PS 3525 .A2433 G6 1915 ■ ■ ..** .A 4>' .v.. ^ \ ° • * " A° %*. r\ > , o » a "K-. XT' /V >.. ^ ♦.^^••^ «£x. 4 r o, ^,.t s A # o 6* V *>Wf^ A ^ 9 *L^L'* V /^ **0« «feV* :- *W •■ c* -3,9 \L^L'* ^ V" • ' * °» c^ " ° v$ VV J a>v t?^V - ^^jiiii^' o \V**x \^/A^^ - t'?^ • ***** * A^ \. r ..*'•« V^ 1 vv ^^ v-o^ 70 ^°^ ".« ^^ THE GOD OF BATTLES AND OTHER VERSES BY AMBROSE LEO McGREEVY BOSTON SHERMAN, FRENCH & COMPANY 1915 TS3^'^ t 3* Copyright, 1915 Sherman, French 6> Company JUN 19 1915 ©CI.A406378 TO MY MOTHER FOREWORD In solemn splendor round its arch, Aslant on men about to die, The lonely Sun in stately march Moves on in glory through the sky. Where men their battle-flags unfurl To devastate, to slay and kill, Where all the blood-red eddies swirl, That same Sun flings its lustre still. Though countless bloody wars have been Where'er that Sun its radiance cast, The like of this was never seen Through all the many ages past. But spite of war and plot and plan That wraps this world in throes of hell, I've written for the mind of man The thoughts my soul has yearned to tell. You whose hearts may often yearn For freedom from all care, You whose ready minds would turn From fields of blood the nations dare, — For you have I moulded my verse; For you have I garnered my time; For you do I often rehearse That ye may find joy in my rhyme. Lovers of justice and peace, Men of my native land, Blest with a holy surcease Of war's most hideous hand, — These my songs are for you, You who dwell in content; With care I've tried to be true, With care my message is sent. CONTENTS PAGE The God of Battles 1 The Paths of Glory 3 The Bugle Call 5 The Struggle 6 In Belgium by the Sea 7 To the United States of America ... 9 Ballad of the Schoolmaster . . . .11 The Sequence 14 The Song of the Age 15 If Your Sins Be as Red as Scarlet . . 19 The Metamorphosis of a Pal .... 20 Star of Memory 24 In Chatfield Town 27 Within the Town of Baltimore ... 29 Going Home 31 The Heart of Man 32 The Boy 33 Spirit of the Rockies 34 In the Forest of the Mountains ... 36 Arise ! The Day is Dawning .... 38 False Gods 40 A First Love 42 The Coil of the Serpent 43 The Destroyers 46 Adversity 49 In the Beginning 51 The Triangle 53 What Thinkest Thou? 56 Meditation 58 THE GOD OF BATTLES For two-score years and ten, God of Battles ! Thy people lived like men, God of Battles ! — Freed from clashing — sweet surcease — Till we thought the world had lease On the holy rights of peace, God of Battles ! The nations dwelt in awe, God of Battles ! Of Thy stern and rigid law, God of Battles ! And though girded for the fight, Still they feared the dreadful sight Of the spread of martial blight, God of Battles ! So they lived in dread, God of Battles ! Of the hated hoof and tread, God of Battles ! Waiting, fearing for the hour, Trembling all — yet loath to cower In the nations' fight for power, God of Battles ! And now the war has come, God of Battles ! Cannon mouths no longer dumb, God of Battles ! Clank of arms and clash of steel, Shriek of shell and thunder peal To us the awful truth reveal, God of Battles ! [1] In Thee we place our trust, God of Battles ! For we know that Thou art just, God of Bat- tles! Lend us still Thy guiding hand, Whether on our native strand, Or a-march on foreign land, God of Battles ! To Thee we lift our eyes, God of Battles ! Hoping Thou wilt hear our sighs, God of Bat- tles! Praying Thee to rid us well From the terrors of battel, Terrors that are worse than hell, God of Battles ! Let the awful slaughter cease, God of Battles ! In Thy goodness grant us peace, God of Bat- tles! Back again to realms of light, Where the ruling power is right, Lead us gently by Thy might, God of Battles ! We are wearied of the strife, God of Battles ! Wearied of the loss of life, God of Battles ! Let the old love rule the world, Let the battle-flag be furled Where the blood-red eddies swirled, God of Battles ! [2] THE PATHS OF GLORY Now are the gates of right let down While might and power rule, And nations war on state and town With living flesh their tool. We hear the call of beast to beast As Christians meet in slaughter, In rank and file from west to east, On land and on the water. The armies move in phalanx fast, — It's just the same old story As told by men through ages past, And called the paths of glory. With engines of death and hurried tread They meet in the valley of fear; Armed to the teeth, with never a dread, The horrible hosts draw near. The clank of steel, the trumpet blast, The charge on charge so fierce, — For men must fight, the die is cast, And men must bullets pierce. The grave in the field, the helpless at home, — The weak, the infirm, and the hoary, — For few are there left of the millions to roam Back from the paths of glory. [3] And this is the tale we are told again, — It's just the same old story, — Of the heat of the fight, and the grit of the men Down on the paths of glory. Gone are the lives God gave them to keep, On those fields all red and gory, And now forever they shall sleep Down on the paths of glory. Harried by the awful sight, Tired of the story, How men meet and how men fight On the paths of glory : Sickened at the fearful fray, Wearied of the battle, Hoping for a God to stay The dreadful musket rattle: In anguish, Lord, we turn to Thee And humbly ask surcease From hell of war on land and sea, And grant us lasting