S 3545 
 
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 opy 1 
 
 My 
 
 Philosophy 
 of Life 
 
 POEMS 
 
 BY 
 
 CORNELIUS EDWIN WALKER 
 
 TWENTY-FIVE CENTS 
 
 CHICAGO 
 
Mrs, Merlie E. Walker 
 
 Rev. C. E. Walker, D. I>. 
 
Price T\^enty-Five Cents 
 
 INSPIRING VERSE 
 Conveying Hints 
 
 On My 
 
 Philosophy 
 
 of Life 
 
 "Ich Dien" 
 Cornelius Ed'H^in Walker 
 
 SOMETIME 
 
 President of Central College 
 
 and 
 
 Professor of Belles Letters, Ethics 
 
 and 
 Philosophy 
 
 1915 
 CHICAGO 
 
 STEINWAY HALL 
 

TO MERTIE EUNICE HAWES 
 MY DEVOTED WIFE 
 
 Whose Loving Encouragement 
 
 Has Kept My Pen Busy 
 
 Urging Upon My Fellows 
 
 A More Earnest Life 
 
 C. E. W. 
 
 BY THE SAME AUTHOR 
 
 'Words of Wisdom to the Married" 
 "Our Wedding" Wreath" 
 - "True Manliness" 
 "The Psychology of Success" 
 
 These Poems having- appeared in THE LYCEUM 
 
 WORLD, permission lo publish in this form 
 
 has been very kindly granted by Dr. 
 
 A. E, Gringie, The Editor, and 
 
 g"ratitude therefor is 
 hereby ex- 
 
 pressed 
 
 •jA 
 
 ^ Of" 
 
 COPYRIGHTED 1915 
 
 By C. E. Walker 
 
 Made in U. S. A. 
 
 ©CI.A416212 
 
 m 741915 
 
J 
 
 ASPIRATION A PROPHECY 
 
 Dedicated to Rev. Barend 
 H. Kroeze, D. D. 
 (President Jamestown College) 
 
 Command your reserve powers 
 
 To come into the light 
 And use your passing hours 
 
 To build a man of might; 
 To man there is no limit 
 
 (As far as he can see): 
 The soul has that within it 
 
 A limitless man to be. 
 
 Man has potential power 
 
 To reach to any height, 
 And only stops at lower _ 
 
 Because unknown his might; 
 He may not reach the summit 
 
 As God the summit sees, 
 But his own aspiration 
 
 Can reach whatever it please. 
 
 God gave man one condition 
 
 To prompt him to rise higher- 
 An in-born true ambition, 
 
 A holy inner fire 
 To glow and light the path-way 
 
 To higher heights, — and on 
 Through every sort of hindrance 
 
 To welcome victory won. 
 
 Just take that aspiration 
 
 As prophecy come true; 
 Court e'er your own ambition 
 
 As to what you ought to do; 
 Your longings are prophetic 
 
 Of God's real working plan 
 To lead you to achievement — 
 
 To make a manly man. 
 
A NORMAL LIFK 
 
 Dedicated to Rev. E. R. Welch 
 
 Give me health to furnish vigor, 
 Force for service in large store, 
 
 Then Fll work though taxed with rigor. 
 And by service grow the more. 
 
 2. 
 
 Body, mind and soul e'er -splendid. 
 Aiming thus for true success, 
 
 Then when life with tasks is ended 
 Heaven's gates will ope to bless. 
 
 Great reward for earth's commotion 
 Is the growth, the expanse of soul, 
 
 Which results from faith's devotion 
 In the making earth-life whole. 
 
 4. 
 
 Then with soul-life's full expansion, — 
 Room for joy and peace and love, — 
 
 This makes earth as 't were extension 
 Of the heavenly realm above; 
 
 5. 
 
 Heaven come down to earth with blessing 
 
 For the soul unfolded here, 
 All the life its aim expressing; 
 
 Heaven 's here or anywhere. 
 
THE TRIUTMPHANT LIFE 
 
 Dedicated to 
 
 Kev. Thomas J. Sanders, Ph. D., L L. D. 
 
 Hulitt Professor of Philosophy, 
 
 Otterbein University 
 
 I 
 
 Onward, right onward to mountain top, 
 Whatever the hindrance we may not stop; 
 "Whatever 's before us the view is clear. 
 Whatever the burden the help is near; 
 'The vision 's within us, the help at hand, 
 For all needed force is at our command; 
 If only to conscience and God we're true 
 There's nothing too great for us to do. 
 
 II 
 
 Then onward and upward with steady flight; 
 The goal and the glory are full in sight. 
 We've only to beleve to make it true; 
 We've only to trust and dare to do. 
 The victory is with us, e'en in us all, 
 And nothing can hinder or make us fall 
 If settled at first that to the end 
 The truth and right we will defend. 
 
