1^? (3y — Joseph S.DeKamiji Class P555Q7 BooL, . EfesSa COPYRIGHT DEPOSm Sunshine and Shadows By Joseph S. DeRamus tmi PUBLISHED BY PUBLICATION CORPORATION CHICAGO COPYRIGHT, 1922; BY JOSEPH 8. De RAMUS CHICAGO DEC-7'22 Cl A 6 9 4 9 2 ^0 I INTRODUCTION By Thomas H. Russell, A.M., LL.D., Editor-in-Chief, Webster's Universal Dictionary Joseph S. DeRamus, author of this volume of verse, is a poet in the highest sense of the word. He has the imagination, depth of feeling, and knowledge of life which, combined with metrical skill, enable him to make a strong appeal to the human heart. The cynicism of modern thought is foreign to his nature, for the love of the Great Creator is in his heart and he can recognize His work on every hand. His understanding is keen, his sympathies broad and deep. He has the true poet's sense of the vital element in common things, and sings of them naturally and fondly. He is not enslaved by conventional rules of diction, but has a happy faculty of easy and familiar expres- sion. His poems are of the kind that high-minded men memorize for repetition to their fellows — the kind that mothers read to their children with mutual understanding and benefit. Nearly all of the poems collected in these pages have appeared hitherto in well-known newspapers and magazines. In the publication of this, his first book of verse, my friend DeRamus makes a lively bid for more general approval of his work, by embodying it in a form of greater permanence. May this laudable undertaking prove successful and these poems, possessing indubitable human interest, meet with the approbation they deserve! Chicago, October 1, 1922. To Josephine Louise this little volume is affectionately dedicated by her Daddy The thanks of the author are ex- tended to "The Chicago Tribune," "The Chicago Evening Post," "The American Poetry Magazine," "The New York CentraJl Lines Maga- zine," ""The Rock Island Maga- zine," and other publications for permission to reprint many of the verses in this volume. CONTENTS To Josephine 9 Sunshine and Shadows 10 Home 12 Nostalgia 14 To a Friend 15 To An Old Bachelor 16 Beneath My Window 17 An Old Man Speaks 18 To My Mother 20 The Path From School to Home 22 To Peoria 24 To Edgar Guest 27 A Common Working Man 28 The Real Cook 32 Mother's Day 34 Just Be Yourself 36 The Builder of the Man 38 Reminiscence 40 Mating Birds 43 Shoes 44 CONTENTS— Continued Help Him Rise 46 A Man 48 An Old Lady 50 A Rose 51 Sunset and Dusk at Sea 52 To Laura Blackburn 53 When I am Dead 54 My God 56 Be Thankful 59 To a Rose 58 The Song of the Time Clock 60 The Best Investment Plan 62 The Tryst 63 The Solution 64 TO JOSEPHINE Baby hands, baby feet. What on earth could be as sweet! How they wiggle, kick and prance, O, how ceaselessly they dance! Like fairy shadows in the trees Weaving cunning tapestries. Baby hands, baby feet. What on earth could be as sweet! Baby eyes, baby eyes, O, how close to Paradise! When they glance so bright at me ^Tis like a wondrous melody. As though a saintly hand of art Had struck a chord within the heart. Baby eyes, baby eyes, O, how close to Paradise! -9 Sunshine and Shadows SUNSHINE AND SHADOWS It takes the shadows of the night To make the sunshine seem so bright. It takes a heartache now and then To make us love the joys we win. We've got to know and taste defeat To make our vict'ries seem so sweet. We've got to feel the sting of strife Before we know the worth of life. It takes long days of cold and rain To make us yearn for Spring again. We've got to see the trees so bare Before we know how sweet and rare Were Summer days, and joys they brought We've got to see Time's havoc wrought To all the things that Spring gave birth To know how much a rose is worth. 10 Sunshine and Shadows We've got to grow forlorn and gray To know the bliss of youth's fair day. We've got to see life's shadows fall, We've got to hear death's sad voice call To make more dear those precious hours When love and happiness were ours. It takes the shadows of the night To make the sunshine seem so bright. -11 Ho me HOME I used to think that home was nothing more Than just a wooden frame and walls and floor. A place to shelter folks from cold and rain, A place to come for balm in time of pain. It took so many years Of grief, so many years in sorrow spent To teach me all a home has really meant. It took a lot of roaming through the land Before I came to know and understand A loved one's tears. 