peace. [4] THE BUGLE CALL O Bertha, dear ! I hear the bugle calling ! And I must leave thee, hard as it may seem, For the awful land where battle clouds are roll- ing And thousands sink in death's eternal dream. The enemy has sworn against our nation ! Again I hear the hated hoof and tread ! And I am bound in honor to my station At the front, beneath the cannonading dread. Heart! Sweetheart! Of thee I'll still be dreaming In the camp and in the hurried battle dash, Where our nation's flag in freedom shall be streaming 'Mid the cannon smoke and thunder of the clash. And when the haughty foe shall sound retreat, And sea and land no more incarnadine, 1 hope, Sweetheart, that we again shall meet At home beneath the clinging-ivy vine. Then farewell, Bertha dear! The bugle's call- ing* And I must leave thee, hard as it may seem, For the awful land where battle clouds are roll- ing And thousands sink in death's eternal dream. [5] THE STRUGGLE In the whirl of kings' ambitions That speak of pomp and power, The nations rise like giants, For fate has knelled the hour When men must move in armies O'er fields all red and gory, To slay and kill their fellowman, — And call it paths of glory. I see a million men and more Go by in measured tread, To fight where countless thousands Shall muster with the dead. Again I hear the battle-roar, — Oft told in song and story, — Where armed men in conflict meet Upon the paths of glory. We know not, Lord, whom we should blame For war's unholy work, But Thou, we know, art still the same, And we should ne'er Thy mandates shirk. " Thou shalt not kill," was said of old, — So runs Thy life's sweet story, — And war is wrong, though nations bold Clash on the paths of glory. [6] IN BELGIUM BY THE SEA In Belgium by the sea Where nations disagree, Millions meet for slaughter! Blood! It flows like running water In Belgium by the sea Where nations disagree ! See the millions ! How they muster ! Round their leaders still they cluster Like the fiends of hell consulting, In satanic brawl exulting! See the millions ! How they muster ! Round their leaders still they cluster! Rifle crack and cannon thunder Rend the peaceful sky asunder! Bayonet charge and clash of sabre Face to face in hellish labor! Rifle crack and cannon thunder Rend the peaceful sky asunder! See the rotting corpse a-yonder, While this hell-on-earth ye ponder ! Reeking forms and stench of death Breathe ye in with every breath ! See the rotting corpse a-yonder, While this hell-on-earth ye ponder ! [7] Of the horror, fear, and terror Words can never be the bearer ! Hated scenes, begot of hell, Human tongue can never tell ! Of the horror fear and terror Words can never be the bearer ! Would that the Lord Might shatter the sword! Would that grim war We should see nevermore! Would that the Lord Might shatter the sword! [8] TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (Respectfully dedicated) The nations lost their dignity In heated furor of the time — To heights of power they would climb, While thou art in benignity. The jealous eye, the envious thought, Have moved the nations on to war, Lo ! bursts aloud the cannon's roar, For might and power they have sought. But thou, my own United States, Hast held the pace and kept thy head Though mourning for the lost and dead, So tranquil 'mid thy hills and lakes. Thou guardest well the public weal In spite of scheme and plot and plan Attempted by the hand of man, While on the Truth is fixed thy seal. Thy people live in glory still, While millions move in armies vast 'Mid thunder roar and battle blast, For peace has ever been thy will. [9] Still blest are we in those who hold The reins of power in the land ; Who by the Truth in glory stand With courage seldom ever told. Then haste, true nation, on thy way, And heed no coward's sneer or frown, For thou art given to wear the crown Of glory in a brighter day. [10] BALLAD OF THE SCHOOLMASTER No captain of commerce, Nor builder am I Of structures in matter That reach to the sky. No call of genius Ambitions me on To fame and fortune Where others have gone; Nor rapt me and thrilled me And signaled to me The hint of success From life's stormy sea. The world with its glitter Might offer me more, Did I only forsake Mediocrity's shore. I'm only a schoolmaster Hidden to fame; The world never even Heard tell of my name. I sing this mean song For amusement of men, To tell of a life Beyond their own ken. [11] My role is not one Enticing to man Who seeks only fame Wherever he can, For I'm not a leader Nor star on the stage Of life, where all men Must work for a wage. My part is obscure And removed from the crowd, Which never appeals To the lofty and proud. Obscure though my life, Unknown though my name, I start not a few On the pathway to fame. Then give me your sons While I fashion and form Their hearts and their minds To brave every storm. I'll make them all men Though it costs my whole life, And men they shall be In the midst of the strife. [12] O God, what a life ! To make but one man Like unto Thee The best that I can ! Then fame shall not tempt me Nor call me away, But at this great work To the end I shall stay, While comfort and solace Alone shall be sought, In thought of the men Whom erstwhile I taught. [13] THE SEQUENCE He Give me a word to rhyme with hope, And I shall build for thee A castle of love that's able to cope With every gale on life's