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Joy is like restless day: but peace divine

Like quiet night;

Lead me, O Lord, till perfect day shall shine
Through Peace to Light.

ADELAIDE ANNE PROCTER.

Trust

HE clouds hang heavy round my way,·

THE

I cannot see;

But thro' the darkness I believe

God leadeth me.

'Tis sweet to keep my hand in His,
While all is dim,

To close my weary, aching eyes
And follow Him.

Thro' many a thorny path He leads
My tired feet,

Thro' many a path of tears I go,
But it is sweet,

To know that He is close to me,
My Guard, my Guide;

He leadeth me; and so I walk

Quite satisfied.

MY

The Toys

little son, who look'd from thoughtful eyes And moved and spoke in quiet grown-up wise,

Having my law the seventh time disobey'd,
I struck him, and dismiss'd

With hard words and unkiss'd,

His mother, who was patient, being dead.
Then, fearing least his grief should hinder sleep,
I visited his bed,

But found him slumbering deep,

With darken'd eyelids, and their lashes yet

From his late sobbing wet,

And I, with moan,

Kissing away his tears, left others of my own;

For on a table drawn beside his head

He had put within his reach

A box of counters and a red-vein'd stone,
A piece of glass abraded by the beach,
And six or seven shells,

A bottle with bluebells,

And two French copper coins, ranged there with

careful art,

To comfort his sad heart.

So when that night I pray'd

To God, I wept, and said:

Ah, when at last we lie with tranced breath,
Not vexing Thee in death,

And Thou rememberest of what toys

We made our joys,

How weakly understood

Thy great commanded good,

Then, fatherly not less

Than I whom Thou hast moulded from the clay,

Thou'lt leave Thy wrath and say,

"I will be sorry for their childishness.”

COVENTRY PATMORE.

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'Tis I, be not Afraid

OSSED with rough winds and faint with fear,
Above the tempest, soft and clear,

What still small accents greet mine ear?

"'Tis I, be not afraid.

"'Tis I who led thy steps aright;
'Tis I who gave thy blind eyes sight;
'Tis I thy Lord, thy Life, thy Light;

'Tis I, be not afraid.

"These raging winds, this surging sea,
Bears not a breath of wrath to thee;
That storm has all been spent on Me,
'Tis I, be not afraid.

"The bitter cup fear not to drink;
I know it well-oh! do not shrink;
I tasted it o'er Kedron's brink,

'Tis I, be not afraid.

"Mine eyes are watching by thy bed, Mine arms are underneath thy head, My blessing is around thee shed;

'Tis I, be not afraid.

"When on the other side thy feet

Shall rest 'mid thousand welcomes sweet,
One well-known voice thy heart shall greet;

'Tis I, be not afraid."

From out the dazzling Majesty

Gently He lays His hand on thee,
Whispering, "Beloved, lovest thou Me?

'Twas not in vain I died for thee;

'Tis I, be not afraid."

ELIZABETH CHARLES,

OUT

Out of Shadow

UT of shadow into sunlight,
Out of darkness into day,

So oft we tread unheeding
Our well-appointed way,
Nor dream that after sorrow

May dawn a glad to-morrow.

MARY DWINELL CHELLIS.

The Sunrise never failed us Yet

PON the sadness of the sea

UPON

The sunset broods regretfully;
From the far lonely spaces, slow
Withdraws the wistful afterglow.

So out of life the splendor dies;
So darken all the happy skies;
So gathers twilight, cold and stern;
But overhead the planets burn.

And up the east another day

Shall chase the bitter dark away :

What though our eyes with tears be wet?

The sunrise never failed us yet.

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