1 never knew the sentiment that lies Within a home, the true and loving ties That follow you no matter where you roam; I never knew those humble joys of home Could make life's bitter cup, In after years, so rich in memories; Could crowd the heart so full of melodies That in the distant days were sung to you. The sanctity of home I never knew Till I grew up. -12- Home It seems there's more to time than just the plan Of adding years to make a boy a man. It grips the heart and makes us realize That in the home the noblest virtue lies And sweetest songs are sung; And now, somehow, it all comes back to me, The happiness and joy that used to be, The wholesome pleasure that was mine to know In my old home so many years ago. When I was young. 13 Nostalgia NOSTALGIA IVe seen the costly mansion with its inlaid marble floor, But my home shack is finer with the roses 'round the door. I've mingled with all sorts of folks and many of renown, But those who mean the most to me are in my old home town. I've had a taste of Broadway and I've marveled at its worth. But my home town will always be the grandest place on earth. I'm weary of the sort of folks whose lives are full of sham. Who like me for the gold I have and not for what I am. I've had my fill of struggles on the highways that men roam. And now the thing I'm craving is to hit the trail for home. -14 Nostalgia O, my heart will thrill with rapture when I see the old latch key, I know just where to find it and its hanging out for me. TO A FRIEND Had I a million dollars. Now this is what I'd do, I'd start right out, dear friend, And spend it all on you. But I have not a million. And since it is not true. We'll just pretend I had it And spent it all on you. 15- To An Old Bachelor TO AN OLD BACHELOR If I beyond those eyes could see. Dim eyes that stare so pensively, I'd find a trace of youth's fair Spring; A heart once thrilled by caroling Of mating birds in budding trees, A passion stirred by a soft, sweet breeze That bore the breath of roses fair To wooing lovers everywhere. I'd see the pain of empty years You walked alone with burning tears. And shattered dreams are all I'd find If I could look into your mind. Your heart that tries to sing with me Is but a stubborn mockery, And only God shall know the price You paid for Love's lost Paradise. -16 Beneath My Window BENEATH MY WINDOW Beneath my latticed window grows A sweet and fragrant little rose. I sit and gaze upon it there, And marvel at its beauty rare. It sways in the breeze so joyously^ And nods its tiny head at me. It loves to smile in the bright, warm sun, And when shadows creep and day is done. It bows its little head in prayer And God comes down to kiss it there. Then soon comes Autumn's breath of frost, And one by one the petals are lost. Till naught but a faded stem is there To greet me as I sit and stare. I know while Winter's chill wind blows That God will keep my precious rose. 17- An Old Man Speaks AN OLD MAN SPEAKS It seems 'most every day I'm told How fast that I am growing old. They say my face is getting wan, The luster from my eyes is gone; The hair upon my head is thin And white is that upon my chin. They say my step is growing weak, That soon my bones will start to creak, And then I'll have to sit and stare So helpless in an easy chair. I guess this frame of mine is worn And shows the burden it has borne. My eyes are dim because the years Have made them so with scorching tears. Sometimes I think it all so strange How time can work so great a change With this old shell that keeps me whole. And leave untouched my heart and soul. Folks think me old because I wear A wrinkled face and snowy hair. -18 An Old Man Speaks They call me old because of this, And yet my lips still crave a kiss; My furrowed brow and sallow face Still long to feel the tender trace And sweet caresses of a hand Of one who used to understand. Last night I dreamed I listened long To one who sang Love's Old Sweet Song ; Again I want to hear it sung By some sweet voice, for I am young! -19 To My Mother TO MY MOTHER Sometimes I wonder why it is You seem so young and gay, When other mothers that I know Are getting old and gray. YouVe known the sting of sorrow's tears, Felt seasons hot and cold. But time, with all its magic power, Has failed to make you old. The lilac yields to Winter's frost, The rose fades in the sun. But time has made you lovlier For all that it has done. Perchance it is your cheery smile, Your kindly, sunny way, That drives away your many cares And keeps you young alway. 