stormy sea. She Give me a word to rhyme with faith And of myself I'll make A temple firm, with love's bright wreath Entwined thereon for thine own sake. They Give us a word to rhyme with love, And free we'll be from strife, While blest with smiles from God above We'll go hand in hand through life. Satan Give me a word to rhyme with doubt, And a hell their life I'll make; Their love's young dreams I'll put to rout And their plighted troth I'll break. [14] THE SONG OF THE AGE A youth there stood at the break of day And gazed on fields afar, Where he read by the light of the morning ray The promise of things that are. He had just set forth from the scenes of a child And sought for the things of a man, While the flimsy flights of his fancies wild In the paths of the dreamers ran. Poorly girt for the combat, Fresh from environs of home, Not taking the world as he found it, But longing with strangers to roam, — He stood in doubt at the threshold Where the actors must enter the stage, And hearkened to that song of old, The siren song of the age. Sung with allurements of Satan, Strong with the power to charm Till the will of the hearer was beaten And the victim was buried in harm. This is the song that was sung to him At the dawn of his manhood's might, That made the laws of his code grow dim And led him from paths of right. [15] " Abandon your traditions old ! Be up and on with the tide That sweeps one out to deeds untold, And I will be your guide! Fear not, for I bring a newer life To the actors on the stage, And all the world with dancing's rife While I sing the song of the age! " Dancing, drinking, and dreaming, — Women and cards and song! Pleasures and passions are streaming Down the avenues of wrong ! — Cast aside your old worn creed, And never your passions gauge, But seek only joy in the present deed And sing the song of the age! " Long ye have lived in the far dead past, Ye have knelt to the God of Fear : Now come with me and give what thou hast To the God of Pleasure so near ! — Heed not the words of the worn and old, The wretched, the low, the uncouth; Follow me on ; be brave and be bold ; For I sing but the song of thy youth ! [16] " And the song of thy youth is the song of the age Wherein only dreamers live ; Then dream your dreams on the world's wide stage And the best that is in ye give To Matter, the only God of Things, The power that rules the world Where the wise man ever my sweet song sings 'Neath the flag of the age unfurled ! " And this was the song the young man heard, — The siren song of the age, — The which he pondered word for word As he entered the world's great stage, Pondered o'er, and chose his role And played his part for a while, But failed to reach the promised goal In his march down pleasure's aisle. The tale of his life I need not repeat, 'Tis one of abasement and shame, Flung back with a curse from the judgment seat Where boots nor fortune nor fame. He's only one of the millions lost Through hearing the siren song; His troubled soul on the breakers was tossed With those of the countless throng. [17] Then close up the book of his unfinished task; There's another lost soul to inscribe. The Devil grins 'neath his Devil's Mask, As he rules his hellish tribe. Another heart has been hurled to hell To fret on its stage for aye; From weakness of will he was caught in the spell Of the siren song of To-day. [18] IF YOUR SINS BE AS RED AS SCARLET " If your sins be as red as scarlet, I will make them whiter than snow," Said the writer by God inspired To our fathers long ago ; And that same God of mercy Sent His only begotten Son That the souls of men unnumbered Might from death be won; While those to sin addicted, Entwined by the Serpent's coils, Shall in His grace find freedom From Satan's terrible toils. His life was a boon to sinners ; He moved among men of this world, And preached His lofty ideals — His Gospel banner unfurled. Son of God and God also, Christ, the anointed of old, Slain by the sins of the millions, For paltry silver sold: We know it was Thou who said it To our fathers long ago, — " If your sins be as red as scarlet, I will make them more white than snow." [19] THE METAMORPHOSIS OF A PAL His name was Timmy Ronan: he was just a pal of mine In the home town way out west among the hills, Where we used to spend our time running round with hook and line When we went so blythe, a-fishing in the rills. Two barefoot boys we were, together round the town, In the summer when the days were long and fair. I was much like Tim in action, and Tim was like a clown, And our antics often made the good folks stare. Oh, those days away out west, where the folks were of the best That I've ever seen since eastward I have come, Where they'd work throughout the day, and at evening take their rest, Far removed from dissipation's city-slum. Ah, well do I remember the day I left the town For the east, and all the big things I would do, How my little saddened Timmy wore upon his face a frown As he walked me to the train about to go. Then a hand-clasp and a grunt, and I left him there behind, [20] All alone beneath the home town's old train shed, With the hope down in my breast that another pal I'd find Who would help me in the race to go ahead. But the course was long and fast, and I often lost the pace, When the morals of my hometown training stood In the way of wanton beckoning, to check