou, O, Lord of Hosts? 
 I long to solve this mystery 
 Help me, O, Father God! 
 
 In the beginning, Lord, Thou wast, 
 And at the end Thou still wilt be. 
 Give me the knowledge that I crave! 
 From error I would now be free. 
 1 claim this boon of Thee! 
 
 Was man created from the dust? 
 To dust will he again return? 
 Is there a future for his soul? 
 To solve this question I e er yearn 
 Will it be e er revealed? 
 
 What use is birth, if soul must die? 
 We have no power o er life nor death; 
 We re like the leaves that fall to earth, 
 Blown here and there by every breath 
 Of adverse wind and storm. 
 
 158 
 
We seek in vain to know thee. Lord. 
 And yet our soul believes in Thee; 
 Believes in Thy Omnipotence 
 Believes in immortality. 
 
 Then why do we ask more? 
 
 159 
 
LIFE S BATTLES. 
 
 E en though all the drear past was a failure, 
 And the future holds nothing for me, 
 
 I will live in the present so fearless, 
 I shall gain a great victory. 
 
 So well guarded will be all my present, 
 The hereafter will hold no regret; 
 
 And most faithfully now will I labor, 
 And will try my past griefs to forget. 
 
 I may build, and may plan for the future, 
 But the plans will aye fall to the ground, 
 
 And a grave will be made of my failures, 
 Every plan will but add to the mound. 
 
 Let me gird on my armor, and battle 
 
 For the good, and the pure, and the right; 
 
 Then the God that is part of my being 
 Will e er help me Life s battles to fight. 
 
 160 
 
WRITTEN FOR A FRIEND ON HER 
 EIGHTY-SEVENTH BIRTHDAY. 
 
 I ll ne er forget my dear old friends, 
 
 Though I may love the new. 
 There is a nook deep in my heart 
 
 Kept sacred for the few 
 
 Old friends I treasured long ago; 
 
 My love hath ne er grown cold. 
 I m glad to make new loves each day, 
 
 Though I still cling to old. 
 
 How long I ve known thee, dear old friend, 
 
 I would not like to say. 
 Though thou hast lived four score and seven, 
 
 Thou look st as young today 
 
 As in the time of long ago; 
 
 Thou wilt keep young for aye ; 
 For youth is deep within thy heart 
 
 And will be there alway. 
 
 161 
 
One reason why thou keep st thy youth 
 Thou hast no evil wrought; 
 
 No malice is within thy heart, 
 And pure thy every thought. 
 
 And thou hast found the fountain of 
 
 Perpetual youth, I know, 
 For every year, and every day 
 
 Thou seem st to younger grow. 
 
 This is a tribute of my heart, 
 
 And all must feel with me, 
 That thou wilt ever keep thy youth 
 
 Throughout eternity. 
 
 162 
 
BIRTHDAY VERSES. 
 
 Another pearl is added 
 
 To thy pure crown of years. 
 May each new pearl God giveth, 
 
 Ne er tarnished be by tears. 
 
 Thy years are "Jewels" in life s crown, 
 
 They must not tarnished be 
 By envy, malice, unkind thoughts; 
 
 But keep their purity 
 Through coming years that may be thine - 
 
 Though filled with grief or joy, 
 Each day must help to brighten gems, 
 
 Thy life free from alloy. 
 
 ***** 
 
 Another year begins today; 
 
 Examine all past years, 
 If they are dimmed by vain regrets 
 
 That cause you bitter tears, 
 Begin at once to clean life s book, 
 
 The future spotless be; 
 Think not that time is past, and gone, 
 
 Thou hast eternity. 
 
 ***** 
 
 163 
 
BIRTHDAY VERSES. 
 
 We re prone today to count past years, 
 
 There s much we may regret, 
 But years once gone come not again : 
 
 Mistakes try to forget. 
 Begin today life s years anew, 
 
 The past is but a dream. 
 Tomorrow may not come to you, 
 
 Then make today supreme. 
 
 Each year brings thee nearer to heaven; 
 
 For thou hast made heaven on earth, 
 By loving and helping thy neighbor, 
 
 And heaven is only re-birth. 
 To thee twill be but awaking 
 
 To other conditions of love; 
 And love will be stronger than ever 
 
 In home thou hast builded above. 
 Yes! Builded while here in thy earth-life; 
 
 Each thought helps to furnish that home. 
 Thou canst have no fear for the future 
 
 With love thou hast furnished thy home. 
 
 164 
 
A BIRTHDAY OFFERING. 
 
 Accept this offering though tis small; 
 
 Tis birthday gift from me. 
 Oh, may thy years be full of joy, 
 
 No sorrow come to thee! 
 
 Unless a gift comes from the heart 
 
 It hath no value e er; 
 We do not prize it for its cost 
 
 But for its loving cheer. 
 
 O, grasp life s blessings as they come, 
 They will not wait by way, 
 
 And do not bury them in gloom 
 In grave of yesterday. 
 
 If blessing comes to thee today, 
 
 Tis only thine today, 
 Tomorrow is the ghost of Hope 
 
 Entombed in yesterday. 
 
 165 
 
EVERY MAN IS A LAW UNTO 
 HIMSELF." 
 
 Somehow we but rarely know 
 Just the thing we ought to do; 
 And we do what we should not 
 So, perforce, we often rue 
 
 Many things that we have done; 
 Many things that we have said; 
 Bringing trouble into life; 
 Our mistakes have often led 
 
 Us to many ills in life, 
 Causing bitter, bitter tears; 
 Wrecking all our dearest hopes 
 For the past, or future years. 
 
 Though we vainly call for help, 
 Good, or ill, by self is wrought. 
 Watching over every deed, 
 Watching over every thought. 
 
 c< Thoughts are things" was truly said; 
 Thinking right is doing right; 
 Thought is parent of each act, 
 Bringing joy, or causing blight. 
 
 166 
 
CHRISTMAS VERSES. 
 
 Today I send thee Chrismas Greetings; 
 May Love and Peace thy home e er fill; 
 And every day bring greater blessing; 
 And strength to climb life s highest hill. 
 ***** 
 
 May Christmas joys be thine today, 
 And peace through all the year. 
 
 May Love illumine thy face with smiles; 
 In eyes be not one tear. 
 
 ***** 
 
 This Christmas Greeting I send you 
 May Christmas last the whole year through, 
 In bringing peace and joy. 
 
 May every wish of yours come true, 
 And never friend prove false to you 
 What better can I wish ? 
 
 ***** 
 
 May peace be yours the coming year. 
 Not one regret and not one tear. 
 ***** 
 
 May Christmas joys be thine today, 
 With loving friends upon life s way. 
 
 167 
 
CHRISTMAS VERSES. 
 
 That Christmas joys be ever thine, 
 Thy soul e er filled with love divine, 
 Is my true wish for thee. 
 
 That friends may prove true unto thee": 
 From envious malice ever free, 
 Fulfilled be every hope. 
 
 At last when Death shall call thee hence, 
 Thou shalt receive full recompense 
 For all the good thou st wrought. 
 
 Today I send to thee a message : 
 Tis filled with the love of my heart. 
 I pray that not even one shadow 
 Shall be of thy life e en a part. 
 
 This Christmas Greeting I send thee, 
 From care and grief may st thou be free, 
 May Christmas joys e er flood thy heart, 
 And be of life the greater part. 
 
 168 
 
CHRISTMAS VERSES. 
 
 I wish you a " Merrie Christmas", dear, 
 
 With not one sign of woe; 
 And all the love that you ll accept 
 
 On you I will bestow. 
 