20 To My Mother It seems there's sunshine in your voice, There's balm in just your touch; How soft and tender are your hands, And O, they've done so much! The world will never see or know The glory you have won, But I heap laurels at your feet — So proud to be your son. -21- The Path From School to Home THE PATH FROM SCHOOL TO HOME There is a path I used to know Where joyous feet once longed to go; The weed-bound, dusty path where I So often romped in days gone by. Through vacant lots it wound its way To where the old frame school-house lay. And after school 'twas fine to roam That good, old dusty path back home. And I recall how good and sweet The soft dirt felt to weary feet As homeward bound I'd jog and run. Worn out with wholesome sport and fun. It seemed I knew each bug and bee, And every weed was a friend to me Along that path I used to roam. The path that led from school to home. 22- The Path From School to Home That dusty path has given way To progress of the modern day; Today a thoroughfare we find With countless cars and people lined. But through the rush of industry It seems that I can only see That good old path I used to roam, The path that led from school to home. -23- To Peoria TO PEORIA Sometimes it all comes back to me, the pleasure an* the joy That filled my heart long years ago in Peoria, Illinois. 'Twas there I learned my lessons in that dear, old southside school, 'Twas there I spent my boyhood days an' came to know the rule Of life, the creed that shows a fellow how to be a man. To love the finer things an* live upon a better plan. An* in that town was taught to me the worth of friendship true. The kind that sticks through thick an' thin an' always follows you. It seems the sun is brighter there an' flowers bloom more fair. An' there is somethin' soothin' in the early mornin' air. 24- To Peoria There's candor in the handshake of the folks I know down there, It's mighty fine to feel it an' somehow it makes you care; An' often comes a yearnin' just to go back now an' then To clasp the hands of old-time pals an' see them once again. Down there the rush for gold is not the biggest thing on earth; A man is liked for what he is an' not just for his worth. It seems that folks find time to smile an' share the fun of life, An' there is more to livin' than just days of toil an' strife. There's lots of wholesome laughter an' it seems there is a song Within the hearts of people as they walk an' swing along. -25- To Peoria An* there's a look of kindness in their eyes that you can see, There's more of love an' friendship an' lots less of enmity. I've done a lot of travelin' on the land an' on the sea, But I have never known a spot that is so dear to me. I've felt the so-called rapture of some far off foreign land, I've heard the empty laughter of the cities great an* grand. But when it comes to homelike folks an* friend- ship, love an* joy, There*s one old town that leads them all — Peoria, Illinois. 26 To Edgar Guest TO EDGAR GUEST If I could have my fondest dream come true, T*d love to fashion songs so sweet and true. I*d love to be a man with power to fill The hearts of common folks and make them thrill With happiness and laughter and sweet song, To lift their burdens as they plod along. If by some magic I could have my quest, I'd ask that I might sing like Edgar Guest. If by some power I could have my way, I'd love to be a man whose voice could sway Each mind and soul of this great universe With all the tender sweetness of his verse, To be an interpreter of sentiment, Go always singing, happy and content. If by some magic I could have my quest, I'd ask that I might sing like Edgar Guest. -27 A Coinmon Wo Joking Man A COMMON WORKING MAN I may not be successful from the money point of view For I don't make the showing that the social climb- ers do. The world of trade and industry has never heard my name. And I have never known the thrill of high, exalted fame. I bear my daily struggles and I do the best I can With no regrets that I am just a common