Than the
grating of that steamer
When her keel had touched the ground.
But our
faithfulmartyr hero
Through a fiery
pathway trod,
Till he laid his
valiant spirit
On the bosom of his God.
Fame has never crowned a hero
On the
crimson fields of strife,
Grander, nobler, than that pilot
Yielding up for us his life.
THE DYING BONDMAN.
Life was trembling,
faintly trembling
On the bondman's latest breath,
And he felt the chilling pressure
Of the cold, hard hand of Death.
He had been an Afric chieftain,
Worn his
manhood as a crown;
But upon the field of battle
Had been
fiercelystricken down.
18 THE DYING BONDMAN.
He had longed to gain his freedom,
Waited, watched and hoped in vain,
Till his life was slowly ebbing--
Almost broken was his chain.
By his
bedside stood the master,
Gazing on the dying one,
Knowing by the dull grey shadows
That life's sands were almost run.
"Master," said the dying bondman,
"Home and friends I soon shall see;
But before I reach my country,
Master write that I am free;
"For the spirits of my fathers
Would
shrink back from me in pride,
If I told them at our greeting
I a slave had lived and died;
"Give to me the precious token,
That my
kindred dead may see--
Master! write it, write it quickly!
Master! write that I am free!"
At his
earnest plea the master
Wrote for him the glad release,
"A LITTLE CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM." 19
O'er his wan and wasted features
Flitted one sweet smile of peace.
Eagerly he grasped the writing;
"I am free!" at last he said.
Backward fell upon the pillow,
He was free among the dead.
"A LITTLE CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM."
Only a little scrap of blue
Preserved with
loving care,
But earth has not a
brilliant hue
To me more bright and fair.
Strong drink, like a raging demon,
Laid on my heart his hand,
When my
darling joined with others
The Loyal Legion * band.
But
mystic angels called away
My loved and precious child,
And o'er life's dark and stormy way
Swept waves of
anguish wild.
* The Temperance Band,
20 "A LITTLE CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM."
This badge of the Loyal Legion
We placed upon her breast,
As she lay in her little coffin
Taking her last sweet rest.
To wear that badge as a token
She
earnestly did crave,
So we laid it on her bosom
To wear it in the grave.
Where sorrow would never reach her
Nor harsh words smite her ear;
Nor her eyes in death dimmed slumber
Would ever shed a tear.
"What means this badge?" said her father,
Whom we had tried to save;
Who said, when we told her story,
"Don't put it in the grave."
We took the badge from her bosom
And laid it on a chair;
And men by drink deluded
Knelt by that badge in prayer.
And vowed in that hour of sorrow
From drink they would abstain;
THE SPARROW'S FALL. 21
And this little badge became the wedge
Which broke their galling chain.
And lifted the
gloomy shadows
That overspread my life,
And flooding my home with gladness,
Made me a happy wife.
And this is why this scrap of blue
Is precious in my sight;
It changed my sad and
gloomy home
From darkness into light.
THE SPARROW'S FALL.
Too frail to soar--a
feeble thing--
It fell to earth with fluttering wing;
But God, who watches over all,
Beheld that little sparrow's fall.
'Twas not a bird with
plumage gay,
Filling the air with its morning lay;
'Twas not an eagle bold and strong,
Borne on the tempest's wing along.
22 THE SPARROW'S FALL.
Only a brown and weesome thing,
With drooping head and listless wing;
It could not drift beyond His sight
Who marshals the splendid stars of night.
Its dying chirp fell on His ears,
Who tunes the music of the spheres,
Who hears the hungry lion's call,
And spreads a table for us all.
Its
mission of song at last is done,
No more will it greet the rising sun;
That tiny bird has found a rest
More calm than its mother's downy breast
Oh,
restless heart, learn thou to trust
In God, so tender, strong and just;
In whose love and mercy everywhere
His humblest children have a share.
If in love He numbers ev'ry hair,
Whether the strands be dark or fair,
Shall we not learn to
calmly rest,
Like children, on our Father's breast?
GOD BLESS OUR NATIVE LAND. 23
GOD BLESS OUR NATIVE LAND.
God bless our native land,
Land of the newly free,
Oh may she ever stand
For truth and liberty.
God bless our native land,
Where sleep our
kindred dead,
Let peace at thy command
Above their graves be shed.
God help our native land,
Bring surcease to her strife,
And
shower from thy hand
A more
abundant life.
God bless our native land,
Her homes and children bless,
Oh may she ever stand
For truth and righteousness.
24 DANDELIONS.
DANDELIONS.
Welcome children of the Spring,
In your garbs of green and gold,
Lifting up your sun-crowned heads
On the verdant plain and wold.
As a bright and
joyous troop
From the breast of earth ye came
Fair and lovely are your cheeks,
With sun-kisses all aflame.
In the dusty streets and lanes,
Where the lowly children play,
There as gentle friends ye smile,
Making brighter life's highway
Dewdrops and the morning sun,
Weave your garments fair and bright,
And we
welcome you to-day
As the children of the light.
Children of the earth and sun.
We are slow to understand
All the
richness of the gifts
Flowing from our Father's hand.
THE BUILDING. 25
Were our
vision clearer far,
In this sin-dimmed world of ours,
Would we not more
thankful be
For the love that sends us flowers?
Welcome, early visitants,
With your sun-crowned golden hair,
With your message to our hearts
Of our Father's
loving care.
THE BUILDING.
"Build me a house," said the Master,
"But not on the shifting sand,
Mid the wreck and roar of tempests,
A house that will
firmly stand.
"I will bring thee windows of agates,
And gates of carbuncles bright,
And thy fairest courts and portals
Shall be filled with love and light.
"Thou shalt build with fadeless rubies,
All fashioned around the throne,
A house that shall last forever,
With Christ as the cornerstone.
26 HOME, SWEET HOME.
"It shall be a royal mansion,
A fair and beautiful thing,
It will be the presence-chamber
Of thy Saviour, Lord and King.
"Thy house shall he bound with pinions
To mansions of rest above,
But grace shall forge all the fetters
With the links and cords of love.
"Thou shalt he free in this mansion
From sorrow and pain of heart,
For the peace of God shall enter,