S 3513 158 F4 916 opy 1 Pfew verses and songs BY WALTER GILLISS f I Class PS' l^ktl^". \ (h \ h CDPmiGHT DEPasm OF THIS BOOK TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY COPIES HAVE BEEN PRINTED FOR PRESENTATION TO THE FRIENDS OF FRANK LE GRAND GILLISS AND WALTER GILLISS A FEW VERSES AND SONGS A FEW VERSES AND SONGS BY WALTER GILLISS 'ii » > J J NEW YORK PRIVATELY PRINTED MCMXVI ^fo^' COPYRIGHT, 19 1 6 BY WALTER GILLISS DEC 29 916 CI.A446975 TO ONE WHOSE FRIENDSHIP THROUGH SWIFT PASSING YEARS HAS BEEN AN INSPIRATION . AND AN EVER SURE DELIGHT CONTENTS CHRISTMAS AND THE NEW YEAR PAGE A Christmas Song .... .(1904) 3 A Christmas Thought . . ■ . . . (1906) 4 Christmas . . . . . . .(1910) 5 A New-Year Greeting to a Friend . ( 1 903) 6 A Year ....... .(1904) 7 MISCELLANEOUS A Dedication (1902) 11 The Land Far-Away — A Song . . (1902) 12 Friend of My Heart — A Song . .(1905) 14 ASpringSong .... . .(1906) 15 The Song of the Sun's Going Down* . . .-. . .(1907) 16 At Babylon (1908) 18 At Roaring Brook Farm . . .(1912) 19 Work Is Prayer . . . . . .(1911) 20 An Inscription (1912) 21 *Reprinted by permission of Vogue. ix A FEW VERSES AND SONGS A CHRISTMAS SONG AND now, when a waiting world hearkens again The greeting of Angels — " Peace among men In whom He is well pleased''; Let hearts unto God in joy outflow, For that greatest of gifts which he did be- stow This day on the children of men — In sending His Son to the earth as a child That we unto Him might be reconciled. And so, while His reign spreads abroad o'er the earth, With our holy joy and our gladsome mirth, Let memory wreathe the thought once again Of that greeting most sweet, **May we all become Even as this little Child." November- December, 1904 A FEW VERSES AND SONGS A CHRISTMAS THOUGHT ABIT of holly, now I send As Christmas Greeting to thee Friend! May glistening leaf and berries' glow Serve through glad days to let thee know — That in the year's most gladsome time, When the air resounds with merrie chime Of bells, proclaiming each the birth Of Him who came a child to earth. To lift us up to God; In thought I feel a 'near thee friend Though greeting without gift I send. December 24, 1906 CHRISTMAS CHRISTMAS YE men and angels sing; Ye clear, glad chimes outring- Jesus has come to bless The world with righteousness! Ye mountains, trees and sky, Your voices uplift high! Jesus, tender and mild, Has come to earth — a child! Ye men and maidens prove That ye the Christ-child love By doing deeds most kind; Thus showing ready mind. And so shall all men know Christ's reign doth earth overflow: The Christ has come to bless The world with righteousness! Christmas, 1910 5 A FEW VERSES AND SONGS A NEW-YEAR GREETING TO A FRIEND IN the year just begun, with chimes ringing In silvery notes through the air, May each day, in its course, come, bestowing The All-Father's blessings most rare; In measure ever increasing. In measure He shall deem meet; And so, shall the year in its passing. To you, be of all years, most sweet. January i, 1903 6 A YEAR A YEAR I LOOK ED upon the silent, patient night, Faint-lumined by the softly radiant light Of myriad stars — And waited for the silver bells to chime That hour which marks the passing of a year of Time Into Eternity. And waiting on, expectant, sped swift through my mind. Thoughts of the year agone — for which my lips would find Fit words; and so I spake: "O! measure of Time! Thou merest mite Within the endless providence of God! What blessings didst thou hold Within thy circling treasure-house of days, — More precious far than gems or glittering gold,— For the children of men?" A FEW VERSES AND SONGS For the answer waited I a space; When lo! from out the midnight darkness In a glow of tender, luminous light, There came the Spirit of the year — Which did this answer frame: '*To those, God's children — quick to under- stand The loving touch of His most loving hand — There came each morning of the ended year, The vision of a Child, to console and cheer Their daily onward way. And as this Child Upon them gazed, and radiantly smiled, Into their minds would come the memory sweet Of that glad greeting — holy, pure, most meet — 'May we all become Ev'n as this little Child!' "And when at close of day, the ever-fading light Told of the coming of enshrouding night — To them, like the gleam of a guiding star, out- shone That greeting, passing sweet — ' May we all become Ev'n as this little Child!' 8 A YEAR "And so they sought their rest, calm in the thought That though the day had toilsome been, and fraught With many a trial; and burdens grievous to be borne For others' sake— whose lives were sadly torn; — They knew that in the morn, the Holy Child Once more on them would gaze in vision mild Dispelling care and pain/' "But they who lacked power to discern the Child; What was the past year's blessing unto them? " Again the Spirit answer gave, in cadence sweet : "For those with eyes turned earthward — who had never seen The light which streams from God's illumining sun, There was the sight of His true children, going here and there To seek hearts bowed in sorrow, and to list the prayer 9 A FEW VERSES AND SONGS Of desolate, suffering children; — sharing thus the load Of those who through misfortune are brought near to God. "And when, they too, perceived the beauty of the life In God, — (Supremely happy, 'mid the con- stant strife Of daily living) — they sought the source of so great happiness. And cried aloud, 'Whence comes this blessed- ness? For in it we would share/ "And when they knew, they straightway blessed the year Wherein they learned to lift the suppliant prayer ' Lord — ^that to Thee we may be reconciled May we be even as this little