working man. I'm just a common working man with simple tasks to do, No costly luxuries are mine and wants of life are few. I have no fond ambition for the wealth that others hold, I care not for their castles or their palaces of gold ; -28 A Common Woi^hing Man I live my life and fashion it upon a simple plan, Content and happy just to be a common working man. I'm sorry for the fellow who makes wealth his only aim, Who seeks the tinseled glamour of a false and selfish fame. I'm sorry for the fellow who has built his dreams of gold And sits alone in luxury when years have made him old, With naught to comfort him but silent halls and vacant chairs; Who never heard small romping feet upon his pol- ished stairs. I count that man a failure who could never under- stand The tender, sweet caresses of a baby's dimpled hand. 29 A Common Working Man I count that man a pauper who has never known the joy Of being just a daddy to a little girl or boy. The saddest man I know is he who played the sel- fish part And wakens at the close of life with yearning in his heart. I'm just a common working man of very little worth, But I would not trade places with the richest man on earth. Upon a hill a cozy cottage nestles in the sun, And in and out and round about, two happy youngsters run. The ring of little voices shouting loud and merrily Is sweeter than the music of an opera melody. I'm just a common working man, no glory have I won, But when the shadows start to fall and daily toil is done, -30 A Common Working Man I know two joyous little hearts will greet me at the gate, I know within that little home God's love and bless- ing wait. I'm just a common working man, a slave to in- dustry. But greater than a monarch to my little family. 31 The Real Cook THE REAL COOK To me there's nothin' quite so fine As sittin' down at night to dine, An' with my little family share Just heaps o' tasty, home-cooked fare. Now I don't like to brag to you About the things my wife can do, But when it comes to things to eat, Say folks, she simply can't be beat! You ought to taste the pie she makes, The cake an' muffins that she bakes. She knows so many recipes She never finds it hard to please. The worst dyspeptic can enjoy Her cooking like a hungry boy. When folks drop in to visit us, Without the social pomp or fuss From some secreted place she'll bring Some goodies that would please a king. It seems that almost every day A friend or two drops in to pay 32 The Real Cook Respects to us an' say hello; An' they don't seem to want to go Until the wife has served a treat Of somethin' good she's cooked to eat. O, I have tasted things quite fine When in cafes I've chanced to dine, But one place only can I find Real cookin' of the ultra kind; An' to that place each night I run When work is through an' day is done. My wife could win most any heart With all her culinary art; An' she has made, as all can see, A gormandizer out of me. 33- Mother's Day MOTHER'S DAY I could have sent you flowers In honor of this day, But why should I send flowers That fade too soon away. If I had sent you flowers, Though lovely as the sun, How soon the leaves would withei The petals drop one by one. If I had sent you flowers You'd have a withered heap, A token for a moment, Nothing for you to keep. I send instead these lines, And each one is a rose, A rose that v/ill not fade. For out of the heart it grows. 34 Mother's Day So greetings to you, mother, Upon this sacred day, Please take my bunch of roses, The kind that last alway. 35 Just Be Yourself JUST BE YOURSELF There's always some who laugh an' jest, But go ahead an' do your best. Just set your goal an' work away In spite of all that folks may say. In all you do be your own guide, Don't be a slave to foolish pride, Just be yourself. Regardless of convention's plan Don't imitate some other man. It takes a man whose will is strong To leave the highway of the throng. No matter if you walk alone, Be sure your deeds are all your own. Just be yourself. It's easy to walk the trampled road Where folly goes with empty load. It takes a man whose heart is stout To tread the byways in and out. Z6 Jmt Be Yourself If you would rise above the crowd Just shun the highway of the proud. Just be yourself. The folks who laugh at you today Will some day to you homage pay. The jest an* laughter of the throng