 ***** 
 
 "A Happy New Year" for you both, 
 With health and peace, good cheer. 
 
 May all your hopes be gratified, 
 No grief be yours this year. 
 
 ***** 
 
 I send to you this Christmas greeting 
 May joys be lasting, sorrows fleeting. 
 
 ***** 
 
 May all the days of coming year 
 
 Be filled with peace for you; 
 And not one cloud in your life s sky 
 
 Come ever into view. 
 
 May Christmas bring thee peace and joy, 
 
 No cloud be in life s sky. 
 May coming years be filled with good, 
 
 All evil pass thee by. 
 
 169 
 
CHRISTMAS VERSES. 
 
 May Christmas joys be thine today 
 With Love to wipe each tear away. 
 
 A Merrie Christmas to you all, 
 A bright and happy coming year. 
 May richest blessings come to you 
 And fill your home with every cheer. 
 
 * * * * * 
 
 TO A LETTER CARRIER. 
 
 May every letter bring you joy, 
 Each paper bring you cheer. 
 
 Each package (show a sign of gold) 
 That comes to you this year. 
 
 May every hope of yours come true, 
 This is one wish J send to you. 
 
 Have faith in every good you see 
 Sweet Charity e er dwell with thee. 
 
 ***** 
 
 This is the wish I send to you 
 
 That every hope of yours come true 
 
 Your faith in good be not dispelled 
 In heart, let Charity be held. 
 
 170 
 
CHRISTMAS VERSES. 
 
 "A Merrie Christmas " to you all, 
 
 And happy coming years; 
 May every day be filled with joy, 
 
 Not tarnished be by tears. 
 
 ***** 
 
 Christmas Greetings I now send, 
 
 And a bright and happy year; 
 
 All its months be filled with peace, 
 
 Not one sorrow, not one tear. 
 
 ***** 
 
 Dear Hope looks ever forward 
 
 To bright and happy days. 
 Sweet Faith is her companion, 
 
 And Charity for them prays. 
 
 ***** 
 
 Christmas greeting to you all, 
 
 And a happy, bright New Year" 
 
 All its months be filled with peace, 
 
 Not one sorrow, not one tear. 
 
 ***** 
 
 A loving Christmas greeting 
 
 I will to you now send, 
 And love shall be our watch-word, 
 
 Our friendship have no end. 
 
 171 
 
CHRISTMAS VERSES. 
 
 May Christmas bring to thee sweet peace, 
 
 With love from every friend. 
 May all thy days be filled with joy 
 
 This wish to thee I send. 
 
 ***** 
 
 I want to thank thee, friend of mine, 
 For /ove, which is a gift divine. 
 New Year Greetings " I send thee 
 From every grief may st thou be free 
 
 Throughout the coming year. 
 
 ***** 
 
 There s naught can equal friendship true, 
 
 Today I send this gift to you. 
 May coming years be filled with joy, 
 
 And life be gold without alloy. 
 
 ***** 
 
 A Happy New Year" to you all, 
 
 Sweet flowers bestrew your way, 
 
 Love s sunshine rest upon your home, 
 
 With never shadow gray. 
 
 ***** 
 
 Sweet flowers be in thy pathway 
 Throughout the coming year 
 
 May not one sorrow come to thee 
 And not one bitter tear. 
 
 172 
 
THE LITTLE THINGS OF LIFE. 
 
 It is the little things of life 
 
 -That make the greater show; 
 That bring the greater good, or ill, 
 That cause you joy, or woe. 
 
 It is the little things each day 
 That you should ever heed; 
 
 The larger ones you need not watch, 
 They will not trouble breed. 
 
 Life is made up of little things, 
 
 It is the seeds you sow 
 That will spring up and bear their fruit, 
 
 Then care on them bestow. 
 
 From little echoes of the past 
 
 A joyful note should ring. 
 The song is heard throughout your life, 
 
 No sad refrain then sing. 
 
 Whatever song is sung in life, 
 
 If it does cause one pain, 
 Should never once be sung again; 
 
 Repeat no sad refrain. 
 
 173 
 
Then guard your every word and thought, 
 
 And every little deed. 
 Hate will spring up if you sow hate, 
 
 Then only sow Love-seed. 
 
 If you have love within your heart, 
 
 For love you need not wait, 
 But poison ypu will surely reap 
 
 If you sow seeds of hate. 
 
 174 
 
OTHER DAYS. 
 
 The memory of my childhood days 
 
 Is very dear to me ; 
 And yet sad dreams are o er me cast, 
 
 And shadows oft I see. 
 
 Some memories J would fain forget 
 I might have done more good; 
 
 Oftimes I may have selfish been, 
 O er that I will not brood. 
 
 My heart is sad o er misspent time; 
 
 Time gone is lost for aye. 
 We never can bring back again 
 
 A single misspent day. 
 
 Some mem ries haunt me when awake, 
 Are phantoms of my sleep; 
 
 They stalk abroad with stealthy step 
 For them I often weep. 
 
 175 
 
WORK WHILE THE DAY LASTS. 
 
 Gather honey in the summer 
 
 For the winter of our lives. 
 We must toil on, ever, ever, 
 
 There should be no drones in hives. 
 
 We are workers in life s pastures; 
 
 Toiling on from morn till night; 
 Never loitering, never idling, 
 
 Ever foremost in life s fight. 
 
 Though we bend beneath our burdens, 
 Though we fall down by the way; 
 
 We are not discouraged ever, 
 We are ready for life s fray. 
 
 In the evening, in the gloaming, 
 When our life work is all done, 
 
 We will rest from all our labors, 
 At the setting of the sun. 
 
 Every flower hath in it honey, 
 In all life there is some sweet. 
 
 In God s vineyard we are workers, 
 And though troubles we may meet, 
 
 176 
 
They should never overcome us, 
 And they will not, if we re brave, 
 
 Though there s naught but toil and trouble 
 Fr.om the cradle to the grave. 
 
 Every one bring in some honey 
 
 From the garden of his heart. 
 Ev ry one should do his duty, 
 
 In the world act well his part. 
 
 Soon the summer will be ended, 
 And the time to work be past. 
 
 Soon the winter will o ertake us, 
 And dark clouds our lives o ercast. 
 
 177 
 
BATTLE FOR THE RIGHT. 
 
 We must be brave in life s hard battles, 
 Must ever battle for the right; 
 
 And when our cause is just and worthy, 
 We must be valiant in the fight. 
 
 We must be fearless and courageous, 
 And ever fight against the wrong, 
 
 And we must never be discouraged, 
 Right be the keynote of life s song. 
 
 For right o er wrong will surely triumph ; 
 
 Will ever conquer in the end. 
 And we shall win the hard fought battle, 
 
 If we will e er the right defend. 
 
 Then take your place among the foremost, 
 And hold that place if you are right. 
 
 O, fear not that you can be vanquished, 
 If you stand boldly in your might. 
 
 178 
 
FAITH, HOPE AND CHARITY. 
 
 Faith hopes for things that are not seen; 
 
 Looks forward to the time 
 When she will see her hopes fulfilled; 
 
 When she can upward climb 
 
 To dizzy heights (perhaps for some) ? 
 
 But Faith is ever strong: 
 No place so high she cannot reach 
 
 She soars above the throng 
 
 Of faithless ones who fearful stand 
 
 In darkness and in gloom. 
 For Faith is ever buoyed up, 
 
 She looks beyond the tomb. 
 
