FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95  
96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   >>  
upright man, who scorn'd All subterfuge, who faithful to his trust Guarded the interests they so highly prized, With power and zeal unchang'd, from youth to age. Yet there's a sadder sound of bursting tears From woe-worn helpless ones, from widow'd forms O'er whom he threw a shelter, for his name Long mingled with their prayers, both night and morn. The Missionary toward the setting sun Will miss his liberal hand that threw so wide Its secret alms. The sons of want will miss His noble presence moving thro' our streets Intent on generous deeds; and in the Church He loved so well, a silence and a chasm Are where the fervent and responsive voice, And kingly beauty of the hoary head So long maintained their place. Sudden he sank, Though not unwarn'd. A chosen band had kept Watch through the night, and earnest love took note Of every breath. But when approaching dawn Kindled the east, and from the trees that bowered His beautiful abode, awakening birds Sent up their earliest carol, he went forth To meet the glories of the unsetting sun, And hear with unseal'd ear the song of heaven. --So they who truest loved and deepest mourn'd, Had highest call to praise, for best they knew The soul that had gone home unto its God. MISS MARGARET C. BROWN, Died at Hartford, May 12th, 1860. Gone, pure in heart! unto thy fitting home, Where nought of ill can follow. O'er thy life There swept no stain, and o'er its placid close No shadow. As for us, who saw thee move From childhood onward, loving and serene, To every duty faithful, we who feel The bias toward self too often make Our course unequal, or beset with thorns, Give thanks to Him, the Giver of all good, For what thou wert, but most for what thou art. * * * * * Thy meek and reverent nature cheer'd the heart Of hoary Age even in thine early bloom, And with sweet tenderness of filial care, And perfect sympathy, thy shielding arm Pillow'd a Mother's head, till life went out. We yield thee back, with sound of holy hymns, Flowers in thy hand, and bosom,--parting gifts Of Spring, that makes our earth so beautiful, Faintly prefiguring thine eternal gain Of flowers that never fade and skies that need Not sun nor moon to light them. So farewell, Our grief is selfish, yet it hath its way, Nor can we stand beside thine open grave Without a tear.
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95  
96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   >>  



Top keywords:

beautiful

 

faithful

 

unequal

 

thorns

 

shadow

 

fitting

 

nought

 

follow

 

Hartford

 

childhood


onward

 

loving

 

serene

 

placid

 

flowers

 

Spring

 

Faintly

 

eternal

 
prefiguring
 

Without


farewell

 
selfish
 

parting

 

filial

 

tenderness

 

nature

 

reverent

 

perfect

 

Flowers

 
shielding

sympathy
 

Pillow

 

Mother

 

unsetting

 
secret
 
liberal
 
prayers
 

mingled

 
setting
 

Missionary


Church

 

silence

 

generous

 

moving

 

presence

 

streets

 

Intent

 

prized

 

highly

 

unchang