Will some day turn to praise and song. So if success would come to you, Remember that in all you do, Just be yourself. '67 Til e Builder of the Man THE BUILDER OF THE MAN Just look about and you shall see The fruit of man's vast artistry. The wonders that each day we find Are part of his creative mind. The scope of his immensity Is shown in art and industry; But in this huge construction plan Who is the builder of the man? Who brings him here? Who sheds the tear And bears the pain That he might gain The things of worth Upon this earth? Who says the prayer? Who's loving care, Like a beacon light Forever bright, Guides him straight To goals that wait? 38 The Builder of the Man The noble life a mother leads Is better far than all the creeds. She builds no shining temple grand, Her task it is to understand The cunning of a finer trade By which the worth v^hile man is made. The v/orld was builded on man's plan, But here's to her who builds the man. 39 Reminiscence REMINISCENCE (To The Peoria Star) I dropped into the office just a day or so ago An' missed so many faces of the bunch I used to know. They've left the old brick shop where once I used to sit an' write So many many yarns of baseball, football, track an' fight. Deserted is the red brick shop where fellowship held sway, The place that holds the mem'ry of a golden yesterday. O, they've moved into new quarters with a finer wall an' frame, But somehov/ to me the place will never seem the same. I walked into the office as I used to do of yore An* missed the many greetings I have always known before. 40 Reminiscence I thought they'd shout a welcome an' be glad to see me there, But most of them were strangers an' my greeting was a stare. It seems there's such a diff'rence in that once familiar place, An* only here and there I saw an old-time friendly face. O, they've moved into new quarters an' new glory do they claim, But somehow to me the place will never seem the same. I missed the face of Bernie Smith, that grand old sporting ed; My throat got sort o' lumpy when they told me he was dead. An' gone is Harry Powell an' that dauntless sage E. F., It seems that just a mighty few of that old bunch are left. -41 Reminiscence There's only Oak an' Louie and the faithful Freddy Tuerk Who still are on the paper where I started in to work. O, the Star's a grand old paper an' I'll always hail its name, But somehow to me the place will never seem the same. 42 Mating Birds MATING BIRDS I love to sit beneath a tree And listen to the melody Of mating birds in early Spring. How sweet the songs they chirp and sing ! I like the songs of human tongue, The opera by great artists sung, But I like best the silv'ry notes That come from tiny feathered throats. Long years the artists toil and fret For all the dazzling skill they get, But they shall never learn to sing Like mating birds in early Spring. 43 Shoes SHOES Now has it ever 'curred to you There's somethin' human 'bout a shoe, That in its structure an' its plan It has the attributes of man? Most folks think shoes are just plain leather That guard against all kinds of weather, But somehow I consider shoes As somethin' human that we use. We slip them on at break of day An' know they'll take us on our way To all the daily tasks that wait An' stick to us through any fate. The words of men have often stung But shoes are friends who have a tongue An' know the rule of keepin' still. Who only serve an' do our will. -44 Shoes An' shoes have eyes but do not see The countless faults in you an' me, An' what is more, they have a soul As humans do to keep them w^hole; An' somehow when they've served their day I hate to see them thrown away, For I can't help but feel that shoes Are somethin' human that we use. 45- Help Him Rise HELP HIM RISE It seems we find most every day A man who's fallen by the way; A man who's gone down in the strife And somehow lost his grip on life. We glance at him as we pass by And v/onder how he came to lie So low beneath the proud world's feet— A common beggar of the street. We see the shabby clothes he wears But not the burden that he bears. We scoff at him and jeer and frown And kick him just because he's down. Don't be too prone to look with scorn Upon a man who lies forlorn; Hold out your hand and help him rise And brush the dust from out his eyes. We do not know