Lays from the West | Page 8

above earth's night of doubts and haze?For all these holy thoughts of peace, that spring?From hearts at rest from daytime cares and pains,?Are messengers of love, sent from the King?That in the blessed country lives and reigns.?And from its gates, above the starry heaven,?Come mystic rays that round our pathway stray--?His guiding lights that to our souls are given,?Foretastes that cheer and brighten all our way!
SPRING THOUGHTS.
"Of the bright things in earth and air?How little can the heart embraceSoft?shades and gleaming lights are there?I know it well, but cannot trace!"--KEBLE
Spring comes again, and the freed flowers are springing?From the cold, frost-bound earth;?And on the budding trees the wild birds singing,?Hail Nature's glad new birth!
And hope awakes from many a heart-grave using,?Glad gloriously and new;?And many souls, in faith and trust, are prizing?That promise sweet and true;
Summer and Winter, ever coming, going,?Springtime and Harvest days,?And falling leaves and opening buds are showing?God's ever faithful ways.
That point us to the resurrection morning,?And to the gladsome day,?When light eternal, the far East adorning,?Shall chase these glooms away.
And she shall rise who left our home so early,?And left our hearts in gloom,?Clad like the flowers, in beauty's bloom all fairly?Arising from the tomb.
In that fair Spring and in that Summer shadeless,?With her we, too, shall live--?There, 'neath His smile whose glory, beaming fadeless,?Eternal peace shall give.
And all these ties that Time's rough hand had driven?Shall be united there,?And every cross a Father's hand had given?Be gemmed with jewels fair!
LINES.
On reading "Lays of Love and Fatherland," by X. Y. Z.
Oh! say not now that Erin's harp?Is left untouched by minstrel hand;?Oh! say not that no minstrel heart?Sings now of "Love and Fatherland."?Green Ulster's mountains and her vales?Hear once again a patriot's lyre;?Ierna's legendary tales?Once more are told in patriot fire!
And hearts beat high, as when of old?In chieftain's hall or peasant's cot?The stories of our land were told?In songs whose spell was half forgot?Till, touched again, the chords resound?That bid our slumbering zeal return,?And souls, so long in coldness bound,?With old-time fire and fervour burn!
And favoured ones, whom love shall bless?In life's bright, sunny morning hours,?Shall sing in joy and happiness?These songs in Hope's enchanted bowers,?For youth hath dreams, and tho' they go?like sunset fading from the sky,?The cherished songs of "long ago,"?While memory lives, can never die.
Song's potent powers, like holy things?That hover round our path unseen,?On airy wings, to fancy brings?Old scenes, new-clad in fairy sheen.?And like sweet music heard at eve?In some cathedral, old and grey,?Such songs can cheer the hearts that grieve,?And chase all present gloom away.
IF "SOMEONE" LOVES US.
If life's path grows dull and dreary,
With grim shadows on it cast;?If the tired heart grows weary
When all joy seem o'er and past;?When e'en Hope hath ceased to cheer us?With its warm and sunny ray,?And the peace that once was near us?From our pathway steals away?There's one source where we can borrow?Sweetest wealth to keep and claim,?If we feel in joy or sorrow?Someone loves us all the same!
If fair-faced Pleasure brightly?Beam upon our happy home,?And our hearts with hope beat lightly?Of brighter days to come;?If fickle Fortune, smiling,?Strew the pleasant path with flowers,?And Mirth, with song beguiling,?Lead the merry-footed hours--?There's a deeper, holier gladness?That is ours to keep and claim,?If we feel in joy or sadness?Someone loves us all the same!
If our thoughts, at evening blending
With the dim and shadowy light,?Bring us dreams of bliss unending
In the Haven, calm and bright--?Oh! how sweet the thought--"for ever
'Mong the sinless we shall stand,?There united, ne'er to sever,
In the bright and better land:"?And e'en then, refined and holy,?Free from earthly stain and sin,?Shall the pure heart, meek and lowly,?Wear the crown true love shall win.
NEW YEAR'S SONG.
"Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky.?The flying clouds, the frosty light;?The year is dying in the night--?Ring out, wild bells, and let it die!
"Ring out the Old; ring in the New!?Ring, happy bells, across the snow!?The year is going; let it go--?Ring out the false! ring in the truer!"--TENNYSON.
Oh! welcome! welcome! glad New Year!?We hail with joy your birth.?Let peace and love reign far and near,?And plenty fill the earth!
Old Year, good-bye! a last good-bye?To sorrow, woe and sin!?Let all of darkness with thee die?And all of light begin!
When first we bade you welcome here?We hailed you with delight;?But ah! how many then were near,?So far away to-night!
Ah! well! if thorns were 'mong thy flowers,?Or clouds were in thy sky,?We owe thee many blissful hours?Whose memory ne'er can die!
Farewell, farewell, for aye, Old Year,?And as you pass from view,?For all those golden hours a tear?That pass away with you!
"Le Roi est mort!" "Vive le Roi!"?The Old Year, weeping, dies!?Ere we can mourn, a joyous chime?Peals through the midnight skies.
Oh! welcome! welcome! New-born Year!?We join the strains of joy;?To everyone our hearts hold dear?Be peace without alloy!
May fadeless