 Discouraged she can never be; 
 
 For Faith is ever brave. 
 Her eyes are fixed on heaven s gate, 
 
 Though entrance be the grave. 
 
 Sweet Faith bids you to future look; 
 
 She never dreams of care. 
 She leads you e en to heaven s door, 
 
 To all things bright and fair. 
 
 179 
 
Hope is her hand-maid, ever true, 
 She never leaves Faith s side; 
 
 She helps her on at every step, 
 With her e er will abide. 
 
 Without sweet Hope, O, what is life ! 
 
 Dear Hope to Faith is kin; 
 She ever looks on life s bright side, 
 
 Hope will high heaven win. 
 
 If Faith and Hope should sink beneath 
 The burdens on them laid, 
 
 On Charity they may rely, 
 She willing is to aid 
 
 And lend a helping hand to all, 
 
 And do whate er she can; 
 For service is what Charity 
 
 Must render unto man. 
 
 Now Charity a blessing gives: 
 May you that blessing share, 
 
 And every day shall happy be 
 As on life s road you fare. 
 
 180 
 
TO A WHITE BUTTERFLY. 
 
 I see a pure white butterfly 
 A flitting mong the flowers: 
 
 His life seems full of happiness; 
 He rests in Love s own bowers. 
 
 Although his life seems but a day; 
 
 He does his work full well: 
 He squanders not one single hour 
 
 He hears no funeral knell; 
 
 He hearkens only to Life s songs 
 And sips life s honey-dew 
 
 We should of him a lesson learn, 
 Sip sweets instead of rue. 
 
 He seems to chase the sunbeams now, 
 
 In love with their bright rays 
 He tarries but a moment, though, 
 
 Each law of life obeys. 
 
 ***** 
 
 O butterfly! Elit merrily, 
 
 I watch thee with delight. 
 Thou oft doth hide among the flowers 
 
 No flower doth thee e er slight. 
 
 181 
 
pretty, happy butterfly! 
 A lesson we might learn 
 
 Of thee, as thou dost kiss the flowers, 
 Or rest upon a fern. 
 
 Thou art coquettish, butterfly, 
 
 With laughter in thy kiss. 
 So spread thy wings, and speed away, 
 
 Leave flowers in seeming bliss. 
 
 1 feel there is a life for thee 
 
 Where flowers never die; 
 Where thou canst e er sip honey-dew 
 O, pure, white butterfly. 
 
 182 
 
MAY AND DECEMBER. 
 
 December, glancing out his window, 
 
 Caught fleeting glimpse of sweet young May, 
 
 And instantly he sought to win her, 
 And have her with him ever stay. 
 
 December ever having plenty 
 
 Of this world s goods, had never thought 
 It might be gold that would attract her, 
 
 That May, by money could be bought. 
 
 December paid out money freely 
 
 To win from May a little smile, 
 But May had tears as well as laughter, 
 
 And tears oft came to cover guile. 
 
 December soon found out his folly, 
 
 Alas ! For both it was too late ! 
 He found that May loved but his money 
 
 His love then turned to bitter hate. 
 
 There soon came trouble in the household, 
 
 Hot bickerings and direful strife. 
 For youth and age are not congenial 
 
 When joined together " Man and Wife." 
 
 183 
 
When money is the bond of union, 
 You may as well this understand : 
 
 That Spring, with joy discards old Winter 
 They do not long go hand in hand. 
 
 184 
 
THE OLD CLOCK S STRIKE. 
 
 I m all run down (the old clock said) 
 
 I m sure I need a rest. 
 I ve worked most faithfully for years; 
 
 Have always done my best. 
 
 But now I m weak in every part. 
 
 If I could sleep at night 
 I should awake refreshed, I know 
 
 And work would then seem light. 
 
 If I could only stop one hour, 
 
 So happy I should be; 
 My hands again would mark Time s flight 
 
 All uncomplainingly. 
 
 Though joints may creak, and cogs may break, 
 
 My face is fair to see; 
 It ever looks serenely down 
 
 Yet longs for liberty. 
 
 But if I strike for liberty, 
 
 To attic I must go, 
 And ever after live in gloom; 
 
 In loneliness and woe. 
 
 185 
 
QUESTIONS ? 
 
 What is thought, what is its power? 
 What is life with all its changes? 
 What is seeing, what is hearing? 
 What is loving, what is hating? 
 What is laughing, what is crying? 
 What is living, what is dying? 
 When th beginning, when the ending? 
 What are atoms, when created ? 
 What is light, and what is darkness? 
 What is real, what is shadow? 
 What is fire, and what is water? 
 Why doth th pole attract the magnet? 
 What is the power that keeps in motion 
 The countless stars, the countless planets? 
 What is soul, and what is spirit? 
 What is God, the great Creator? 
 What creation, when created? 
 Whence came man, and what his future? 
 How doth the flower take on its color? 
 How doth the tree take on its fruitage? 
 Is this world but one of many? 
 Is it slowly dying, dying? 
 Born of fire that will destroy it? 
 
 186 
 
"WHAT WILL THEY SAW 
 
 Why / am They, so what care I 
 What people say, what people do? 
 Though I will do the best I can 
 That I may nothing have to rue. 
 
 I ll ride or walk, or stay at home. 
 If They see fit to criticise, 
 Most welcome They to scan my life, 
 And find the worst that in me lies. 
 
 My dress shall be black, white or blue, 
 Red, yellow, purple, pink or green. 
 It may be of the latest mode, 
 Or not another like it seen. 
 
 I will not bow to people s gods 
 Unless my reason tells me to, 
 Two people never think the same 
 For there are many points of view. 
 
 I am a law unto myself, 
 No one shall ever for me think. 
 No one shall say what I may read, 
 E en though I may be on the brink 
 
 187 
 
Of losing caste with the elect; 
 But what from them shall I e er gain? 
 I ll read whatever books I please, 
 And no one o er my soul shall reign. 
 
 I will not be a slave to They 
 Imprisoned I will never be 
 By what They say, or what They do 
 For in this world I will be free. 
 
 My God is God of love and peace, 
 And all His precepts are divine. 
 To me, my God is all in all, 
 And I will worship at His shrine. 
 
 188 
 
TO A METEOR. 
 
 How earnest thou to visit earth, 
 
 And what thy message here? 
 Art thou an omen of ill luck, 
 
 Or bringest thou good cheer? 
 
 Our ears are deaf; we cannot hear 
 
 Our eyes, too blind to see 
 What use thou art in heaven, or earth, 
 
 How cam st thou to be free ? 
 
 As thou didst journey down through space, 
 
 What wonders met thy view? 
 Canst thou tell us of other worlds, 
 
 Or vainly shall we sue ? 
 
 We wish to know if thy lost home 
 
 Is peopled like our own 
 Are other planets without life? 
 
 As thistle-down e er blown 
 
 Around, about, in unknown space, 
 
 In starry heavens grand; 
 Cast off as a dead useless thing, 
 
 Though fashioned by God s hand. 
 
 189 
 
Thou teachest us how small we are, 
 
 How little we do know. 
 Thou may st have wandered down through 
 space 
 
 Not knowing where to go. 
 
 But now thou hast a resting place 
 
 Upon our little earth : 
 Mayhap thou hast forgotten e en 
 
 The place where thou hadst birth. 
 
 190 
 
A MESSAGE. 
 
 I was sitting in the gloaming 
 
 Thinking of the dear departed; 
 
 When a sweet low voice addressed me, 
 
 " I am with thee, when thou need st me 
 
 Fear thou not to call upon me." 
 
