LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 
 
 Cliap....h!._ Copyright Jfo. 
 
 ^N/TED"sT^TES0F7SrA. 
 
The Loom of Life 
 
WILLIAM HARPER RIDER, D.D 
 
The Loom of Life 
 
 BY / 
 
 WILLIAM HARPER RIDER, D.D, 
 
 WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY 
 
 C. E. HURLBUT 
 
 CLEVEivAND: Ubc ffiurrows JBrotbers 
 Company, PUBI.ISHERS, MDCCCXCIX 
 

 Copyright, 1898 
 
 BY 
 
 William Harper Rider 
 
 D£0 1 9 1223 
 
 A 
 
 ';^ 
 
 Iroprrfal Press 
 
 CLBVELAND 
 
 /^ 
 
TO MY FATHER 
 
 For whom the Loom of Life has run 
 More than fourscore years and one; 
 
 AND TO MY MOTHER 
 
 To whom the " brighter sun " has risen. 
 And the ''fadeless crown " is given; 
 
 And both of whom 
 
 A pattern wove whose tints shall last 
 When rolling years their bounds have past. 
 
Contents 
 
 Preface 
 
 The Loom of Life 
 
 Childhood . 
 
 Boyhood 
 
 Manhood 
 
 The Sea-Nymph 
 
 Freyja 
 
 Warfare 
 
 Aurora 
 
 Vesper 
 
 New Voices 
 
 Lullaby 
 
 The Dream . 
 
 Home 
 
 Ragnarok 
 
 Finale 
 
 15 
 19 
 23 
 
 25 
 27 
 
 30 
 31 
 36 
 39 
 43 
 44 
 45 
 47 
 50 
 51 
 52 
 
 IX 
 
Illustrations 
 
 William Harper Rider, D.D . Frontispiece 
 *' That old Loom yonder in the corner" . 14 
 *' Holidays and games and plays " . 22 
 
 "The day is done, 
 And shades of evening hasten on " .42 
 
Preface 
 
 That old log cabin and log fireplace; that 
 old Loom yonder in the corner ; that rustling 
 willow-tree, and the door by which it stood as 
 a weather sentinel ; those inimitable cadences — 
 the tick-tock of that old timepiece, the ring of 
 that bell, the click of that latch on the cup- 
 board-door, the clang of that porchdoor, the 
 bang of that gate ; 
 
 " The hallowed feet and hands and faces, 
 The smiles and tears and words and graces ' ' 
 
 of those who once were there : to millions these 
 things awaken memories and sentiments the 
 very dearest to the human heart. 
 
 Nor is the life behind these cherished to- 
 kens, hallowed symbols, and precious memo- 
 ries without its great and unspeakable signifi- 
 cance. Nations and individuals grow through 
 imagination, emotion, and reflection. The 
 
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^b,e Xoom 
 
 world, each nation, and the individual, have 
 alike their childhood, boyhood, manhood. 
 Faith, hope, love, and all the variant senti- 
 ments and feelings with which they combine — 
 imagination, reason, passion, things good and 
 things evil, — mingle and "unroll the screen 
 of mortal life. ' ' 
 
 No mention need be made of Greek and 
 Roman mythology, but to some readers the 
 Norse mythology may seem obscure, since it 
 is less popular, — undeservedly so, for it is the 
 richest in all the world. 
 
 Odin needs no introduction, nor does Thor. 
 Mimer's Fount was under one of the roots of 
 Igdrasil, the great tree of life. It symbolizes 
 wisdom. It was owned by Mimer (personifying 
 memory), who drank of its waters every morn- 
 ing. Odin drank at this fountain, and here 
 the gods held council, coming and going on 
 the rainbow. 
 
 Freyja was the goddess of love. The poem 
 itself is somewhat explanatory of this mythical 
 character. 
 
