THE MIDNIGHT HOURS
'Tis way past midnight.
And the still. small hours creep on,
The wind blows hoarse and chill
Outside my casement;
Yet. within, the throbbing life goes on,
As ever thus it did and will
Until the last. great call
Shall come, to carry with it
Love and life and song.
And the still. small hours creep on,
The wind blows hoarse and chill
Outside my casement;
Yet. within, the throbbing life goes on,
As ever thus it did and will
Until the last. great call
Shall come, to carry with it
Love and life and song.
'Tis way past midnight
And the new day's coming on,
Carrying its load of joy and sorrow,
Nay. now invisible
In the onward flight of its dark shades,
Kind in bringing nearer Heaven's bright home,
But cruel in bidding pilgrims the weary cross renew
Of days and yesterdays. so fraught with pain,
That morrow's sun the life-blood
Ne'er could melt in human frame.
And the new day's coming on,
Carrying its load of joy and sorrow,
Nay. now invisible
In the onward flight of its dark shades,
Kind in bringing nearer Heaven's bright home,
But cruel in bidding pilgrims the weary cross renew
Of days and yesterdays. so fraught with pain,
That morrow's sun the life-blood
Ne'er could melt in human frame.
'Tis way past midnight,
And the hunger call is heard
With myriad prayers that shake and rend the soul,
God-given, God-redeemed,
And so because of that
It seeks, only one haven 'neath
The shading canopy of day and night,
Where comfort unspeakable is found
In Love's eternal light.
And the hunger call is heard
With myriad prayers that shake and rend the soul,
God-given, God-redeemed,
And so because of that
It seeks, only one haven 'neath
The shading canopy of day and night,
Where comfort unspeakable is found
In Love's eternal light.
'Tis way past midnight,
And the depth of gloom is brightened,
By a star, that sheds a lustrous ray
And burnishes the tarnished shield of Hope,
Whose careful vigilance and steadfastness
Fails seldom, save only when the mind
Plays false and rests itself upon the fading sands of earth;
Where naught is found but crime,
With sickness, want and dearth.
And the depth of gloom is brightened,
By a star, that sheds a lustrous ray
And burnishes the tarnished shield of Hope,
Whose careful vigilance and steadfastness
Fails seldom, save only when the mind
Plays false and rests itself upon the fading sands of earth;
Where naught is found but crime,
With sickness, want and dearth.
'Tis way past midnight
But the vision, grand and glorious
Comes on anon:
Love soars forth triumphant
On silvered feet to greet the eternal dawn,
Tho' heavy fetters bind the body down
The spirit speeds its upward flight,
And joins the mate it missed
In the world's dark night.
But the vision, grand and glorious
Comes on anon:
Love soars forth triumphant
On silvered feet to greet the eternal dawn,
Tho' heavy fetters bind the body down
The spirit speeds its upward flight,
And joins the mate it missed
In the world's dark night.
'Tis way past midnight,
And the hours do shorter grow,
But the tryst is kept
And the sad tears wept as the night winds blow.
Like falling waters in varied accents the benediction fell,
And filling every atom of the mortal man,
Swept like sweetest carol on the Christmas morn,
To hold communion with the absent one,
Whose soul and body God didst mould and form.
And the hours do shorter grow,
But the tryst is kept
And the sad tears wept as the night winds blow.
Like falling waters in varied accents the benediction fell,
And filling every atom of the mortal man,
Swept like sweetest carol on the Christmas morn,
To hold communion with the absent one,
Whose soul and body God didst mould and form.
'Tis way past midnight,
And the song its singing ended must stop its tones,
And soften every part into a wondrous close,
Whose melody will fill to overflowing a sweet repose:
Refined and sweetened by its powerful notes,
Let joy, pure joy, leap forth in gladsome lay:
Remember that our God is always Love,
Hidden in kindness are His ways
And all revealing on that day of days.
And the song its singing ended must stop its tones,
And soften every part into a wondrous close,
Whose melody will fill to overflowing a sweet repose:
Refined and sweetened by its powerful notes,
Let joy, pure joy, leap forth in gladsome lay:
Remember that our God is always Love,
Hidden in kindness are His ways
And all revealing on that day of days.