It was but yesterday I lay beside
The gate called Beautiful, where entered in
A ceaseless, ever changing stream of men;
The most to pray, and some perchance to mock.
And mine it was to ask an alms of these,
Some scant material offering to receive
To satisfy material needs,—the while
Something within me hungered and cried out
Against the seeming emptiness of all.
Lame from my mother's womb, I had not known
The joy that freedom brings to other men,
Nor dreamed I that my birthright was the same.
About the ninth hour came two men by me,
And something in their faces drew my eyes,
Some high, fixed purpose there intensely burned.
The face of one was stern, the other mild
Almost with woman's softness, but its strength
Not marred thereby, 'twas only glorified.
To these I stretched my hands and waited. He
With the stern face looked down. A tremor shook
His rugged frame, and in the tone of one
Who knows his words are true, he spoke and said:
"Look thou on us! I have not gold to share
Nor even silver, but that which I have
Freely I give thee, as I have received.
In that great name of him of Nazareth,
I bid thee rise and walk!" And I obeyed.
Through all my being surged a tide of joy,
My limbs, long useless, stronger grew, and then
I walked and leaped, and praises gave to God
For His great love that makes His children free!