 I am from the land of spirits, 
 
 Come to help the sorrow stricken, 
 
 God hath given His permission 
 
 That I come to those in sorrow. 
 
 Fear thou not, the law is perfect. 
 
 Soul to soul is e er united 
 
 If they live in sweet communion. 
 
 Thou was left and 1 was taken - 
 
 Fare thee well, but for a little. 
 
 I am called to other duties, 
 
 But will come when thou dost need me- 
 
 Thou must take up all thy burdens 
 
 Ever help thy weaker brother; 
 
 This is Lan\ and thou must live it. 
 
 191 
 
PEACE. 
 
 Drop life s crosses by the way, 
 Carry peace and courage on. 
 You have untold blessings yet 
 You have many victories won. 
 
 Peace should guide you while on earth 
 Peace awaits you bye and bye. 
 Peace should be your guiding star, 
 It is ever in life s sky. 
 
 Peace doth hover ever near, 
 And will brood you neath her wings. 
 She will give you comfort e er; 
 And melodious songs she sings. 
 
 Faith in God will give you peace, 
 Heaven is better than this earth. 
 Take your blessings thankfully, 
 Heaven was yours before your birth. 
 
 192 
 
GOOD NIGHT. 
 
 I soon shall go to sleep, dear 
 A sweet and dreamless sleep, 
 
 But angels will watch o er me, 
 So do not for me weep. 
 
 Our faith is strong, and grounded 
 Upon Truth s solid rock; 
 
 Twas old in the beginning, 
 No dogma can it shock. 
 
 Too many grope in darkness, 
 
 Uncertain of the light, 
 They know not their foundation - 
 
 Live ever in the night. 
 
 There is a Power that ruleth, 
 
 Around, about, above, 
 We never doubt the goodness, 
 
 We never doubt the love 
 
 Of God, the "Great Creator"- 
 We live and move in Him: 
 
 Amid His glorious sunshine, 
 Out of life s shadows dim. 
 
 193 
 
Good night, .my dear Good morning 
 
 Is not so far away, 
 Though life has many shadows, 
 
 They vanish at death s day. 
 
 194 
 
LETTER FROM PEEK A BOO. 
 
 I do not want to go to school, 
 (This is from Peek A Boo.) 
 
 I know enough to read and write, 
 And how much more do you? 
 
 Geography I simply hate, 
 
 And grammar I abhor. 
 I know enough to state my wants: 
 
 What more is grammar for: 
 
 I think I ll learn a little Erench, 
 
 I want to go to France, 
 In Paris I d enjoy myself, 
 
 On Boulevarde would dance. 
 
 Arithmetic I know quite well, 
 Know two and two are four; 
 
 And I can count to twenty-five, 
 So what do I want more? 
 
 In spelling words I m an adept, 
 Can you spell to, too, two? 
 
 If not, I ll spell them all for you 
 Yours truly, Peek A Boo. 
 
 195 
 
A SONG OF THANKS. 
 
 I thank Thee, God, for loving friends 
 
 With hearts attuned to mine. 
 Though love may sometimes selfish be, 
 
 More often tis divine. 
 
 We ll tune our hearts to sing Love s lay, 
 
 Have heaven here below. 
 We ll banish envy, malice, hate, 
 
 Have joy instead of woe. 
 
 Then angel choir with us will join 
 
 To sing Love s symphony. 
 Peace and good will shall be the song 
 
 Throughout eternity. 
 
 O Lord of Hosts! From whence came we 
 
 And whither shall we go ? 
 No wish of ours brought us to earth, 
 
 Though Thou dost love bestow. 
 
 Again I thank Thee, God of love 
 
 For all Thy mercies great. 
 No man can understand Thy power 
 
 Though long he pray and wait. 
 
 196 
 
NEW YEAR S BELLS. 
 
 The New Year s bells are ringing 
 
 O list to what they say ! 
 Though old year has departed, 
 
 And all its flowers decay. 
 
 New flowers are ever blooming 
 
 Within a loving heart, 
 Be thankful for life s blessings, 
 
 In life do well your part. 
 
 Another year is buried: 
 
 In grave interred full deep. 
 
 Its flowers are dead, or dying, 
 But why for them now weep ? 
 
 Fresh flowers will bloom tomorrow, 
 
 The same as yesterday; 
 We ll pluck them in life s morning, 
 
 Dark clouds will clear away. 
 
 Today is bright and joyous; 
 
 Another year is born; 
 We ll crown it with sweet roses, 
 
 On brow put not one thorn. 
 
 197 
 
The years are coming, going, 
 
 And so is life on earth. 
 Though tears are ever falling, 
 
 There is enough of mirth 
 
 To give us joy and pleasure, 
 And make us glad to live; 
 
 To make us ever thankful, 
 And willing to forgive. 
 
 Our life is worth the living, 
 If we but have one flower 
 
 To give to him who needs it, 
 And love upon him shower. 
 
 The New Year s bells are ringing, 
 They seem to sound a knell, 
 
 But joy is in their pealing, 
 
 Ring on, O, New Year s bell! 
 
 198 
 
THE PARTING OF THE WATERS. 
 
 The parting of the waters, 
 The parting of the way! 
 In life tis ever parting, 
 Its laws we must obey. 
 
 " We parted yester-morning, 
 
 So dreary was the day; 
 We met again at evening, 
 And buried yesterday. 
 
 Life is made up of partings, 
 Life is made up of tears 
 
 Though there is much of pleasure 
 In all the passing years. 
 
 We ll take life as we find it, 
 We re happier so to do 
 
 The meeting of the waters 
 Brings ever something new. 
 
 The parting of the waters, 
 
 The ebbing of the tide 
 Will drown our cares and troubles 
 Out in life s ocean wide. 
 
 199 
 
TOMORROW. 
 
 We are happy in the morrow, 
 
 But why not so today ? 
 We may never see tomorrow, 
 
 E en though for it we pray. 
 
 We are ever looking forward 
 
 For happiness and peace. 
 We forget tis but the present 
 
 On which we hold a lease. 
 
 Though in heaven we lay up treasures, 
 We gathered them on earth; 
 
 And today we still must gather, 
 Tomorrow there is dearth. 
 
 And the yesterday we ll bury, 
 
 For yesterday is dead ; 
 We ll forget it had existence; 
 
 The earth is now its bed. 
 
 On its grave we ll plant some flowers, 
 
 Then strive to it forget, 
 It gave to us some pleasure, 
 
 As well as some regret. 
 
 200 
 
LIFE S CROSSES. 
 
 Though your cross seems all too heavy, 
 And life s thorns oft pierce your brow, 
 Though life s path is strewn with brambles, 
 To conditions you must bow. 
 
 There are thorns among life s roses, 
 There are crosses everywhere; 
 And a cross for each to carry, 
 And each one his own must bear. 
 
 Though your path be steep and rugged, 
 And you wear a crown of thorns; 
 Often after storm clouds gather, 
 There are brightest golden morns. 
 
 And though life be dark and gloomy, 
 Seeming more than you can bear, 
 E er be patient on your journey, 
 For some sorrow each must bear. 
 
 Though you bend beneath life s crosses, 
 Never sink to dark despair, 
 For a crown of thornless roses 
 Is awaiting you somewhere. 
 
 201 
 
ALONE. 
 
 All alone, and yet not lonely, 
 For sweet Nature speaks to me, 
 And her voice is sweetest music; 
 Is to me a symphony. 
 