me in the race, When by smothering my conscience I could have it if I would. But by patience and endeavor I landed at the top With the good things of success at my com- mand, While the past associations from my mind began to drop As with the men of grit I took my stand. It was just the other day, as I wandered down the street That leads one to the wharf beside the sea, When a-coming with the wind whom should I hap to meet But my Timmy pal, a-staring still at me. He was dirty, coarse and awful ; he was ragged and half drunk; [21] And of all the things I've seen he was a " sight," For as he came up near, his reeking breath it stunk — Fell symptom of a youth's untimely blight. As I took him by the hand, I could see the flush of shame A-spreading o'er the face I knew so well, And I tried to make him think that things were just the same As when we ran, two boys, through hill and dell. But with laboring and effort he told to me his tale Of how he'd left the home town long ago, How he'd traveled through the land on foot — perchance by rail — And companions led him into ways of woe. So I offered him my aid if he'd only stay around, But he couldn't stay, he just the same as said, For he had the roving fever and to stranger scenes was bound; And as to past relations, he might just as well be dead. Then he left me there alone, and he sadly went his way With a choking in his throat that I could see; [22] Bound for God knows only where, I'm sure I couldn't say, For the only thing he left me was a saddened memory. Though he's gone from out my life, I hope we'll meet again On that farther shore where life is sweet and true, And my little Timmy pal once again will mix with men, With forgetfulness of all that's drear and blue. I hope it shall be so, for we'll be boys together then, Just as we were back home in days of yore, And with boyhood's sweet abandon we'll just be pals again To play forever on the eternal shore. [23] STAR OF MEMORY Through the dark night Alone I went, While with deep sorrow My soul was bent, When from the inky black Flashed there a star, Just like a messenger Come from afar. Glittering, glimmering, It shone so bright; Glowing and shimmering, It dazzled my sight, Calling me back again From black despair, Lighting me onward With heavenly glare. Back from despondency This ray divine Happily called me To things sublime; Singing sweet solace And cheering me on With sweetest comfort Till my grief was gone. [24] What was this ray of hope Sent from afar, Flashed through the night to me Just like a star? Was it a memory Come through the years, Vivid and forceful, Dispelling my fears? Was it a messenger Come from on high, Bearing most sweetly Response to my sigh? It was remembrance Of one most dear, With words she uttered When she was near. Words of a mother To her lonely son, Guiding him onward Till his work is done. As garnered treasure They are to me, Come in with the tide From memory's sea, [25] Bringing me courage When most in need; Aiding my will In each virtuous deed. Now I am strong; Dispelled are my fears ; Hope shall abide with me Through the long years. Though dark the night may be, Still from afar It shall be flashed to me Just like a star. [26] IN CHATFIELD TOWN In Chatfield Town in Southern Minnesota, Where the farmers come to sell their hogs and grain, There's a lad I know, both good and true by nature, And to him I dedicate this brief refrain. Born and bred out there 'mid the waving corn- fields, He never had a yearning for the town, For he'd rather be a farmer in the country Than become a mighty man of great renown. He'd rather ride a binder than a Packard And spend his life a-tilling of the soil Than be mixed up with the din and roar of cities And pass his years in dreary drudge and toil. So when his father sent him off to college To get a little knowledge in his head, He went with heavy heart yet like a soldier To be mustered in the army of the dead. Back again he came from school, when school was over, And gladly took his place upon the farm, For to him, in spite of glim and glare of city, A living in the country bore a charm. [27] To be a soldier in the army of producers He made the end and be-all of his life, And thus by giving up what most men cherish He won desired freedom without strife. It was there in Minnesota that I knew him, Where wave the fragrant fields I love the best, And as I think of him I have a longing To be out there to-night just as his guest. I know that I'd not find him artificial, But just as God intended him to be, And to one so awful sick of frill and fashion What a healthy and a welcome sight to see! And though I cannot be with him this evening, I'll drink his health in liquid pure and cold, Recall his bright and ever cheering features And converse with him on topics as of old. Then here's to you, my old-time pal of Chat- field, The greatest friend I've met on this round earth ; With joy and pleasant thoughts to-night I crown you A nobleman in calling and by birth. [28] WITHIN THE TOWN OF BALTIMORE With weary mind and body sore, I wandered round from door to door To find a friend I knew of yore, And ponder o'er forgotten lore Within the town of Baltimore. From Druid Hill to Chesapeake shore, Through crowded street and busy roar, All wearied with my hopeless chore, I sought in vain this friend of yore Within the town of Baltimore: And as I passed along, so