 Ragnarok is death, destruction, resurrection, 
 immortality. The earth, according to the 
 
 16 
 
of Xife 
 
 Norse fathers, was to be destroyed by fire pre- 
 ceded by a mighty cataclysm, and the gods 
 themselves were to die. But unlike the Greek 
 and Roman systems, which knew no death of 
 the gods, the Norse ideal was that of a final 
 triumph over death and a glorious resurrection 
 and immortality. The Valhal halls correspond 
 to our Paradise and Gimle to our Heaven. 
 
 To tell the story of human life ; to picture to 
 the imagination its hopes blasted and realized, 
 and the experiences that enter into it ; to show 
 its reality, and the elements of character that 
 give it success; to portray it as no ''idle 
 dream, ' ' but as a manly " warfare ; " to reveal 
 the beautiful and holy sentiments of conjugal, 
 parental, and filial love ; to inspire hope of the 
 home beyond, and scatter some helpful les- 
 sons, is the aim and mission of The Loom of 
 Life. 
 
 W. H. R. 
 
 Cleveland, Ohio, 
 December, 1898. 
 
 17 
 
The Loom of Life 
 
 Awake ! old Loom of long ago, 
 Whose shed-worn shuttle to and fro 
 Along the batten-ledge flew fast, 
 As winter's winds went moaning past 
 
 And logfire answered thy refrain 
 
 Awake ! old Loom, and speak again. 
 
 No foot has to thy treadle laid, 
 Or hand upon thy batten played. 
 Or whipped the picking-stick at will, 
 Or empty bobbins cared to fill, 
 Since mother blended with thy strain 
 A song we fain would hear again. 
 
 The pulleys, heddle-leaves, warp-beam, 
 And ropes, and all, so listless seem; 
 The cloth-beam, reed, all dusted o'er. 
 
 And leash-rods lying on the floor 
 
 Awake ! the web of life disclose, 
 Unnumbered threads this web compose. 
 19 
 
Zbc Xoom of Xife 
 
 Bring back the sky that shone so bright 
 When only years seemed slow in flight ; 
 Of boyhood tell, and manhood, too. 
 Ambition's dreams of roseate hue; 
 Of love, of home, of fireside glees, 
 Of voices new at mother's knees. 
 
 Then turn of life page after page. 
 Old age of youth, youth of old age ; 
 And ere the shuttle's work is done, 
 And mortal thread its course has run. 
 Pluck from the amaranthine bowers. 
 And weave a crown of fadeless flowers. 
 
 20 
 
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Z\)c Xoom of Xife 
 
 Childhood 
 
 Tender and sweet the cherub face, — 
 The bard of Avon ne'er could trace 
 The picture of those joys and fears 
 Hung on the wall of childhood years; 
 The simple faith, and hope, and love, 
 Type of the kingdom from above. 
 
 Early days of school and home, 
 Prophetic dreams of years to come, 
 Holidays and games and plays 
 He wove together in joyful lays ; 
 No care for manhood's ills and strife, 
 Or burdens borne in later life. 
 
 23 
 
Zpc Xoom 
 
 Cops of gold and some of blue, 
 (The old Loom mused as the shuttle flew), 
 Silver threads for gifts and toys, 
 Threads of white for childish joys. 
 Deftly from the weaver's hand 
 Fall the colors gay and grand. 
 Sunbeams bright through rifts of gold 
 Mirror the dawn of days of old. 
 
 24 
 
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 Boyhood 
 
 The sun o'ertops the hill and main, 
 And greets the life of dell and plain. 
 For path of fame he marks a way 
 Spangled with gems and flowers gay, 
 O'er which the knight is seen to tread — 
 Ambition's eye sees naught to dread; 
 Outstretched in palm of jewelled hand 
 Is seen the wealth of all the land. 
 
 Like Odin in the mythic age 
 From Mimer's fount with warriors sage, 
 The knight ascends with shield unfurled 
 On rainbow stair to distant world ; 
 Demands its scepter, empire, throne, 
 Its honors, riches, all his own. 
 
