Poems

Beware thy fears! 'Tis Love that steers Thy ship through all the stormy years, However wide thy journey veers; And oft the cloud that drops its tears, Into a rainbow disappears. Learn faith! Beware thy fears! Be not afraid! Storms have waylaid Thy ship, but Christ before hath stayed The darkened waves; be not dismayed, For "Peace, be still!" must be obeyed, And Love's glad sunshine cannot fade.

There is no unbelief! Whoever plants a seed beneath the sod, And waits to see it push away the clod, He trusts in God. Whoever says, when clouds are in the sky, "Be patient, heart light breaketh by-and-by," Trusts the Most High.

In the east the light is breaking, All the heights are touched with gold, And the dwellers in the valleys See a wondrous scene unrolled. Those who sit in outer darkness Catch a gleam of glory bright, And the shadows of the night-tide Outward sweep in Living Light.

Father , this little task that I must do, I ask of Thee to show me just the way That Thou wouldst have it done and, Father, too, I ask of Thee to teach me patiently The law of love to honor and obey; O may my hands be swift to serve, may I Praise Thee in song, and learn to watch and pray.

My heart was musing o'er its daily task Of patient effort in the narrow way, And so was lifted in a prayer to ask Wisdom to learn the lesson for each day; Then came the answer, gentle as a dove, "The only lesson to be learned is love. " Love shall surmount the overhanging steep Of self, in varied forms of human guise; Shall wake the slumbering thought from mortal sleep, And gently bid it to true being rise.

Whate'er there be on land or sea Above, below, of melody Of perfume sweet beyond compare Of loveliness that all may share The cloudless blue of springtime sky Bluer still as the days go by The laughing music of woodland rills The light of dawn on distant hills. The crimson splendor of western sun On silent waters when day is done The lullaby of the twilight breeze Singing softly among the trees.

Thy will be done. O Lord, it seems but one short yesterday Since I, a fearful child Made prayer unto myself,— Unto myself far off removed and magnified,— That life and love be spared And happy, loving days remain; And then through choking, blinding tears While iron fingers swept with rudest touch Across the aching, breaking strings Of a tired heart Cried out, ere anguish could beat back the cry, " Thy will be done.

How will the Father, God of Life, reveal Himself to me? Where may I seek the Saviour, that he still my angry sea? How find the Star, how follow it, on through the city's glare? How know where they have laid him, or if he yet be there? Through every human concept that perceives a force divine The Saviour comes, in lowly guise, to touch your heart and mine; To bridge the gulf impassable between our sense and Soul To teach of Truth and purity, to cleanse and make us whole. Help us to see Thy presence, Lord, and trust in Thee each hour To read Thy loving message in the opening of the flower The glory of the western sky.

My doctrine shall drop as the rain, as the small rain upon the tender herb. —Deuteronomy.

" Hitherto ," and on forever Towers the mighty One, our Rock; Flows His love, a peaceful river For His seeking, thirsty flock. "Fear thou not, for I will help thee!" Clear and sweet the promise rings; Dark despair cannot enfold me, Hope renewed its paean sings.