 Ill 
 
 Then forth to success we sing and fly 
 With our faith in God who cannot lie; 
 To glorious triumph we surely come 
 And enter the gate of heaven our home; 
 But heaven alone is not our goal, — 
 The purpose of life is to expand the -soul; 
 For tasks and toil in a world of strife 
 Serve but to strengthen and prove our life. 
 
 IV 
 
 This fits for service of field on high 
 
 By proving our worth before we die; 
 
 For struggles and strife in earthly sphere 
 
 Tend to eliminate doubt and fear. 
 
 And make of death an open door 
 
 Into a world where we'll live the more 
 
 For having lived a life of love 
 
 That flowers on earth and fruits above. 
 
THERE'S LIGHT BEHIND THE CLOUDS 
 
 Dedicated to Baby Margaret Wheeler 
 
 1. 
 
 As near the window here I write 
 
 And watch the clouds go flitting by. 
 
 Anon the sun's rays beam so bright, 
 Reminding of life's broken sky. 
 
 2. 
 
 Sometimes a dark and threatening storm 
 Is lianging o'er your head and mine, — 
 
 We shrink with fear, we take alarm; — 
 'Twill surely crush us in its line. 
 
 3. 
 
 Just as we think the danger nears 
 And we 'er about to hide away 
 
 The storm is gone, — the sun appears, — 
 And life is hopeful, bright and gay. 
 
 4. 
 
 Then as the sun's bright rays do gleam 
 Just after clouds so dark and drear, 
 
 So life's uneven course may seem — 
 A repetition — dark then clear. 
 
 5. 
 
 When you're bowed down in grief and gloom 
 And everything seems lost and sad, 
 
 Remember this: What'er may come 
 The good will always chase the bad. 
 
I WILL: THEREFORE I CAN 
 
 Dedicated to Jonathan Rigdon, Ph. D. 
 (President Winona College) 
 
 I 
 I Will is a spirit that nothing can daunt, 
 Believing that surely the thing that you want 
 Is ever at hand for him who says Will, 
 Not waiting or iiot'ring at foot of the hill, 
 But onward and upward to aim without stop; 
 There's nothing to hinder this side of the top 
 Of manly ambition, of honorable goal; 
 I Will gives the vict'ry to man with a soul. 
 
 II 
 
 Thus joy fills the man when he works with a Will; 
 No matter how difficult, he 's at it still 
 Until every hindrance he meets shall give way; 
 To work he goes cheerful as boy when at play. 
 So life is e'er joyful to such a strong man 
 Whose Will is the power by which he says Can; 
 With force e'er to conquer the difficult things 
 He ever mounts higher; he walks as with wings. 
 
 Ill 
 
 The man who has faith in his mission on earth 
 Is truly light-hearted, is buoyant with mirth; 
 He sits not complaining, bemoaning his fate; 
 He does not go whining, or limping, or wait, 
 But plunges headlong into tasks as they 're given, 
 Believing that earth is a part of his heaven; 
 Full knowing that Will is the basis for Can 
 He works out God's Will as a dutiful man. 
 
TRIBUTE TO MANHOOD. 
 
 Dedicated to Miss Esther McRuer 
 
 it is grand to shake hands with the heart; 
 
 It is noble to cherish a friend, 
 To keep all one's friends from the start. 
 
 And serve them in love to the end. 
 
 Thi'S world doth need more of such men 
 To aid it along on life's road, 
 
 For all the way long and again 
 They help us to lighten the load. 
 
 We often have known of this kind, 
 The m.en, who are trustworthy, sure; 
 
 But never indeed will you find 
 A truer than Duncan McRuer. 
 
 THE WHOLE MAN. 
 
 Dedicated to 
 Prof. Wm. B. Thomas, A. M. 
 
 1. 
 
 Within a healthy body 
 
 An awakened soul 
 Guided by volition, 
 
 Reaching for life's goal; 
 Goal of life is victory 
 
 Over self and sin, 
 With God's plan — redemption — 
 
 Evermore within. 
 
 2. 
 
 For the true redemption 
 
 Is expanse of soul. 
 Not a far-off heaven — 
 
 Geographic goal — ; 
 Truth and joy and beauty 
 
 Entering into life. 
 Helping meet one's duty, 
 
 Overcoming strife. 
 
Keeping body healthful. 
 
 Keeping happy mind, 
 Rendering manly service. 
 
 Helping others find 
 Path of truth and duty 
 
 Through an open door, 
 IManifesting beauty, 
 
 Serving evermore. 
 