 25 
 
Zbe Xoom 
 
 These fairy worlds will scarce weave in, * ' 
 The old Loom said with smile unseen. 
 The warp and woof would longer last, 
 If less gay colors we would cast. 
 Will-o'-the-wisp by night is seen, 
 But ne'er by day in th' sun's bright sheen. 
 One page of life, one lesson new, 
 The flower has drunk its cup of dew, 
 A higher plateau the traveler's view. 
 
 Life's morn how like a sunbeam 
 Its wavelets rocking on ; 
 -^olian breezes fan it, 
 And crest of tints is in it 
 Of rainbows, prisms, and diamonds : 
 One moment more — 'tis gone! 
 
 Trolls and sprites dance all around us, 
 Flickering candles dimly burn ; 
 
 Bursted bubbles ! fairy dreamland ! 
 Naughty elves life's pages turn. 
 
 26 
 
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 Manhood 
 
 The sky-domed heights forbid ascent ; 
 
 The vision backward now is bent. 
 
 As eagle's pinion, broken, hurled 
 
 The monarch to a lower world, 
 
 So headlong down Olympus came 
 
 The plume-plucked knight of fancied fame. 
 
 To manhood's eyes on earthly strand 
 No vision's seen of fairyland. 
 But stretching to the hills afar, 
 Smoke-ladened air and wheels ajar, 
 A real world with spirit rife 
 Unrolls its screen of mortal life : — 
 
 27 
 
^be Xoom 
 
 The cry of birth, muteness of death; 
 The vestal virgin, harlot's breath; 
 The toiler's brawn, the lily hand; 
 The squalid hut, the mansion grand ; 
 Joy, sorrow, love, envy, and hate — 
 All, all are here, this scene create. 
 
 As Newton's apple from its source 
 Unerring followed in its course, 
 So true to life the old Loom keeps, 
 And every thread a lesson speaks. 
 
 And this the moral woven now — 
 'Tis laurel wreath on manhood's brow: 
 The urn of life — rose-hidden thing — 
 No pigment asks of angel wing. 
 Or lythrum leaves of vain pretense ; 
 It yields its perfume to the sense. 
 
 The anchor's weighed, the ropes are hurled, 
 The ship is trimmed, the sails unfurled. 
 Be rough or smooth the voyage now, 
 To port beyond is set the prow, 
 -^olus may his lash resound. 
 And belted Thor with hammer pound ; 
 With sextant, compass, pilot true, 
 We've not to fear our voyage through. 
 
 28 
 
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 In eag-le-bearer's hand on high 
 Columbia's flag shall light the sky. 
 Its every bar of white and red, 
 Its every star and every thread 
 That doth these States in union wed, 
 Unfurling o'er the Mayflower strand. 
 Declare the freedom of our land. 
 
 29 
 
^be Xoom 
 
 The Sea-Nymph 
 
 Now merrily sail ye, 
 Sweet breezes regale thee, 
 
 Joyful thy journey over the sea. 
 No siren caress thee, 
 Or Scylla distress thee. 
 
 Watchful thy journey over the sea. 
 Sweetheart be near thee, 
 Always to cheer thee. 
 
 Blissful thy journey over the sea. 
 The haven ne'er fail thee, 
 Nor loved ones to hail thee, 
 
 Happy thy journey over the sea. 
 
 30 
 
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 Freyja 
 
 The Iceland lore, 
 In days of yore, 
 
 Of Freyja told. 
 Her hair was flowers. 
 Her tears were showers 
 
 Of liquid gold. 
 
 Love's goddess she 
 Whose company 
 
 No home denied. 
 So here and there. 
 And everywhere. 
 
 The goddess tied 
 
 The nuptial knot. 
 And only sought 
 
 The pure incense 
 Of ditty sweet 
 For lovers mete 
 
 As recompense. 
 31 
 
Z\)c Xoom 
 
 The debt to pay- 
 In lover's lay, 
 
 And goddess please, 
 The Harper wove 
 This song of love 
 
 At Freyja's knees: — 
 
 Of mate bereft 
 The robin left 
 
 The lonely nest, 
 And notes of pain 
 Sang o'er the main. 
 