sore, All streaked with dirt and dust galore, My heart within me yearned to soar To childhood with my friend of yore Within the town of Baltimore, Till at my heart suspicion tore And whispered softly o'er and o'er, While to my mind in truth it bore That I should see him nevermore Within the town of Baltimore. From out the past of memory's store, A friend he must have known of yore, Informed me gently o'er and o'er That he is dead forevermore Within the town of Baltimore. [29] So he shall dwell forevermore Where disembodied spirits soar, And I shall see him nevermore, — This friend I knew and loved of yore,- Within the town of Baltimore. [30] GOING HOME I love a state of the golden west, Oh, Iowa's beautiful plain ! Of the lands I have met, to me it's the best, And I long to be there again. I've wandered far in foreign land, I've seen and heard strange things, Where countless old traditions stand And the voice of history rings. I'm going back again to-night With never a thought to roam, Back again to a grander sight, — To the land I call my home. It's lying there in the heart of the west Where tasseled cornfields blow, And soon I'll be its welcome guest From its boundaries never to go. Oh, is there a thought in the wide, wide world? — If there is, pray tell me one, — Where the spirit of man by God was hurled And his earthly course is run, That brings more joy to the human heart Than the sight of the land of one's birth On coming back from foreign mart, Back from the ends of the earth? [31] THE HEART OF MAN The human heart was made to love and breathe of things divine, And men of worth since time began have sel- dom crossed the line That separates the good from bad and marks the love from hate But by the light of reason for the good things will to wait. Hate must have been a spirit come from the nether world To reek and rot the heart of man here where man was hurled, For that spirit of the darkness or demon of the sea Has wrecked the countless souls of men that evil will to be. Then love is life's salvation, entrancer of the soul, The leader of the heart of man unto his final goal, The essence of man's living, the spice of things worth while, The light dispelling darkness, the bloom that knows no guile. [32] THE BOY He was Master Clemmie Bowe, And he didn't care to go With the proud among the fields of wise pre- tense. He never tried to soar With the great and mighty, for He was just a boy. As a little lad he came, And he spoke to me his name While I wandered down the street beside the school. In his face there was no guile For I studied him the while, — He was just a boy. Perhaps there may be here, Thought I while he was near, The makings of a man of might and fame. I surely hope it's so, For I feel it should be, though He was just a boy. [33] SPIRIT OF THE ROCKIES I've stood in some lonely valley 'Mid the mountains of the west; I've felt my spirits rally To see nature at its best. I've watched the glistening snow peaks Glaring out beneath the sun, And heard the tale the wind shrieks Down its drear and lonely run. I've felt the solemn spirit of the wild Seize and grasp me in its mighty clutch, Helpless, silent, spellbound as a child, When I stood within the Rockies' magic touch. Rock-ribbed giants older than our history, Tales so wild and weird could ye not tell ; Tranquil, silent, dumb, within your mystery, Enraptured, awed, I stand beneath your spell. For ages ye arose to meet the morning; For ages ye were kissed by parting day ; With Time has combated your self-adorning, And garnered sterner beauty from the fray ; Till at the present time ye stand in splendor, And shall continue so unto the end As down the course of time your tale ye render, And message to the generations send. [34] I'm sick to death of life so artificial Where the city wraps me in its dizzy roar; I'm wearied of these things so superficial ; I'm yearning for the mountains as of yore. I want the deep and silent, lonely valley ; I want to see the snow caps high above; I want to feel my drooping spirits rally Where the giants high aloft their bare fangs shove. [35] IN THE FOREST OF THE MOUNTAINS In the forest of the mountains Where the tamarack and fir Rise to shadow bubbling fountains And with gentle breezes stir; 'Mid the golden light of morning Gilding all the world with grace, Nature is herself adorning With allurements for our race; By the silver shining lakes Where the brooklets hie them to, And the mind in joy awakes To the glorious morning hue ; By the winding of a river That flows to meet the sea — Sinuous from Nature's quiver, — It is there I long to be: Far away from city roar And from feverish city strife, There in gladness I would soar To a sweet and happy life ; Finding joy among the mountains And within the valleys deep, Drinking at the bubbling fountains, There by nature sung to sleep ! [36] There's a peace and plenty found That this world can never give ; Freed from all discordant sound, There in gladness I would live, And among the whispering trees Live as nature's bosom friend, Breathing in the mountain breeze, — Dwell where truth and beauty blend. [37] ARISE! THE DAY IS DAWNING Arise! The day is dawning; All nature, glittering bright, Rolls back the night's black awning, Lets in the morning light. The cocks are all a-crowing And sheep in pasture graze, For all the world's a-growing With the passing of the days, — Growing