class="i1">Gather round the widowed wife,
Wondering why an unknown people
Sought their own dear father’s life.
Do not cheer, for aged fathers
Bend above their staves and weep,
While the ocean sings the requiem
Where their fallen children sleep.
Do not cheer, for lips are paling
On which lay the mother’s kiss;
’Mid the dreadful roar of battle
How that mother’s hand they miss!
Do not cheer: once joyous maidens,
Who the mazy dance did tread,
Bow their heads in bitter anguish,
Mourning o’er their cherished dead.
Do not cheer while maid and matron
In this strife must bear a part;
While the blow that strikes a soldier
Reaches to some woman’s heart.
Do not cheer till arbitration
O’er the nations holds its sway,
And the century now closing
Ushers in a brighter day.
Do not cheer until the nation
Shall more wise and thoughtful grow
Than to staunch a stream of sorrow
By an avalanche of woe.
Do not cheer until each nation
Sheathes the sword and blunts the spear,
And we sing aloud for gladness:
Lo, the reign of Christ is here,
And the banners of destruction
From the battle-field are furled,
And the peace of God descending
Rests upon a restless world.
The Burdens of All
We may sigh o’er the heavy burdens
Of the black, the brown and white;
But if we all clasped hands together
The burdens would be more light.
How to solve life’s saddest problems,
Its weariness, want and woe,
Was answered by One who suffered
In Palestine long ago.
He gave from his heart this precept,
To ease the burdens of men,
“As ye would that others do to you
Do ye even so to them.”
Life’s heavy, wearisome burdens
Will change to a gracious trust
When men shall learn in the light of God
To be merciful and just.
Where war has sharpened his weapons,
And slavery masterful had,
Let white and black and brown unite
To build the kingdom of God.
And never attempt in madness
To build a kingdom or state,
Through greed of gold or lust of power,
On the crumbling stones of hate.
The burdens will always be heavy,
The sunshine fade into night,
Till mercy and justice shall cement
The black, the brown and the white.
And earth shall answer with gladness,
The herald angel’s refrain,
When “Peace on earth, good will to men”
Was the burden of their strain.
Behold the Lilies!
Behold the lilies of the field
How beautiful and fair;
Their fragrance as a breath of heaven
Refreshes all the air.
No sordid labors bow them down,
Nor dull depressing care;
They only tell of God’s great love,
And that is everywhere.
The wings of morning are too slow
To bear us from His sight;
The midnight has no shadows deep
To hide from us His light.
If not a sparrow falls to earth
Unnoticed by His eye,
Will He, our Father and our Friend
Unheeded pass us by?
Shall we not learn from fading flowers—
Frail children of the dust—
To lay our cares before His throne,
And in His mercy trust?
There’s not a care that weighs us down,
Nor blinding tears that fall,
Nor sorrow piercing to the heart
But He beholds them all;
And offers us with tender love,
Mid dangers and alarms,
A refuge for our souls within
His everlasting arms.
The Ragged Stocking
Do you see this ragged stocking,
Here a rent and there a hole?
Each thread of this little stocking
Is woven around my soul.
Do you wish to hear my story?
Excuse me, the tears will start,
For the sight of this ragged stocking
Stirs the fountains of my heart.
You say that my home is happy;
To me ’tis earth’s fairest place,
But its sunshine, peace and gladness
Back to this stocking I trace.
I was once a wretched drunkard;
Ah! you start and say not so;
But the dreadful depths I’ve sounded,
And I speak of what I know.
I was wild and very reckless
When I stood on manhood’s brink,
And, joining with pleasure-seekers
Learned to revel and drink.
Strong drink is a raging demon,
In his hands are shame and woe;
He mocketh the strength of the mighty
And bringeth the strong man low.
The light of my home was darkened
By the shadow of my sin;
And want and woe unbarr’d the door,
And suffering entered in.
The streets were full one Christmas eve,
And alive with girls and boys,
Merrily looking through window-panes
At bright and beautiful toys.
And throngs of parents came to buy
The gifts that children prize,
And homeward trudged with happy hearts,
The love-light in their eyes.
I thought of my little Charley
At home in his lowly bed,
With the shadows around his life,
And in shame I bowed my head.
I entered my home a sober man,
My heart by remorse was wrung,
And there in the chimney corner,
This little stocking was hung.
Faded and worn as you see it;
To me ’tis a precious thing.
And I never gaze upon it
But unbidden tears will spring.
I began to search my pockets,
But scarcely a dime was there;
But scanty as was the pittance,
This stocking received its share.
For a longing seized upon me
To gladden the heart of my boy.
And I bought him some cakes and candy,
And added a simple toy.
Then I knelt by this little stocking
And sobbed out an earnest prayer,
And arose with strength to wrestle
And break from the tempter’s snare.
And this faded, worn-out stocking,
So pitiful once to see,
Became the wedge that broke my chain,
And a blessing brought to me.
Do you marvel then I prize it?
When each darn and seam and hole
Is linked with my soul’s deliverance
From the bondage of the bowl?
And to-night my wife will tell you.
Though I’ve houses, gold and land,
He holds no treasure more precious
Than this stocking in my hand.
The Fatal Pledge
“Pledge me with wine,” the maiden cried,
Her tones were gay and light;
“From others you have turned aside,
I claim your pledge to-night.”
The blood rushed to the young man’s cheek
Then left it deadly pale;
Beneath the witchery of her smile
He felt his courage fail.
For many years he’d been a slave
To the enchanting bowl,
Until he grasped with eager hands
The