 In joyless quest. 
 
 But loud his song. 
 And sweet and long. 
 
 When mate he brings ; 
 Beside the nest. 
 With hoven crest. 
 
 His carol sings. 
 
 'Mid Eden's bowers, 
 Paths clad with flowers, 
 
 God first made home ; 
 Of him most blest. 
 The last and best 
 
 'Neath heaven's dome. 
 
 32 
 
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 " And Son of God, 
 When earth he trod, 
 
 To Cana went. 
 Their hearts to cheer, 
 Himself drew near, 
 
 His blessing lent. 
 
 *' Then stone on stone, 
 Steps to a throne, 
 
 Each set with care. 
 For naught amiss. 
 And perfect bliss. 
 Our wishes share. ' ' 
 
 With holy fire 
 The song and lyre 
 
 Two hearts inflame. 
 They two embrace 
 In tender grace, 
 
 And one became. 
 
 The while he sung 
 The goddess flung 
 
 Into the air 
 Blue violets 
 And mignonettes 
 
 And roses rare, 
 33 
 
Zbe Xoom 
 
 Almond of hope 
 And heliotrope, 
 
 Anemone ; 
 Hyacinth blue 
 And myrtle, too, 
 
 And linden tree, 
 
 And orange flowers. 
 Ambrosial bowers 
 
 Mute tokens brought, 
 While crowns and wreaths 
 Of flowers and leaves 
 
 The lovers wrought. 
 
 34 
 
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 In shuttle's note of perfect bliss 
 The old Loom joined and added this: 
 And friends, as sands that girt the sea, 
 Cecilia's harp for minstrelsy." 
 
 35 
 
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 Warfare 
 
 When Titans fold their arms to rest, 
 White clouds droop to the mountain's crest 
 But when again the storm renews, 
 Fringed to their skirts the murky hues 
 Of other clouds from earthen floor 
 Rise, whirl, and blend, and hover o'er. 
 
 So foes with friends may mingle, too, 
 And paint thy sky in darker hue. 
 Be ready, warrior, for the fray 
 When lowering clouds bedim thy way. 
 Be this thy motto : Do thy best ! 
 To Faith and God leave all the rest. 
 
 No idle dream this life of ours. 
 
 No rosy couch in sylvan bowers. 
 
 We wrestle not 'gainst flesh and blood, 
 
 Babylon's arms, or Egypt's flood. 
 
 But wickedness in places high. 
 
 Throned kings of darkness lurking nigh. 
 
of Xife 
 
 Wherefore in panoply of God, 
 
 Thy feet with peace of Gospel shod, 
 
 Loins girt with truth, and faith thy shield, 
 
 The word thy sword, the world thy field. 
 
 Go forth to conquer self and sin. 
 
 By grace through faith thy crown to win. 
 
 Kneel thou to supplicate his name 
 Who thy dread foe to conquer came. 
 But sought he first a place of prayer. 
 And twoscore days he lingered there ; 
 Then hurled from Quarantana's height 
 The dragon-angel masked in light. 
 
 Follow that life from Bethlehem's khan 
 To where tumultuous Jordan ran; 
 Where the all-conquering power of love 
 Was symboled by the peaceful dove. 
 From Hermon's lofty ecstasy 
 Go watch in dark Gethsemane. 
 Too late to turn to Galilee, 
 Or rest from toil in Bethany. 
 
 37 
 
Z\)c Xoom 
 
 But follow on, if thou wouldst see, 
 Mirrored for all eternity, 
 How blend the cross, the crown, the throne 
 Round one who did this world disown ; 
 And who, to give the secret thee. 
 Calls loudly, sweetly, Follow Me! 
 
 38 
 
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 Aurora 
 
 The sun's rays pierce the dark clouds through, 
 
 And lesser stars bid night adieu. 
 
 Earth is clothed in living green, 
 
 Ripening fields in golden sheen, 
 
 Floods of glory fill the skies, — 
 
 To greet the day the sleepers rise. 
 