old and older, And wiser, let us pray, As generations bolder Make appearance for the day. Arise ! The day is dawning, And sleep no more to-day ; The sky her stars is pawning For the brightest morning ray. The night without travailing To new life has given birth That soon shall be prevailing To the very ends of earth. There's a beauty in the morning Which ye should not then forego, There's the Orient's self-adorning, Pearly mist and ruby glow. [38] Arise! The day is dawning; And see the sights I see For nature's now a-spawning Many things unknown to thee. — I see the brooklet sally Where water-lilies be, Then bicker down the valley To the wideness of the sea. Then wake ye now, and swiftly rise At stroke of Nature's warning, To come with me and lift your eyes To the majesty of morning. [39] FALSE GODS A copper sunset gilds a western sky, and twi- light's hailing from the east, A world is steeped in quiet and the song of the bird has ceased; In the darkening gloom of nightfall to me there comes the thought Of the years gone by and the years to come, and the many things I've sought. The tide of my youth has been folly ; false gods I have followed long Which rapt me and thrilled me and charmed me, but always have set me wrong, For the gods I had placed before me, to worship in hope and adore, Were pleasure and fame and fortune, in the midst of the world and its roar. The coming of age and its wisdom, and the pas- sage of youth so dear, Have brought me a newer viewpoint that grows on me year by year; And the gods I had placed before me, to worship in hope and adore, Have faded into nothing, to rapture me never- more. [40] So while the shadows grow longer, and age keeps a-coming on, My thoughts go wandering sadly to that realm where millions have gone, Millions come up from the cradle to live their own lives just as I, To follow the gods set up from their youth, to find them false, and to die. And out of it all in conclusion, in the dark and the quiet of night, The rarest thought that comes to me, that seems to give most light, That brings me peace and quiet out of the dim and the gloom And takes the terror away at the thought of eternal doom, Is one of love and of mercy, and good in the Maker of men, Who made us in form and in fashion, but lacking Divinity's ken ; And He and His will we must have for our God, to worship in hope, and adore, And the end it shall be a partnership, with Him on eternity's shore. [41] A FIRST LOVE Last night he held me to his breast And whispered love to me, While on my lips he gently prest The sign of lover's glee. My first and only, only love, I wonder if he's true ; Will his spirit ever hover Round me like the morning hue ! I could not help but think of him And dream the whole night long ; And wonder if his love would dim, Or cease its trancing song. Though the world should crumble round me And all things come to naught, In his love I'll never fail to see The comfort that I sought. My love shall be unending, And I know his is the same ; His love he'll ever keep anew And to my heart lay claim. Then love is life and meat to me, A thing not of the past, But like a lighthouse on the sea Until our anchor's cast. [42] THE COIL OF THE SERPENT In the glow of youth's first fervor I thought to mount the wall That leads to glimmering glory, For I heard the far famed call Of genius beckoning me onward To accomplish deeds of might And shine through future ages As a glowing star of light. And straightway I went a-building My temple of fame to the sky, With the hope it would house me in glory Before the hour came to die; For I had been filled with ambition To hear the applause of the world, To be hailed as the leader of nations Here where my spirit was hurled. I set to work a-founding My Utopian temple of fame, And labored with might and effort To magnify my name; Success was mine at the outset And flushed with pride I went on Up the mountain of glory As others before me have gone. [43] My friends most eagerly sought me, Encouraged me on to my best; But asked me to champagne dinners When my soul was longing for rest. Their adulation and blarney Worked in upon my soul And deadened my ambitions Before I had reached my goal. Wine with its hypnotic power Led me away from my work, While woman fairly entranced me And caused me my task to shirk ; Song kept me a-delaying And hindered my daily toil, While the hell-serpent kept tightening, Tightening his deadly coil. And how the years have fled from me! God, I am getting old Without the realization Of my youthful dreams so bold ! The darkness comes in upon me And shrouds my soul in night, While hope is fast receding With my boyhood dreams so bright. The hell-serpent's coil is tightening, With his mighty bands I'm bound, And his slimy convolutions Keep a-circling me around. [44] The things which as a boy I once had thought to do Have faded into nothing As this hellish power grew. God alone can save me From the weakness of my will, And pour His soothing graces On a wearied soul that's ill: Then from these worldly meshes To the God in heaven I turn, For never was His mercry known The penitent to spurn. [45] THE DESTROYERS In the dream of the day's reformer The race shall be made again, More fair and like the ideal Of the sons and daughters of men. And as we read their sounding cant, Irreverent fancy hears The joyless shout of the demagogue And the