 All the Mowers seem to whisper 
 Words of love to me alway, 
 Sending forth their fragrance ever 
 To us all, on life s highway. 
 
 And the robin sings sweet love-notes, 
 As he warbles to his mate 
 Lovingly he seeks to win her, 
 Never trills one note of hate. 
 
 And the rain-drops gently falling, 
 Seem to kiss the window pane; 
 Then a tear-drop at the evening 
 Seems to sing a sad refrain. 
 
 E en the wind sometimes seems singing 
 To the flowers, a lullaby. 
 Oft I hear it sighing, moaning, 
 Singing anthems from on high. 
 
 202 
 
E en the morning stars are singing, 
 And perhaps the evening stars 
 Answer back from out the darkness: 
 Answer back in rhythmic bars. 
 
 So I never can be lonely, 
 
 Even though I am alone 
 
 Eor sweet Nature sings an anthem ; 
 
 (E en though sometimes tis a moan.) 
 
 All alone but not forsaken. 
 Nature has me in her care ; 
 She will teach me the true meaning 
 Of her language everywhere. 
 
 1 will trust the God of Nature, 
 For I know that He doth reign ; 
 That He guides and governs Nature, 
 And at last high heaven I ll gain. 
 
 203 
 
FRIENDSHIP S GIFTS. 
 
 A gift is of no value 
 
 Unless it is a part 
 And parcel of the giver, 
 
 And comes frnm loving heart. 
 
 Accept this slight memento; 
 
 It bears kind thoughts to thee. 
 Good wishes for thee ever 
 
 Tis friendship s gift from me. 
 
 To give because another 
 Has made a gift to you; 
 
 Because you think you ought to 
 You will the gift e er rue. 
 
 Just give because you want to, 
 And do not strive to show 
 
 That you have done a favor, 
 For thus you ll make a foe. 
 
 204 
 
THE MORNING AND EVENING OF LIFE. 
 
 Youth brings to us sweet roses, 
 
 But age has golden sheaves 
 To twine in Love s sweet garland, 
 
 And bind among the sheaves 
 That life is ever giving 
 
 To youth s bright golden morn. 
 In autumn, leaves are falling: 
 
 The flowers of spring are gone. 
 
 But age has compensation; 
 
 Experience is won 
 Though youthful charms have vanished, 
 
 And Love s young dream is gone; 
 Life s road has had its roses 
 
 E er blooming on its way. 
 Though clouds shut out some sunlight, 
 
 Full oft there was a ray 
 
 That brightened all life s morning, 
 
 Dispersing shadows aye 
 Though withered leaves, Age garners 
 
 When Youth has passed away. 
 
 205 
 
But there is an awakening 
 
 For Youth and Age some day 
 
 They both must give accounting 
 For time that s passed away. 
 
 206 
 
BUILDING. 
 
 Perhaps I may have builded 
 Much better than I know; 
 
 Have saved some one from trouble, 
 Have saved some one from woe. 
 
 A word when fitly spoken 
 
 Will travel on its way 
 Until it finds a harbor 
 
 To anchor and to stay. 
 
 The word mayhap has fallen 
 Where it will do most good; 
 
 By it some one has risen, 
 Temptation has withstood. 
 
 We little know when building 
 Life s structure, from our birth, 
 
 That not one word is buried, 
 Decaying in the earth. 
 
 We raise a tower to heaven, 
 If we but build with love; 
 
 But strong must be foundation 
 If we would rest above. 
 
 207 
 
ANCESTRY. 
 
 Tis not of my great ancestors 
 That I would speak or write today; 
 Although I may be proud of them, 
 They all have passed from earth away. 
 
 Tis better far to lead a life 
 Of helpfulness to brother man; 
 Than boast of those who lived their life, 
 And passed away fore ours began. 
 
 Tis not of royal lineage 
 
 That I should ever once be proud; 
 
 But, that on my escutcheon 
 
 There ne er has been a single cloud. 
 
 It is of what I ve done myself, 
 
 And all that I have yet to do 
 
 The good I ve wrought by word, or deed, 
 
 With nothing in my life to rue. 
 
 I ll try to leave a record clean, 
 
 And one that will an honor be, 
 
 Though knowing naught from whence I came, 
 
 I ll build for an eternity. 
 
 208 
 
Though from the dust I may have come, 
 And to the dust may soon return, 
 While there is life I still must work; 
 Life s lesson I must daily learn. 
 
 And may my life untainted be, 
 Not bear the semblance of a cloud. 
 A life of service to mankind; 
 No selfish thought should it enshroud. 
 
 Time rushes on with lightning speed, 
 And soon life s hour-glass empty stands. 
 My soul cries out to Thee, my God! 
 A heavenly home my soul demands. 
 
 Though life should be a dream of bliss, 
 I would not on this earth e er stay; 
 I know that I should weary be 
 And e en for death would often pray. 
 
 209 
 
TRUE FRIENDSHIP. 
 
 Blest is the man who has a friend 
 Whom he can trust alway; 
 Who always knows just when to speak, 
 And just what he should say. 
 
 He gives advice when he is asked, 
 But does not volunteer 
 To tell his friends what they should do 
 He keeps in his own sphere. 
 
 Perchance we may have such a friend, 
 If so to him be true. 
 A wisdom lesson take of him 
 His teaching keep in view. 
 
 WELCOME. 
 
 The latch-string hangs outside our door 
 
 Our welcome is inside. 
 Just give the string a gentle pull 
 
 An th door will open wide. 
 Within, are hearts brimful of love, 
 
 True hearts that beat for you. 
 There shall be naught to mar your stay, 
 
 And love is but your due. 
 
 210 
 
REGRETS ARE VAIN. 
 
 If thou hast wronged thy brother man, 
 Begin today to right the wrong; 
 Then life will be a symphony; 
 No sad refrain will end life s song. 
 
 But having wronged thy brother man, 
 What is the use of vain regret? 
 The past can never be recalled : 
 Then the sad past try to forget. 
 
 When wrong is done what need is there 
 O er it to worry or to fret? 
 Thou hast no time to think of past 
 When present problems must be met. 
 
 Much better spend what time thou hast 
 In doing what you think is right; 
 Than fretting o er the useless past, 
 Thus bringing to thy life a blight. 
 
 If thou couldst live thy life again, 
 With all the knowledge thou now hast, 
 Couldst thou a better record make, 
 Than thou hast made in the dim past? 
 
 211 
 
Then fret not o er a misspent past 
 Tis dead, and should be buried too. 
 Today, O cover it with flowers! 
 And gather heart s-ease stead of rue. 
 
 Thy sins were all through ignorance, 
 But now that lesson hath been met; 
 Thou knowest well that thy dead past 
 Is not atoned for by regret. 
 
 Whate er thy sin, O, bury it 
 So deep it will forgotten be! 
 On it build monument of love, 
 Thou buildeth for eternity. 
 
 212 
 
LEARN HOW TO LIVE. 
 
 O, I would know just how to live, 
 To do my work each day. 
 
 Tis better far to help mankind 
 Than bow to earth and pray. 
 
 There s work for all of us to do; 
 
 To do while here on earth; 
 The work perhaps mapped out for us, 
 
 Designed before our birth. 
 
 Though prayer may help to elevate 
 Our thoughts to higher things, 
 
 By prayer alone we do no good 
 For us it never brings 
 
 A happy home, nor food, nor clothes 
 For these, we all must work 
 
 By manual labor, or by brains. 
 No duty then e er shirk. 
 
 We should then study how to live. 
 