 Early hands upon the Loom 
 
 Bid its cords their task resume. 
 

 Si 8 
 
 "S- 
 
^be Xoom of Xife 
 
 Vesper 
 
 The old Loom rests, the day is done, 
 And shades of evening hasten on. 
 Swallows homeward wing their flight, 
 The backlog sparkles 'gainst the night. 
 The willow rustles at the door 
 To pattering feet upon the floor. 
 
 The soothing voice of whispered breeze, 
 
 And strains from answering brooks and trees, 
 
 Unite and to each other lend 
 
 The notes that nightly, weirdly blend ; 
 
 And through the shattered pane they creep 
 
 Lulling the wakeful soul to sleep. 
 
 New pictures hang upon the wall. 
 
 Stockings for feet both large and small. 
 
 Voices are heard of other days, 
 
 But hushed by louder cradle lays. 
 
 A happy time in life is this — 
 
 The shuttle's wish of " perfect bliss." 
 
 43 
 
^be Xoom 
 
 New Voices 
 
 List to the voice that said, 
 
 At mama's knees, 
 Bring out our trundle-bed. 
 
 Papa, dear, please." 
 
 Leap into loving arms. 
 Kisses, three, four. 
 
 Love pats and ruby charms. 
 Again o'er and o'er. 
 
 Then by their mama's side 
 Kneel they in prayer ; 
 
 Troubles can ne'er betide 
 Little ones there. 
 
 Now we lie down to sleep ; 
 
 Dear Jesus, take 
 These little souls of ours 
 
 Till we shall wake. 
 
 44 
 
of Xife 
 
 Lullaby 
 
 Gone is the day to the mists of the past, 
 Rests the old world from its cares at last • 
 Beat, little hearts, your eyes close in slumber, 
 Of few evil days we have one more to number! 
 
 Saints and angels vigils keep. 
 
 While our eyes we close in sleep; 
 
 Savior, fold us in thy breast, 
 
 Give to thy beloved rest. 
 
 There are snow-white lilies that never were 
 stained. 
 
 There are hearts now pulsing that never were 
 
 pained ; 
 Elysian fields where tares are unsown, 
 And angels whose cup no sorrow has known. 
 Saints and angels vigils keep. 
 While our eyes we close in sleep; 
 Savior, fold us in thy breast. 
 Give to thy beloved rest. 
 45 
 
^b^ Xoom 
 
 Like the beautiful snow in its vesture of white, 
 Like the lilies of earth and the angels in light, 
 May the Shepherd Divine my little ones keep — 
 Thus the mother heart yearns for her lambs 
 while they sleep. 
 
 Saints and angels vigils keep, 
 
 While our eyes we close in sleep ; 
 
 Savior, fold us in thy breast, 
 
 Give to thy beloved rest. 
 
 46 
 
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 The Dream 
 
 There is a time, a place, a way 
 
 That spirits have. 'Tis when, they say, 
 
 Far from all sorrow and all mirth, 
 
 From all the busy cares of earth, 
 
 We sleep, and thoughts are turned toward 
 
 heaven : 
 To mortals, then, secrets are given. 
 
 Sleep, mother, sleep; to seraph arms 
 Commit thine all from all alarms. 
 And from the spirit world on high, 
 Down sweeping through the starlit sky, 
 Come, angel, come, and guardian be ; 
 The night-watch is resigned to thee. 
 
 "Sweet evangel, who art thou? " 
 Said the dreamer ; ' ' tell me how. 
 Lost unto thy native sphere, 
 Wanderest thou with mortals here? 
 To my humble home ye came? 
 What thy mission? what thy name? " 
 
 47 
 
^be Xoom 
 
 *' Mother, dear, thy lullaby- 
 Reached the throne of God on high. 
 Bells of heaven ceased to ring, 
 Saints and angels ceased to sing, 
 Till to quench thy heart's desire, 
 One voice left the heavenly choir. 
 