rabble's rumbling jeers. We ask with curious wonderings If the reason of man has fled To the brutish beast in the stubble field Where flesh to flesh is wed. The theories wild of the doctrinaires Float in on the wings of night To lead and tempt our troubled souls Far away from the land of right. Out of the East and out of the West They send their shafts of blight, By the printed page and the tongues of men They would blast the rocks of right. No hearth, no home, from their withering hand Secure in life serene, They mock at all the past has done, They mock at the Nazarene. [46] They are teaching their doctrines everywhere, At home and in the school ; They call themselves the leaders of men, And build for all a rule. I see the glint of their lurid flame Flash out upon the night From a thousand campfires far and wide, Burning, burning bright. Like a whirlwind they would sweep aside Traditions of the past; Nothing sacred, nothing divine, While their frightful frenzies last: Only time can stop their ravings Just as the law of man Reacts on their marshalled wisdom, To revive as best it can. They would write their unholy doctrines In the statute books of our state, And ask us with joy to receive them Though we think them more worth our hate ; And if in thought, in word or deed We dare from their dogmas depart, Reactionaries they call us, And laugh us to scorn in the mart. [47] Let us stand our ground and hold them fast With reason's rightful hand, And hearken not to the whims and wiles Of these builders on the sand. Let them laugh and scorn and flout if they will, Our doctrines and what we do, But until they prove their scheme the best We'll stand by the tried and true. [48] ADVERSITY Last night I saw my little friend All worn and wracked with pain, And watched his smiles and tears ablend As he welcomed me again. I saw the beauty of his soul Shine out in solemn splendor, With mind still bent on heaven's goal, So holy, sweet and tender. His was the lot of suffering, To pain and sorrow given; He tolled it out as the offering Of a soul from sin now shriven. The wondrous feat of his self control I could not help admire; 'Twas that of a soul still on patrol, Awaiting his heart's desire. And what was it that bore him up In his body's grave distress, To drink so deep of fate's grim cup Without the least redress? 'Twas a heart well fixed on the further shore, Where he knew he'd find relief From the ill that comes as our mortal chore To prove our real belief. [49] I read in his sad and lonely life A lesson so brave and true That well it might in a world of strife Be given to those who do. We only get the things worth while, The things that count in the end, If we meet our trial with pliant smile And take what fate may send. [50] IN THE BEGINNING In the beginning He made them from nothing, Molded and fashioned each planet and star ; They moving along in their orbits Without the least friction or jar. Out of the chaos He molded order; In harmony ruled over all; Till from the inanimate matter Life came forth at His call. Monarch of all creation, Man was placed at the head, Commissioned by the Creator To rule the world in His stead; Like unto even Jehovah Molded and fashioned in form, Guided by the Almighty To meet and brave every storm. Thou hadst made him free to act wrongly, Free will was given to him; And scarcely had he disobeyed Thee When the light which shone round him grew dim, — Cast out from the garden of Eden, Condemned to suffer and toil, With blighted mind and will weakened, Entwined by the hell-serpent's coil, [51] Till Thou in Thy goodness and wisdom Sent Thine only begotten Son To bring man back from his error, That heaven again might be won. And the price ! My God, it was awful ! The picture will ever remain While the thought of Thine infinite mercy I shall ever and ever retain. What more couldst Thou do for Thy creature! Thyself Thou hast given to him. Should not man, then, in deepest thanksgiving Thy praise everlastingly hymn ! To know Thou art infinite goodness Above and beyond human ken Should of itself be sufficient For the sons and the daughters of men. Then let Thy grace always be with us, While the fruit of Thy sacrificed Son Will lead us, and wrap us, and thrill us Till this pilgrimage here shall be done. And when from Thy path we may wander, With sin and abasement to roam, Recall us ! My God ! Oh, recall us ! Lest we suffer the loss of our home. [52] THE TRIANGLE At the fiat of creation's Master, when first upon this world I came, — A quivering chunk of human flesh endowed with soul immortal, In matter made as animal unreasoning, Molded and fashioned in form to likeness of the Creator, — I started down life's highway Encouraged by the paeans of hosts of angels, For did that power do no more in ages past or yet to come But bring me forth from out a land of nothing- ness, — A spirit that shall never die, caged in flesh ephemeral, — 'Twere proof enough that He were power om- nipotent. All the court of heaven were there in num- bers countless ; Legion upon legion of angels and arch-angels, Thrones and dominations, virtues, principali- ties and powers, Cherubim and seraphim, together with the hosts of sainted dead, All in one mighty voice they bade me Godspeed. And so from out the eternal shores I came Trailing clouds of glory fresh from God. [53] The babbling babe becomes a child, the sweet- est