the fight he made, It might have been a trick fate played That led him off the beaten road And bent his back beneath the load. 46 Help Him Rise Because his clothes are rags and tatters Is not the thing that really matters, For nearly all our greatest men Are those who fell and rose again. A cheerful word and friendly hand Will often help a fellow stand And give him courage to go on Until he sees the victory's dawn, And then rise up to great renown ; Don't kick a man because he's down! 47 A Man A MAN When a man has really tried An* done the best he can, When he's wet upon the brow An' calloused in the hand; When the sinews of his body Are hard from labor wrought, When his face is grimly set By righteous battles fought: When he shows the good that's in 'im An' tries to live down the bad, An' can smile a smile that's real When all the world is sad; When he measures the worth of man By something more than gold. When he serves both friend an' foe Who've wandered from the fold: -48 A Man When he sins a little too. Along the path men trod, But knows when an' how to turn An' keeps his faith in God; When he trusts an' understands An' fears no earthly thing, He's a man among real men An' greater than a king. 49 An Old Lady AN OLD LADY I looked upon her sitting there With wisps of gray in her dark brown hair Her eyes were dim and her face was wan And all her youthful charms were gone. Somehow it always seems so strange How all of us grow old and change ; Surely life is like a flower Fading with each fleeting hour. She seemed so lonely sitting there Searching space with a pensive stare. Just what she saw is hers to keep, I only know she did not weep; For there was light in her yearning gaze Which seemed to pierce the earthly haze And span the great ab3^ss that lies Between this world and Paradise. -SO- A Rose A ROSE This rose I hold in my rough hand Is rarer than a perfect strand Of Pearls that some fair form entv/ine And with a brilliant luster shine. It seems that all the skill God knows He put into a little rose, And fashioned it so tenderly, Just like a perfect life should be. Softly kissed by Heaven's tears, The roses bloom and fill our years With promises of God above — They are His messengers of love. 51 Sunset and Dusk at Sea SUNSET AND DUSK AT SEA Westward, out, out, as far as vision can perceive, Where stretch boundless areas of watery waste; Where the blue of the sky and the blue of the sea Melt into a languid gray Like unto the dawn of a world unknown, A golden sun descends across the way. In its wake a path of red Glows on the desolate waters. And the scarlet reflection in the sky Paints a vermillion canopy, And all Heaven seems to burst into flame. Then the sun like a wanton lord Who has finished his day at sport. Clambers down from his spirited mount And leaves a world to shadows and dreams. Darkness falls, and a star-studded sky Looks dov/n upon a d'smal space; And the sea, like a huge monster wounded. Lies wailing in the gloom of the dusk. -52- Sunset and Dusk at Sea Slowly stealing aft across the sky, The moon, holy cardinal of Heaven, From the spectral heights holds requiem, For the sighing sea at night. TO LAURA BLACKBURN IVe listened to the songs you sing And felt the rapture that they bring. How oft I've sailed with you it seems Thru your enchanted realm of dreams Where skies are set with myriad gems To suit your fancies and your whims. I love the sweetness of your song, Like music that is borne along Above the water's soft, dull roar. To listeners on a moonlit shore. I strive to catch each fleeting tune. But always do you stop too soon. -53- When I am Dead WHEN I AM DEAD When I am dead And in my bed, Secure in the cold, dark sod. Just say a prayer As you lay me there. And leave the rest to God. O, do not weep When I shall sleep And peaceful refuge find; O, do not grieve When I shall leave This old, proud world behind. For I shall fly Through perfumed sky Entranced with loveliness, And I shall be So glad and free. Like a bird in the wilderness. -54- When I am Bead I'll know the sun And everyone Of the tiny stars that shine, The moon shall be A pal to me, And her secrets shall be mine. And I shall gaze Through mist and haze Upon a world I knew, I'll see your strife For a futile life. And how I'll pity you! So when I'm dead And in my bed. Secure in the cold, dark