 ' ' Saints and angels vigils keep. 
 
 While our eyes we close in sleep, ' — 
 Was not this thy prayer? The rest: 
 * Savior, fold us in thy breast, 
 Give to thy beloved rest. ' 
 At thy word of prayer I came. 
 This my mission : Love my name. 
 
 *' Treat thy bidden guest thus ill? 
 Ask, receive, and doubting still? 
 Perfect faith knows no surprise. 
 Earth it treads and sea and skies ; 
 Majestic sits midst battle fears, 
 Serenely sits midst wreck of spheres. 
 
 48 
 
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 *'To God then trust thy treasures dear; 
 It is not night when he is near. 
 His own thy loves, yet thine to be, 
 Twice panoplied by him and thee.'' 
 At least three hearts beat at love's shrine, 
 The two of earth, and one divine. 
 
 49 
 
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 Home 
 
 Of all the shrines on earthly sod, 
 
 The nearest to the heart of God 
 
 Is not where sun his quenchless fires 
 
 Gleams down on Milan's forest spires; 
 
 Or sword of Bunker Hill is clenched, 
 
 And that from Briton's hand is wrenched; 
 
 Or where Olympic race is run. 
 
 And olive wreath by victor won ; 
 
 Or where from Erie's prison walls 
 
 Niagara's frenzied torrent falls: 
 
 But where around the old fireside, 
 
 At closing hour of eventide. 
 
 Loved ones of home unite to raise 
 
 The voice of prayer and song of praise. 
 
 50 
 
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 Ragnarok 
 
 The thirsty sun his droughts impose, 
 Fades the green earth, blighted the rose ; 
 From mountain tops storms hurl the trees, 
 Rocks from their base the thunders seize ; 
 Unchained the fires drink rivers dry, 
 Decree that all the world shall die. 
 
 But breaking from a brighter sun, 
 Eternal in his course to run, 
 A glory gilds the Valhal halls. 
 And brighter light on Gimle falls. 
 Of storms, of life, of death is this, 
 Earth's sequel of unfading bliss. 
 
 51 
 
Z\)c Xoom 
 
 Finale 
 
 Farewell, old Loom, thy task is done, 
 And mortal thread its course has run. 
 Now rest the hands, the feet, that swayed 
 Thy magic cords and fabric made. 
 Hushed, too, a song, and quiet by 
 The cypress-trees the weavers lie. 
 
 No hand did e'er provoke thy strain 
 To which thou gavest not again 
 Good, beauty, and the false or true, 
 As that same hand the shuttle threw. 
 Each soul that on thy cords has played 
 For all his labor is repaid. 
 Shall weaver his own cloth disdain? 
 Shall singer his own song profane? 
 
 To thee the chain of acts we lent, 
 And woven habits back were sent ; 
 To wary or incautious tread 
 Infixed on life another thread. 
 
 62 
 
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 We work together, shuttle free, 
 Yet both held by divine decree. 
 
 We hold, we're held, captive, and free! 
 
 This is love's law of liberty; 
 
 And, with the mantle of God's grace 
 
 Spread o'er the Loom of Life, we trace 
 
 Our destiny for good or ill. 
 
 So flies the human shuttle still. 
 
 Think you to change this wondrous scheme, 
 
 Or to account this song a dream? 
 
 If beauty is from virtue flowered. 
 
 May not all souls alike be dowered? 
 
 And if love be the royal grace, 
 
 Are there not crowns for all the race? 
 
 This, then, the lesson thou wouldst teach 
 To all the lives thy rude notes reach : 
 That worse than vain it is to cast 
 The tear-stained eye upon the past. 
 And turn the somber pattern o'er, 
 And, hopeless, worry evermore. 
 
 58 
 
ZTbe Xoom of Xife 
 
 Select the threads of peace and joy, 
 Goodness and faith without alloy ; 
 To warp of virtue knowledge ply, 
 The mellow tints of patience try ; 
 Fill every shuttle from above, 
 And color all with woof of love. 
 
 54 
 
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