age of all In man's short, fleeting span of life. O happy childish innocence! That thou couldst persevere Within the human heart unto the end! Then what a joy and happiness secure our little part would be Upon this stage, the world, where actors come and go, And shall, to the last syllable of recorded time ; But no ! The all-wise Creator has decreed it sha'n't be so, For He would have us tried in conflict with the spirit of evil And prove our worth and merit, receiving from His gracious hands Life eternal in the kingdom of perpetual light. So in the course of law divine, childish inno- cence, Together with the guileless blush of youth, must fade away And lose itself within the twilight zone of hazy memory, Leaving behind faint traces as a binding chain To hold us in the ranks when battles rage, and Role of victor seems so far away ; The child becomes a man. [54] Last age of all and greatest, Traversing life's triangle majestically we move From point to point, mere instants in duration With reference to before and after. And so it goes, the three angles of life, Infancy, Childhood, then the Age of Might, When one must do or leave undone The task prescribed from the eternal throne. See then, lonely Pilgrim, since 'tis given to thee To wend thy way along this vale of life, Thou buildest well and strong, Not on the fleeting sands of ever changing time, Lest storms of passion come and wash away ; But rather build thou high and firm Upon the mighty rock of faith, And let thy structure be full ribbed with will of iron. So bear up, move along, however dark the pros- pect! For 'tis written that hope shall lead thee And charity smooth the way As over this mysterious, yea, marvellous triangle Thou dost move, Until the Figure be completed, and thou take Thy chamber in the silent halls of death. [55] WHAT THINKEST THOU? Art thou born to live on earth, Seeking only joy and mirth, Spend thy years in game and song Where thou canst not tarry long? — Is thy talent given to spend, Not where paths of duty blend, But amid the " madding crowd " Where the lofty and the proud Sear their souls with noise and din Of a world so steeped in sin ? What thinkest thou? Is it best to spend thy years Laughing in a vale of tears, Jesting much where millions weep, From the toil of others reap What thou shouldst have really earned When thy heart with passion burned For the gods of brick and stone, Seeking fortune for thy own ? — Should things passing be thy end, And thou to gods of matter bend? What thinkest thou? [56] Wert thou made to mass up wealth, Sacrificing even health For the scarce but gaudy gold, Seeking it till thou art old, Wanting fortune for thine own, And of all the world alone Place thy hope in things of earth — Some forbidden from thy birth — Till the fates will end it all And shall come thy judgment call? What thinkest thou? Is there nothing else in life Thou canst find amidst the strife On our little stage, — the world Where man's craving soul was hurled To battle for the truth and right Until the closing in of night, When hated death must end it all And thou shalt hear the judgment call? — Hast thou ever nothing done To save thee when thy course is run? What thinkest thou? [57] MEDITATION I sat me down beside a stream, lonely and dis- consolate, For I had come from the land of those I love Into a strange country afar To seek my fortune. Unknown faces and new, Strange tongues, and customs odd, Affected me and made me long for my native land. Impressed with my own insignificance By this newer knowledge of the wideness of the world, Almost bent to despair, I, who once had been so self-opinionated, Came to this running stream For consolation from nature. And in the running stream, the sigh of breeze, and song of bird, The hills outlined against a sky of blue, The sun now wading deep through rifts of cloud, Bursting forth anew to send his piercing shafts of light And gild some lonely dell, or cast a halo round some peasant's hut, The jangling cowbells in the pasture near, And bark of farmer's dog, — All this and more [58] Did sing to me a soothing melody The like of which no master ever drew From strings of harp or cast in words of speech Or threw with brush and colors on a canvas stretched, For it was weft of Him, the Arch-Master of them all, Who merely paint or sing or play in semblance of His work. God! Only Thine own ideal could have been A model for such a wondrous work of genius As we, Thy creatures, see around about us, But seldom 'preciate, so rapt we are In selfish gain and lust. 'Twas in this mighty master-work of Thine I learned a lesson deep for words to tell. Fool ! That thou shouldst yearn and pine For scenes of old, And friends that once were thine, When all the world's ablaze with glory, — Glory of the dawn and sunset, The picturesque, the beautiful, and grand, Portrayed all in nature's studio For thee, the connoisseur who shall be, If thou wouldst but cast from off thine eyes The glasses colored by thine own infirmity of soul. [59] Nature in whatever phase Is never sad or grieving, But only the contents of thy mind do make it so, And thou must reconstruct thy thought To the plans of nature and of nature's God, And follow down the course decreed for thee From out eternal shores, As steady to the law as nature's forces move, And peace thine own shall be. 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