 Utilizing service 
 
 As a means of grace, 
 Growing by the serving — 
 
 Any time and place — 
 Ever keeping, ever. 
 
 Truth and right in view, 
 Acts to live forever; 
 
 Nothing else to do 
 
 5. 
 
 But to make expansion 
 
 For one's "living soul," 
 Getting all rewarding 
 
 Just in being whole. 
 'Tis the doing, living, 
 
 Growing as a man 
 Service freely giving 
 
 Consummates God's plan; 
 
 6. 
 
 Plan for growth in service, 
 
 For expanding soul. 
 Just to render helpful 
 
 That which makes one whole; 
 Wholly worth the living, 
 
 Living wholly true. 
 Self in service giving 
 
 Heaven's work to do. 
 
 7. 
 
 All the work of heaven, 
 
 All the work of earth 
 Is to make our living 
 
 Matter of man's worth; 
 Worth while for the body 
 
 Temple of the soul, 
 Worth while all the powers 
 
 Making man a whole. 
 
8. 
 
 Wholly made in image 
 
 And in likeness too 
 Of the God who made us 
 
 With this end in view; 
 Godly man or woman 
 
 As a "living soul," 
 Angel-type, or human. 
 
 Altogether whole. 
 
 AMBITION. 
 
 Dedicated to Prof. Rob't. F. Downs. 
 
 1. 
 
 Ambition! what a splendid word, 
 
 When rightly understood; 
 When in a noble heart it's stirred 
 
 To act for common good; 
 When prompting all the man within 
 
 To push, or pull, or plan, — 
 Thus conquering all alluring sin — 
 
 In making nobler man. 
 
 2. 
 
 A man without ambition's aid 
 
 Overcoming hindering strife 
 Will fall far short for what he's made;- 
 
 He'll lack the earnest life. 
 Ambition's light to show the road 
 
 To higher, better things, 
 Enables man to bear his load; 
 
 To burdens it gives wings. 
 
 3. 
 
 Then cherish all the heartfull hope, 
 
 The strong prophetic fire 
 That aids a man with life to cope. 
 
 Thus rising ever higher. 
 Ambition is prophetic, quite. 
 
 As to what a man should be; 
 Upon his path it throws a. light 
 
 Enabling goal to see. 
 
TRUE EXALTATION. 
 
 Dedicated to Dr. Arthur E. Cringle, 
 Editor Lyceum World. 
 
 My soul v/ould rise higher 
 
 Tlie vales to look o'er, 
 To heaven be nigher 
 
 Than ever before; 
 Yet not to live higher 
 
 Than where duty lies, 
 But bring heaven nigher 
 
 Than space in the skies; 
 
 II 
 
 To catch inspiration 
 
 For duty assigned, 
 With true aspiration 
 
 Leave weakness behind; 
 And feeling the glory 
 
 Of heaven above, 
 Tell the sweet story 
 
 Of brotherly love. 
 
 Ill 
 
 My soul v/ould rise higher 
 
 In scaling the heights. 
 To catch heaven's fire 
 
 The source of delights 
 That serve as pure leaven 
 
 To help us to rise. 
 And bring to all heaven 
 
 From space in the skies. 
 
 IV 
 
 The heaven 's within us 
 
 When soul is aglow. 
 Its work will begin as 
 
 These truths we shall know: 
 That life lived for others 
 
 Is living indeed, 
 And all men are brothers 
 
 According to need. 
 
V 
 The haes of real beauty,. 
 
 The tone of the song, 
 These help one in duty 
 
 Through days that are long; 
 I still would rise higher 
 
 My tasks to look o'er 
 And bring heaven nigher 
 
 Than e'er 'twas before; 
 
 VI 
 
 But not to forget that 
 
 My. work is below. 
 And only to catch it, — 
 
 The heavenly glow; — 
 The glow that has tinted 
 
 The blooms by the way. 
 The soul's inspiration 
 
 To brighten the day. 
 
 VII 
 
 My soul's aspiration 
 
 Is li fling, has power; 
 The real consecration 
 
 That sweetens the hour 
 And makes life V\^orth living — 
 
 For others I live — 
 Is spirit forgiving 
 
 And service to give. 
 
 SPEAK KINDLY TO THE CHILD. 
 
 Dedicated to Baby Lillian Andersen 
 
 I 
 
 Speak kindly as you pass 
 
 That mother's darling child; 
 The crowds rush by en masse, 
 
 Neglecting to be mild; 
 They therefore "pull and haul" 
 
 And trample on the tots, 
 And many a child will fall 
 
 Because the crowds lack thoughts. 
 