 The lesson, how to die. 
 Is ever given us at death : 
 
 W 7 e need not question why. 
 
 213 
 
There is an over ruling power. 
 
 We asked not for earth life 
 And oft, some one so weary is 
 
 Of all the earthly strife 
 
 That he must bear (though oft he pray: ) 
 
 He falls upon life s road, 
 And gladly shuts his eyes in death, 
 
 And drops life s heavy load. 
 
 Then learn to live, tis better far 
 
 Life s lesson to learn well, 
 Than spend your days in worrying 
 
 O er home where we shall dwell. 
 
 We help to build that home each day 
 
 By what we say, and do. 
 Each day shall be a judgment day, 
 
 Each night our work review, 
 
 And if we find e en one mistake, 
 
 Correct it if we can ; 
 If not, life s structure will be weak; 
 
 On home will rest a ban. 
 
 214 
 
NO ONE IS EXEMPT EROM TROUBLE. 
 
 Bear your cross, and bear it bravely, 
 
 Eor your good tis on you lain. 
 No one else can bear it for you : 
 
 Never cross is borne in vain. 
 
 Other backs must bend neath burdens, 
 Every one some cross must bear. 
 
 Trouble seems the gift of demons 
 There are burdens everywhere. 
 
 Dire mistakes we re ever making, 
 
 Filling life with vain regrets: 
 But regrets can never help us 
 
 Ignorance must pay its debts. 
 
 And perhaps we learn a lesson 
 
 When we break just Nature s laws 
 
 Just the same, for it we suffer, 
 E en though ignorance the cause. 
 
 Stand erect, and fight life s battles, 
 
 And a victory you ll win 
 If you conquer one temptation, 
 
 You have helped to vanquish sin. 
 
 215 
 
SOUL MATES. 
 
 O, 1 can never thee forget! 
 
 My dear and loving friend. 
 For loving thoughts in souls entwined 
 
 Can never have an end. 
 
 Our souls united were, in past, 
 Though when, I do not know. 
 
 But they were joined by Love himself, 
 For happiness, not woe. 
 
 If souls have met, though seas divide, 
 
 They cannot parted be. 
 There is a cord of love that binds 
 
 Throughout eternity. 
 
 Though hands are never clasped in love, 
 Nor lips frame words of cheer, 
 
 The soul needs not these earthly signs 
 To tell that each is dear. 
 
 1 pray that we meet not on earth, 
 
 For eyes speak love untold! 
 When souls are joined by loving thoughts, 
 
 In heaven they will unfold. 
 
 216 
 
Though man may often prove untrue, 
 
 He never can forget; 
 For untrue thoughts are stamped on brain 
 
 In letters of regret. 
 
 But love of souls is ever pure 
 
 In it there is no guile. 
 The soul is pure, e en though man sins; 
 
 For naught can it defile. 
 
 All evil thoughts are from the brain; 
 
 Their home is not the soul. 
 For soul is spark direct from God 
 
 To guide, but not control. 
 
 In heaven there s nothing to forgive; 
 
 Life s page we need not scan. 
 Erased is every evil thought; 
 
 On it there is no ban. 
 
 And now farewell tis better so 
 
 An ideal love is ours; 
 E en though we never meet on earth, 
 
 We ll dwell in heavenly bowers. 
 
 217 
 
THE SEA-KING S LOVE. 
 
 Once a sea-king fell in love 
 With a pretty sea-nymph gay, 
 And he ordered all sea-waves 
 To declare his love straightway. 
 
 She returned his love at first 
 All too soon she tired of him. 
 She complained her home was dark, 
 That it made her eyes grow dim. 
 
 And the music of the waves 
 Ever seemed sad notes of pain ; 
 Joyous songs they never sang, 
 And her love was on the wane. 
 
 But the wish of one wee nymph 
 Ne er can stay a sea-king s will. 
 Sad sea-waves sing ever on ; 
 Earthly power cannot them still. 
 
 Sing on ! sing on ! the king commands ! 
 " Disobedience is a crime. 
 Sad though songs, ye must sing on 
 Ye must sing throughout all time." 
 
 218 
 
Chant your song, O sea-waves, chant! 
 There is naught your song can stay. 
 In the morning, at the eve 
 E er the King of kings obey. 
 
 Though a sea-nymph may complain, 
 I will gladly list to you, 
 As you dash upon life s shore 
 Ever old, yet ever new. 
 
 Gloomy though your singing is, 
 Joy may in your song be heard; 
 For the waves reflect our moods; 
 Chant a dirge; trill song of bird. 
 
 219 
 
TEMPEST TOSSED. 
 
 A storm was raging on the deep 
 
 Began at early dawn ; 
 Each moment stronger grew the gale 
 
 The sailors were forlorn. 
 
 The captain had forsaken ship, 
 
 He lay beneath the waves. 
 The sails were gone: the vessel plunged, 
 
 And many found their graves 
 
 Beneath the angry billows cold. 
 
 No one knew what to do, 
 But tried to save the sinking ship, 
 
 This brave and gallant crew. 
 
 The day grew dark, with black, black clouds 
 
 And darker was the night. 
 But men so loyal and so brave 
 
 Could not give up the fight. 
 
 Next morn the storm had cleared away; 
 
 There was some light ahead. 
 The waves, atoning for the past, 
 
 Sang requiem for the dead. 
 
 ***** 
 
 220 
 
We re tempest tossed on life s rough sea, 
 Our chart and compass gone. 
 
 With tattered sails and boats adrift 
 Have we one vict ry won 
 
 In life s hard battles for the right? 
 
 Have we done any good 
 To fellow-man on life s highway? 
 
 Temptations e er withstood. 
 
 God is the captain of life s ship 
 Though ship is tossed by waves 
 
 And battered by the storms of life, 
 God hears our cry and saves. 
 
 Though storms may rage and billows roll, 
 There s naught can overwhelm 
 
 Our ship of life, however weak, 
 For God is at the helm! 
 
 God is the captain of our soul, 
 
 E en though we re tempest tossed, 
 
 We know that we shall reach our port ; 
 Our soul will not be lost. 
 
 221 
 
We will at last reach heaven s port, 
 And anchor safely there, 
 
 When earthly voyage ended is, 
 God will for us still care. 
 
 222 
 
CONSCIENCK IS THE JUDGMENT SEAT. 
 
 Though I am not afraid to die, 
 
 I am afraid to live. 
 Life s problems are too deep for me 
 
 Unless I can forgive 
 
 The sins that I commit each day, 
 
 They will not be forgiven. 
 My day-book must not spotted be, 
 
 I must in soul find heaven. 
 
 And I must keep my soul e er pure, 
 
 A fit abode for God. 
 And yet, it may be, every sin 
 
 Is buried neath the sod. 
 
 Until we can forgive ourselves 
 
 Mistakes we make each day; 
 God will not one of them forgive, 
 
 E en though to Him we pray. 
 
 If our own sins we can forgive, 
 
 Be sure they are forgiven. 
 The Judgment Seat is in the soul 
 
 The soul, with God in heaven. 
 
 223 
 
IT IS WRITTEN. 
 
 We have turned a leaf in a volume, 
 That has covered a written page. 
 Though by us it may be forgotten 
 It had birth in th soul of a sage. 
 
 We are writing, writing forever; 
 We are writing with fadeless ink. 
 And each day, life s page we are turning, 
 And are ever forging a link 
 
 That doth bind our life s book so strongly 
 It can never more be destroyed; 
 And some day when we scan its pages, 
 We shall find some fair page devoid 
 
 Of the good which we might have written, 
 
 But alas! it is now too late! 
 
