Page:Littell's Living Age - Volume 126.djvu/270

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A LITTLE WHILE, ETC.


A LITTLE WHILE.

A little while with tides of dark and light
The moon shall fill;
Warm autumn's gold be changed to shrouding white
And winter's chill.
A little while shall tender human flowers
In beauty blow;
And ceaselessly through shade and sunny hours
Death's harvest grow.
A little while shall tranquil planets speed
Round central flame;
New empires spring and pass, new names succeed
And lapse from fame.
A little while shall cold star-tapers burn
Through time's brief night;
Then shall my soul's beloved One return
With dayspring bright.

How oft in golden dreams I see Him stand,
I list his voice,
As winning largess from his lifted hand
The poor rejoice;
But waking bears that vision dear away,
My better part,
And leaves me to this pale and empty day,
This longing heart.
I cannot see Thee, but I love Thee. Oh,
Thine eyes that read
The deepest secrets of the spirit know
'Tis love indeed!
A little while; but, ah! how long it seems!
My Jesus, come.
Surpass the rapture of my sweetest dreams.
And take me home!

W. Kennedy Moore.
Sunday Magazine.




FOR A TOKEN.

Good-bye! God love you, since no sweeter trust
My heart can give you, or my lips can say.
Or grief can utter, since but He alone
Shall stand within the place I yield to-day.

Good-bye! for now and ever through the years.
Till we meet out before the golden gate;
You have to fight to win the narrow way,
I will serve with you while I stand and wait.

C. Brooke.
Sunday Magazine.




Whatever haunting care of life
About my spirit cleaves,
If I but walk abroad awhile
Among the breathing leaves.
It seems as it were left behind
Beneath the cottage eaves.
I do not ask for singing birds,
Or floods of golden light;
For if I do but ope the door
On a dull autumn night,
The shining rain-drops on the grass
Will set my spirit right.

Arran Leigh.




The peaches redden on the wall.
Hiding in hollow cells of green,
Where plaited leaves hang thick about,
And scarce permit them to be seen;
And so, in truth, good deeds should be
Concealed in sweet humility.

The peaches redden on the wall.
Though night's dark curtain drips with dew;
The white stars show themselves, and shine
Through moulded cloud and hovering blue.
And, oh! to feel, past fruit and tree
The lights of home shine forth for me.

Alfred Norris.




AFTER MANY DAYS.

How lonely seemed her life now she had lost
The love that gave to life its grace and worth!
How cold the clouded skies, how low and dull
What erst she deemed most beautiful on earth!

Hers was a feeble mind that could not rise
Out of herself to things of higher power;
Busy with trifles, while an aching want
Deepened and widened every listless hour.

And friends were kind, but, careless, passed her by;
One of themselves, and happy as things go.
Talked with her, helped her not, nor soothed
The leaden sorrow that they did not know.

None gave her work to pass the weary days,
Nor sought she any, lived in dull content,
Yet thankful if a passing sunbeam strayed.
For any joy that God in pity sent.

Then came the Lord to that deserted door
That all men passed with hurrying heedless feet.
And she rose up, and opening found at last
All she had lost within His presence sweet.

Caroline North.
Good Words.