II 
 
 The child just needs a hand 
 
 To help it o'er the stone 
 Yv'hich blocks the path o'er land 
 
 Where it must tread alone; 
 Will you then try to aid 
 
 Some passing- girl and boy? 
 A.nd lead them through the glade 
 
 Where flow full streams of joy? 
 
 in 
 
 Then speak kind words today 
 
 To boys and girls you meet, 
 And lead through life's safe way 
 
 Amidst the crowded street; 
 Make touch and voice and life 
 
 So full of help and cheer 
 That thwart their ills and strife 
 
 And bring their heaven near. 
 
 IV 
 
 Thus give your life a touch 
 
 Of heaven's sacred good. 
 By giving to all such 
 
 As need our Brotherhood, 
 A song in work and play 
 
 From earnest loving heart, 
 To make their life e'er gay; 
 
 This is the manly part. 
 
 V 
 
 Thus life, your own, is sweet, 
 
 And others' lives made full; 
 And many a smile you meet 
 
 As up life's hill you pull 
 The load to you made fast, 
 
 The burdens you may bear, 
 Will prove when life is past 
 
 The answer to your prayer. 
 
 VI 
 
 The heavenly words "Well done" 
 
 Will greet your yearning soul. 
 And you'll be not alone 
 
 When you have reached the goal; 
 There'll be the souls you've led 
 
 By words you've spoken kind, 
 By truth and light you've shed 
 
 From hand and heart and mind. 
 
VII 
 The boys and girls your smile 
 
 Has helped o'er rugged hill 
 Will meet you there the while 
 
 And greet you with a will; 
 They'll ask our Father kind 
 
 To crown you with His love, 
 And then we all shall find 
 
 Kind words do lead above. 
 
 SPEAK KIND WORDS TODAY. 
 
 Dedicated to Rev. R. B. Walker 
 
 I. 
 
 There's trouble and worry, 
 
 Imagined, and true; 
 Some people are sorry, 
 
 And others are "blue"; 
 Your life has a mission 
 
 In passing this way; 
 I ask you to listen: — 
 
 Speak kind words today. 
 
 II. 
 
 Tomorrow a Brother 
 
 May anxiously wait, 
 While looking for other 
 
 To open the gate 
 Into land bright and cheery. 
 
 With blooms by the way; 
 Just make him feel merry — 
 
 Speak kind words today. 
 
 III. 
 
 It helps us amazizng 
 
 If helpful we be; 
 And we are the gainers 
 
 When hearts are aglee 
 With songs of good purpose 
 
 To brighten the way 
 Along which we're passing :- 
 
 Speak kind words today. 
 
HE CAN WHO WILLS 
 
 Dedicated to my friend, Mr. A. J. Hole 
 
 1 
 I WILL is the power 
 
 That makes the mill go; 
 It makes the brute cower, 
 
 It conquers the foe. 
 
 2 
 
 I CAN is a brother 
 
 Consorting with WILL; 
 
 They each aid the other 
 In climbing the hill. 
 
 3 
 The man of the hour 
 
 Is he who says "CAN," 
 Uniting in power 
 
 The WILL of the man. 
 
 4 
 With WILL on my banner. 
 
 My heart all a-thrill, 
 I do not ask, "CAN I?" 
 
 I CAN if I WILL. 
 
 A BOY'S BOUNDING LIFE. 
 
 Dedicated to Billy Morrell 
 
 Life is a jingle 
 
 To many a boy 
 His blood all a tingle, 
 
 His soul filled with joy; 
 And then because living 
 
 To him is just fun 
 His energies giving 
 
 His life a swift run , 
 
 He's romping and racing 
 
 Because he can't stop; 
 O'er hill-top he's pacing — 
 
 He's reaching the top 
 Of boy's aspirations 
 
 With up-lift as wings; 
 The way between stations 
 
 He whistles and sings 
 
He sing'S 'cause he's happy. 
 
 His life is all cheer. 
 He never gets gloomy — 
 
 He'll never appear 
 As boy that goes whining 
 
 Because he has work; 
 His face keeps on shining, 
 
 He never will shirk. 
 
 His tasks make him joyful — 
 
 There's just enough strife 
 To call forth the boy full 
 
 Of rich bounding life; 
 His heart all abounding 
 
 With glee and good will, 
 His manhood is rounding 
 
 The top of the hill. 
 
 WANTED— A MAN 
 
 Medicated to 'Ihomas Houston 
 
 Be up and a doing- 
 By early daylight, 
 
 Your power accruing 
 A man of true might. 
 
 The world is a waiting 
 For you to come by, 
 
 Its work with v ou mating- 
 If task you will try. 
 
 'Tis large undertaking 
 To tackle the task. 
 
 But manhood in making- 
 Is all that we ask. 
 
\A/YNNEWOOD N E \A/ ERA 
 POWE R PRESS 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 018 360 443