 We can never change word, nor sentence, 
 
 E en though sounding a note of hate. 
 * * * * # 
 
 We should turn back life s page each evening, 
 And the record read of the day, 
 And if page is soiled by injustice, 
 Try to cover the stain straightaway. 
 
 224 
 
We may sometimes know the wise reason 
 Why our life is filled with regret; 
 Why temptations ever surround us, 
 And by them, why we are beset. 
 
 There are thorns on all of life s roses, 
 And a worm may blight the young bud, 
 Ever vain regrets will confront us 
 Deadly poisons lurk in life s blood. 
 
 We must study life as we find it; 
 Ever do the best that we can. 
 Ev ry day overcome some evil, 
 Thus removing from life some ban. 
 
 Ev ry day live nearer to heaven, 
 All the sins of earth cast away. 
 Living up to our highest standard, 
 And the laws of our soul obey. 
 
 For our life is a written volume, 
 
 And each day is a record brief, 
 
 We should read each day what is written, 
 
 Though some page may bring to us grief. 
 
 225 
 
THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE. " 
 
 * Waiting the word of the Master;" 
 
 But who may the Master be? 
 Can it be the soul within us 
 Ever struggling to be free? 
 
 Is it what has once been taught us 
 
 In a former life on earth? 
 Is it what we gather daily, 
 
 Or the lessons fore our birth. 
 
 Though what e er may be the lesson, 
 
 For the truth, I only pray; 
 And I pray for guidance ever, 
 
 For the truth I would obey. 
 
 In all creeds there is some wisdom, 
 
 And may I the wisdom grasp. 
 Though it be from pen of " heathen ", 
 
 His hand I ll most gladly clasp. 
 
 For the truth, where e er I find it, 
 Is the truth, though in new guise; 
 
 And whoever learns the lesson, 
 And accepts but truth, is wise. 
 
 226 
 
Then await the word of th Master 
 It will come some day to you; 
 
 For the path of truth be watchful, 
 It is old, but ever new. 
 
 On the banner of the Master 
 
 I will now my name enroll; 
 For he gladly helps me nurture 
 
 Ev ry truth within my soul. 
 
 I ll be governed in the future 
 
 By the trnth within my soul. 
 Though there s seeming truth in falsehood 
 
 No false note shall me control. 
 
 Ev ry nation, and all peoples 
 Have the truth in some degree, 
 
 If they walk in th Master s footsteps 
 From all errors they ll be free. 
 
 Now I hear the Master calling: 
 
 And this message is for me. 
 " Live the life that I am teaching, 
 
 And the truth shall make you free." 
 
 227 
 
MOTHER NATURE. 
 
 Dear Mother Nature, I would be 
 In closest harmony with thee. 
 With patience I would bear each cross; 
 There s much to gain in every loss. 
 
 Though ills may come I d be content, 
 With thankful heart take what is sent. 
 Perfection is not our behest 
 Life s lessons all, are for the best. 
 
 E en though we have so much to bear, 
 We re ever in the Master s care. 
 Temptations we have oft withstood; 
 Perhaps e en thev were for our good. 
 
 I ll try e ermore to be content, 
 Accept with patience what is sent. 
 Will give to others of my joy, 
 Then life will be without alloy. 
 
 Will not repine at any ill, 
 
 Will try each duty to fulfill. 
 
 And all my burdens will lay down 
 
 Accept each cross, thus win a crown. 
 
 228 
 
THE MOUNTAIN BROOK. 
 
 O, laughing, talking, singing brook! 
 Within thy depths I gladly look 
 Of thee a lesson I would learn; 
 With humble thoughts to thee I turn. 
 
 Thou art e er struggling to be free, 
 And gain thy home, the deep blue sea. 
 The sun-god often kisses thee, 
 As thou dost journey to the sea. 
 
 Though rough thy way, naught can impede 
 Thy journey onward, nor thy speed. 
 By thee, O brook, I love to stay, 
 And listen to thy voice alway. 
 
 Though oft with anger thou seem st filled, 
 And voice is loud (will not be stilled) 
 Sometimes it seems to gently drone, 
 Thy former anger to condone. 
 
 Our life is as the running brook 
 We never pause by way to look 
 At rocks, nor pitfalls in the way, 
 For Nature s laws we must obey. 
 
 229 
 
The laughing brook sings songs of joy, 
 Its voice is sweet, but will not cloy. 
 It rushes on with headlong speed, 
 E en rocks will not its course impede. 
 
 It sometimes seems to speak to us 
 Sweet words of cheer, all glorious. 
 It whispers this, "O, peace, be still!" 
 " Obey! It is your Master s will! " 
 
 The brook will go forever on, 
 E en in the sea no rest is won. 
 O singing brook, thou seem st to be 
 A type of immortality! 
 
 230 
 
THE CHAIN OF LIFE. 
 
 How strangely familiar all that I see! 
 
 The swift running brook, the wide-spreading tree; 
 
 The songs of the birds that now I adore, 
 
 I feel I have heard in ages before. 
 
 Though I may have lived a life before this, 
 A failure it was, with little of bliss. 
 These scenes are not new, nor either my life, 
 With all of its struggles, all of its strife. 
 
 If from the dim past I ve come to this earth, 
 And brought nothing new, what use is rebirth? 
 Past memories haunt me, few of them sweet, 
 As walking this earth again I them meet. 
 
 Is life on this earth one strong endless chain - 
 With little of joy o er balanced by pain? 
 And shall I e er travel ever, and on, 
 In ages to come, as in ages long gone? 
 
 O, spare me, my God! I cannot this bear 
 The thought is appalling! I cannot e en dare 
 To hold this dark dream! It burdens my soul 
 To think that this earth shall again be my goal. 
 
 231 
 
What good was past life if nothing was wrought? 
 Grand lessons in past I should have been taught. 
 The future avails not, living e er on, 
 If past has not helped me battles been won. 
 
 If future has nothing better than past, 
 I m ready for death. Aside Twill cast 
 This seeming strong chain which I cannot break- 
 So binding its links, no new ones I make. 
 
 E er coming and going never at rest 
 E er struggling for life is this our behest? 
 E er righting hard battles, ever at war, 
 Conditions so hard is this a just law? 
 
 Forever and aye no rest for my soul, 
 To struggle e er on, ne er reaching my goal. 
 I cannot believe this, though oft in my sleep, 
 For seeming past griefs I bitterly weep. 
 
 If dreary grim phantom over my past, 
 A will-o -the-wisp o er me was cast, 
 For future bright life I never can hope : 
 With problem so drear I wish not to cope. 
 
 232 
 
I wish to go on, retrace not my steps, 
 E er rising, progressing out of the depths, 
 The stars I will soar to, high is my goal 
 E er onward for aye the race of my soul. 
 
 I ask not to tarry, nor rest by the way; 
 I m working for soul-growth ever and aye. 
 At last I will gain my spirit s fond dream 
 I soar e en to heaven of it catch a gleam. 
 
 And God I will reach His kingdom my home- 
 And when I shall gain the apex, His dome, 
 I ll come not to earth. Absorbed in His love, 
 Contented I ll be, and happy above. 
 
 233 
 
LIFE S GOLDEN MORNS. 
 
 We must do our every duty, 
 Ne er forgetting that tis best 
 
 To be cheerful, to be happy; 
 Sorrow is not our behest. 
 
 We should ever seek the sunshine. 
 