sod, Just say a prayer As you lay me there, And leave the rest to God. -55- My God MY GOD Who is my God, you ask? Why do you question me? Is my life a mystery? Think you this soul of mine Untaught of things divine? Who is my God, you ask? Such importune remark, That like some meadow lark Storm driven from its nest. My soul is not at rest! I do not build A fancy guild To please the God I know; No sanctum grand. Nor lordly band. For social pomp and show. 56- My God I can feel the glow Of the God I know In the tune the song birds sing; I can see His face And feel His grace In every earthly thing. The blossoming rose, The wind that blows, Is the voice of the God I know; The stars are his eyes And the changing skies, The face of the God I know. I see as I pass In the blade of grass, A Subtle Power there; In the budding trees And the wafting breeze, His presence is everywhere. -57 My God Ah, that Mystic Power Which creates a flower From a seed in the cold, dark sod You saints will say It's nature's way, But all this I call my God. TO A ROSE O, what heart can stay With all its power, Can stay the fragrance 0£ a flower! O, what soul can live In true repose, Without the image Of a rose! 58 Be Thankful BE THANKFUL With all the lovely sunshine There's bound to be some rain, For every bit of gladness, The same amount of pain. We never miss the sunshine Till rain begins to fall; We never miss the gladness Till sorrow begins to call. So let's be duly thankful For every joyous minute, Let's learn to love God's world And everything that's in it. -59 The Song of The Time Clock THE SONG OF THE TIME CLOCK (To be chanted to the rhythm of the clock.) Tick, tock, tick, tock. Thus sings the time clock. Seconds, minutes, hours, days. How the nymph of time obeys! Tick, tock, tick, tock. Thus sings the time clock. Days, weeks, months and years, Another decade now appears. Tick, tock, tick, tock. Thus sings the time clock. Summer, Winter, Fall, Spring, Hear the dismal time clock sing! Tick, tock, tick, tock. Thus sings the time clock. Weary, dreary, getting older. Old time clock is getting bolder! Tick, tock, tick, tock. Thus sings the time clock. Weaker, meeker, getting gray. How it sings our life away! -60 The Song of The Time Clock Tick, tock, tick, tock, Thus sings the time clock. Sighing, dying, life is through, Old time clock is after you! Tick, tock, tick, tock. Thus sings the time clock. Never ceasing Or increasing, Grinding, grinding. Always grinding; Tick, tock, tick, tock. Tick, tock, tick, tock, Never faster, never slower. Just this tune and nothing more. 61- The Best Investment Plan THE BEST INVESTMENT PLAN The service we render our fellowman Is truly the best investment plan. The kind words spoken and deeds we do Come back to us in friends who are true; For the thing that really makes life dear Is filling other hearts with cheer. There wouldn't be so much to living But for the joy of helpful giving; And it isn't so much the cost of a thing, It's the message of love we strive to bring, For neither wealth, nor fame, nor power Can soothe a heart in its darkened hour. A pleasant word and a kindly deed Are things of life that people need. And though we serve for love or gold The good we do comes back tenfold. And the service we render our fellov/man Is truly the best investment plan. -62 The Tryst THE TRYST Sometimes I peek through your window pane, But seldom do you notice me. I've played v/ith you down by the sea, And frolicked with you o'er meadow and lea. I've felt the v/arm flush of your face; And once, I recall, in a wooded place. While you were held in love's embrace, I stole a kiss from your lips so vain. How fair you were to look upon! That wondrous thrill shall linger on When other rhapsodies have gone. And when Spring wears her cloak so gay, I'll fly to the tryst on the breath of May. But what do I know of love anyway? I'm just a little drop of rain! -63 The Solution THE SOLUTION Old love new love, Which is the true love. Which one shall I take? New love old love. Which is the cold love, Which shall I forsake? Handsome is the new, But the old is too, Somehow I can't decide. Cunning is the old. But the new has gold. By which shall I abide? Old love new love. Which is the true love, which shall I betroth? I love the two. Both old and new, 1 guess I'll take them both! -64-