Child.'" December 3 1, 1904 ID A DEDICATION A DEDICATION TO the memory of the mother And the brothers Now long-time resting in the land of light — Who ever helped me in the years gone by; And to the brother and true friends Who oft have counseled with me in the work I dedicate this book. This dedication appeared in "The Story of a Motto and a Mark," Published December 24, 1902. II A FEW VERSES AND SONGS THE LAND FAR-AWAY THE wind 's in the West, blowing fresh and free, And my barque bounds swift, o'er the sun-lit sea — Toward the Land Far-Away, on the starboard lee, Where happiness now may be waiting for me. I sail on and on, o'er the bright, rimpled sea, While a silvery mist which appears unto me. Spreads itself out so thick o'er the calm, wind- less sea That the Land Far-Away is quite hidden from me. Now hark! through the mist, from far over the sea, Comes the Wind of the East, whispering softly to me, *' In the Land Far-Away o'er the darkening sea Happiness still awaits, and will wait on for thee." 12 THE LAND FAR-AWAY The wind comes in gusts, and the quick-filling sail. Causes oft my light barque to deep bury her rail — As she leaps o'er the wave, toward the Land Still-Afar, Guided safe o'er the sea, by the light of a star. December, 1902 A FEW VERSES AND SONGS FRIEND OF MY HEART OFRI END of my heart, my heart is thine In the long, bright days of the Summer- time, For though far away by the shore of the sea, Thy presence seems hovering close about me. O friend of my heart, my heart is thine When o'er mountain lake the stars out-shine Against their vault of deepening blue, And all the world seems at peace for you. O friend of my heart, my heart is thine In the short, dark days of the Winter-time; When, though falls the snow, and the wind blows chill, The thought of thee e'er my heart doth thrill. O friend of my heart, my heart is thine. In the lengthening days of the glad Spring- time; When violet sweet, and jonquil blow My heart to thee doth in love outflow. September 3, 1905 14 SPRING SONG A SPRING SONG T the dawn of the spring, awakens my song. And my heart sings with joy through all the day long; As out-floats on the sun-glinting bloom-laden air, That glad song which my yearning heart harks aye to hear; For each bird flitting swift through its fresh- leafmg tree, Sings — the heart of my love is now turning to me. April 2, 1906 15 A FEW VERSES AND SONGS THE SONG OF THE SUN'S GOING DOWN To the memory of those long resting in the land of light, With whom I oft have trod the hills most beautiful; And to one — the gleam of whose pale blue star For me e'er causes song of the day To blend with the song of the night In sweetest harmonies; And to one now dwelling in the far-away-land Of the sun's going down — / dedicate this song, THE crest of the highest hill we sought, On a day as bright as the earth had known ; And into the song of the day was wrought The song of the sun's going down. The sun seeks rest in the crimsoning West, With rose-golden clouds his path bestrewn; A bird sings sweet from a near-by nest Its song of the sun's going down. The clouds spread out as the sheltering wing Of an angel, to the earth come down, At the quiet-hour, to hear earth sing The song of the sun's going down. i6 THE SONG OF THE SUN S GOING DOWN The crimson and gold to orange pale; The distant hills have fainter grown; The thrushes sing in the echoing vale Their song to the sun's going down. The trees grow dim in the fading light; The river flows on, and on, and on; And faint sing the 'wakening Voices of Night Their song to the sun's going down. The Queen of the Night full soon rides high — While Lyra's strains, in unison, Blend in a silvery symphony With the song of the sun's going down. August 26, 1907 17 A FEW VERSES AND SONGS AT BABYLON THE Iris bloom'd in that garden, where Lilacs erst did blow; And Venus glow'd in the heavens as the cres- cent Moon hung low — While riding high in the Eastern sky the Northern Cross shone fair. And Vega gleam'd resplendent within its sheltering care. Anon, 'neath the stars bright shining, with hearts and minds care free Unto our ears the South Wind bears the boom of the distant sea. May 31, 1908 18 ROARING BROOK FARM ROARING BROOK FARM I LOOK out abroad on this summer day O'er the hills anear, to the land far-away And a cloud all white floats high in the sky — As a bird flits by. Soon dear children come — and in merry rout Round the old apple trees we circle about, And the Wind of the South blows low, blows high— And a bird flits by. Anon, seeking sweets, to the bloom comes the bee. And on wav'ring wing comes a butterfly free; And the hours speed swift on the wings of the wind — As the birds flit by. So the children, the butterfly, bird and bee Play'd each their fair part in the glad har- monie — Of the day at the home 'mid the apple trees, — Where the birds flit by. June 2, 1912 19 A FEW VERSES AND SONGS THE SPIRIT OF LABOR I PRAY for the Spirit of Labor O Lord, my God, that so I may serve Thee — and men, most fully Through the days which may come and go. Now, when on my labor embarking I look, I fmd ever there, The Spirit of Labor, waiting. To help in response to my prayer. And that wonderful spirit standing In silence and patience there, — To my hand gives its greatest cunning, And I know that true work is prayer. November 5, 191 1 20 AN INSPIRATION O AN INSCRIPTION MEASURE of time! Thou merest mite within the endless providence of God May thy unerring finger ever point To those who printed first the written word. On the face of the Sun Dial erected by the author in the garden of the Country Life Press in July 19 12. 21 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 012 404 875 8 Hollinger Corp.