 There are clouds upon life s sky, 
 But they vanish fore the sunbeams, 
 
 Erom the sun-god they will fly. 
 
 There are brambles, there are pitfalls, 
 By life s path, upon life s way; 
 
 But we need not stumble o er them, 
 If from path we do not stray. 
 
 We will seek the good, and hold it. 
 
 Cast the evil to the wind. 
 Do the work that is before us, 
 
 And life s bright path try to find. 
 
 Jf we look for clouds, we see them, 
 Clouds oft gather in life s sky; 
 
 But the rainbow is behind them, 
 We shall see it bye and bye. 
 * * ft 
 
 234 
 
Seek not trouble then, my brother; 
 
 It is better to be free 
 From the thorns upon life s roadway 
 
 Pluck the roses that you see. 
 
 There is more of light than shadow; 
 
 More of roses than of thorns. 
 Seeking heaven you re sure to find it. 
 
 Only seek life s golden morns. 
 
 You can make of earth a heaven, 
 Or be pierced by life s sharp thorns. 
 
 Oft, too oft, the blackest midnights 
 Follow after golden morns. 
 
 235 
 
LIFE S HIGHWAY. 
 
 Though path may be rugged, 
 
 And heavy thy load; 
 Full many thy burdens, 
 
 And dreary, life s road. 
 
 Press onward with courage; 
 
 Life s way is not long; 
 Beginning with wailing, 
 
 It endeth in song. 
 
 Then carry each burden, 
 
 Have patience alway, 
 Remembering ever 
 
 Tis darkest fore day. 
 
 Though darkness surround thee, 
 
 Have never a fear. 
 The Father protects thee 
 
 He ever is near. 
 
 Life s sky may be cloudy, 
 
 But clouds pass away, 
 And God s brightest sunshine 
 
 Will lighten thy way. 
 
 236 
 
FORSAKEN. 
 
 O, why didst thou leave me? 
 
 Sometime thou It regret 
 The step thou hast taken 
 
 Thou canst not forget 
 The home once so happy, 
 
 Aye filled with sweet peace; 
 Tis now filled with sorrow, 
 
 O, will it ne er cease? 
 
 I know thou wast happy 
 
 In days that are past 
 In home was no shadow, 
 
 No gloom overcast 
 The light of our home-life, 
 
 Too happy to last 
 Dost think, my beloved one, 
 
 My life thou wilt blast? 
 
 Come back, I implore thee ! 
 
 And I will forget 
 The sin of thy leaving 
 
 Thou shalt not regret 
 
 237 
 
The day of thy coming, 
 For happy thou lt be; 
 
 From sin s heavy thraldom 
 Thou wilt then be free. 
 
 Come back to me, darling! 
 
 O, list to my call! 
 My life is so dreary 
 
 On heart is a pall ! 
 Come back, O, my loved one! 
 
 Though false thou hast been, 
 With joy I ll forgive thee, 
 
 Forget e en thy sin. 
 
 238 
 
ONE STEP AT A TIME. 
 
 One step at a time on life s journey, 
 O, take but one step at a time. 
 The highway of life has deep pitfalls, 
 Rough hills we have ever to climb. 
 
 By roadside, sometimes we have fallen, 
 But courage has helped us alway. 
 Sometimes we have traveled in darkness, 
 But morning broke clear on our way. 
 
 Life s journey will soon be accomplished, 
 The mile-stones now scattered by way 
 At last seem to lap o er each other; 
 Life s journey grows shorter each day. 
 
 And soon we shall enter the portal; 
 
 The gate even now, is ajar; 
 
 One step, and we cross Death s dark threshold, 
 
 We re tired, we have journeyed so far. 
 ***** 
 
 The light of the morning is breaking, 
 
 The night of our life is now past. 
 
 We ve gained what in life we ve been seeking, 
 
 High heaven is ours at the last. 
 
 239 
 
THE GREAT WHITE LIGHT. 
 
 In the great white light of loving, 
 In the great white light of peace, 
 Our sad hearts will find true comfort, 
 And will evermore find surcease 
 
 From all trouble, from all sadness, 
 And will bathe in the great light 
 That doth come e er from the Father, 
 Even in the blackest night. 
 
 And this light will be our safeguard, 
 And will stay with us for aye, 
 If we kindle it with love-light 
 That should come to us each day. 
 
 In the great white light of reason 
 We must judge of neighbor s life, 
 And by self we should judge others, 
 They have struggles, they have strife. 
 
 When we sit in life s sad gloaming 
 We shall think of th morning gone, 
 But if we have done each duty 
 We, at least, have battles won 
 
 240 
 
Over self, and sore temptations 
 We have conquered in life s fight. 
 We have felt the joy of service, 
 And have gained the Great White Light. 
 
 Sometime in the bright hereafter 
 We shall solve life s mystery; 
 We shall reap what we ve been sowing, 
 What will then, the harvest be? 
 
 If Love s light is ever shining, 
 It will blend with light above ; 
 For our Father knows our struggles, 
 And will help us with His love. 
 
 And this light within is shining, 
 
 E er to help us on life s way. 
 
 We should keep Love s lamp e er burning 
 
 And "The Great White Light Obey!" 
 
 241 
 
THE SUN S LOVEMAKING. 
 
 The sun kissed the mountain good night, 
 Then hid his face behind a cloud. 
 Soon tears were falling on the earth, 
 In sky there was a black, black cloud. 
 
 A pall fell o er the mountain-top, 
 Which seemed to sleep in direst gloom; 
 Love threw a mantle o er his bride, 
 Twas woven on Love s own fair loom. 
 
 The mount, now bathed in Love s own light, 
 Seemed brighter e en than yesterday; 
 It dressed itself in flowers sweet, 
 The birds now sang a roundelay. 
 
 All nature now seemed filled with love: 
 The sun looked down with happiest smile, 
 And tarried on the mountain crest: 
 His love words did the mount beguile. 
 
 242 
 
FRAGMENTS. 
 
 We will "gather up the fragments, 
 That nothing may be lost. 
 
 As the ship of Truth awaits you, 
 Be not by error tossed. 
 
 Some may eat these crumbs with pleasure, 
 
 While others may not care 
 To accept my loaves and fishes. 
 
 As on life s road they fare. 
 
 Some may eat of what I give them, 
 
 And some may cast away 
 Crumbs that they consider worthless; 
 
 They have this right alway. 
 
 And we know that brothers, sisters, 
 
 Have rights as well as we, 
 And to choose what may best please them; 
 
 They have full liberty. 
 
 * * * * * 
 
 If you have sweet peace at fireside, 
 
 And truth in heart alway; 
 Give your heart to those in trouble 
 
 Tis better than to pray. 
 
 243 
 
If by Truth you e er are guided, 
 
 You will in safety rest. 
 You will gain the port of Heaven 
 
 And love is your behest. 
 
 You may gather up life s fragments, 
 And give them to mankind; 
 
 But if they will not accept them, 
 Their souls try not to bind. 
 
 Now the fragments have been chosen, 
 
 And all of them are here; 
 And with kindest wishes given 
 
 Were written without fear. 
 
 Now among these verses simple 
 
 Is written one for you; 
 And by searching you will find it 
 
 It may give pleasure too. 
 
Return *> desk from which borrowed 
 on the , ast d ate stamped 
 
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 2? 
 
 NOV2H953 
 SENT ON IU 
 
 JAN 2 6 1994 
 
 U -C. BERKELEY 
 
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 MA/? o f Q3J 
 
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YB 
 
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