Poems

Happy Christmas, dear teacher, happy Christmas to you! May anthems be written, be songs sung anew, To show through the darkness your life-giving light, As guide to the strangers who toil in the night. Perchance a bright ray from your science divine May appear to their hearts and find welcome like mine.

I. From the first Christmas of long, long ago, Brush all the hundreds of winters' white snow— Through the long shadowy aisles of the past Bring, and once more let it live in the last.

Oh, was it spoken, "Go ye forth, heal the sick, lift the low, bind the broken!" Of the body alone? Is our mission, then, done, When we leave the bruised heart, if we bind the bruised bone? Nay! Is not the mission of Mercy twofold? Whence twofold, perchance, are the powers that we hold To fulfil it, of Heaven!

I shall not want. Upon Thy arm relying, Hunger and thirst and pain will flee away; And the dark valley where my hope's been lying Shall smile like day when night hath gone away.

All truth is calm, Refuge and rock and tower; The more of truth the more of calm, Its calmness is its power. Calmness is truth, And truth is calmness still ; Truth lifts its forehead to the storm, Like some eternal hill.

Let progress mark the footsteps Of Science grand and strong. " Truth bringeth forth her increase," Will be the victor's song.

There was never a brook or stream But some rocks would lie in its course; But where thickest the rocks do seem, The banks grow the greenest moss. There was never a cloud so dark But it waned as its tears fell; And what day is there we can mark Without one mercy to tell?

It came upon the midnight clear, That glorious song of old From angels bending near the earth To touch their harps of gold. Peace on the earth, good will to men, From Heaven's all-gracious King; The world in solemn stillness lay To hear the angels sing.

A dimness of a glory glimmers here Through veils and distance from the space remote. A faintest far vibration of a note Reaches to us and seems to bring us near; Causing our face to glow with bravest cheer, Making the serried mist to stand afloat, Subduing languor with an antidote, And strengthening love perfect to cast out fear; Till at each moment golden city walls Rise looming on us, golden walls of home, Light of our eyes and where no darkness falls; Then through the dreamed-of darkness We hear the tender voice that calls, "Follow me hither, follow; rise, and come.

Yea! and so holy was the influence Of that high dawn that came with victory, That, far and near, in homes of men there spread An unknown peace. Kings at fierce war called truce; the sick men leaped Laughing from beds of pain, And the priests stood with the people in the streets Watching the golden splendors flood the sky, And saying, "There hath happed some mighty thing.