East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1862-05-06
EAST SAGINAW, MICHIGAN, MAY 6, 1862,
Selected goetry.
THE SHADOW ON THE WAY.

THE SHADOW ON THE WAY.
The angel Of the Lord stood in The ray
Lighted y yight mild and fair,
see my path little way,
There Is no fairy brightness there,
But the blue skies of quiet day
The morning light the common air,
Are over 1t Away
have my griefs, have my fears
Share Of tho storms that come to all;
But the strong arm Of love upbcars
My heart, whate'er befal
My soul k prodigal Of hope
My life doth sit and watch intont
To see some special blessing drop,
Whence all good things are ssnt.
Yea, Of such wishes, giant-strong,
Some one or two lay hands on me;
Hard would the combat be, and long,
My heart from thoir close grasp to free.
Even though Gods voice, the strifo among,
Sent its last call to me.
oquiet daysrI0 gentle life,
o love, most dear and kind of ALL
Mercy and hope, and blessings rife,
Make shadows slow to fall.
Yet sometimes clouds, frowning line,
VIII steal across those kindly skies;
And now and thon some tears of mine,
Under this fair and soft sunshine,
Make rainbows TO mine eyes.
/ sec my path little way,
Unburdened upon any hand,
And smiles Of April's coming day
Steal, cleaning, o'er the land.
What is ii, then, amid this light,
That stands upon the road afar,
Both in the day and through the night,
outwatching every star?
A thing Of dimness and of shade,
The hidden face I cannot sec
But only fOel my steps wayiaid,
And know he waits for me.
Nor voice, nor speech nor any sound,
Comes through this softening air of spring.
No forward footsteps Ger the ground
On the still echoes ring.
No haste-O heaven faint grows my heart,
To see tho calm Of this sure fate
We haste on our uncertain part,
But Gods fixed will can wait.
Morning and night, and Joyous noon,
Unehanging here his place lac holds,
Hiding his form from sun and moon,
In these great mantle folds.
My thoughts have failed in every vile;
No choice is mine; faint as may,
/ cannot 'scape one lingering mile,
/ must not bate one timid day;
My path is on, till, frown or smile,
meet him in the way
Death has no'er crossed our household gate,
Nor ever once came near to me;
Methinks it were a happy fate
To know him first, If this woro he.
While yet no vacant place is here,
While yet no hope is hopeless grown,
Shadow, if this be thou, appear
In thine own shape-I will not fear
To go with thee alone.
0ye who know his mien Of old,
Who have looked in, with bated breath,
Within his mantle's solemn fold!
Tell me If this be death2
SEQ thee in the evening glooms,
o shadow Of my onward way!
clouding those quiet household rooms
Through many an undawned day:
There's weeping on some dearest faces,
Some hearts are sad and silent grewn;
And out from these familiar places
Myself am past and gone.
Yet are my thoughts not always thus
see thee in another time,
Thy veipd hands full Of flowers for US,
Gifts of lifo's flush and prime
Sometimes, while one may draw breath,
An angel, gliding on the way,
Holds back thy veil, and 10 beneath
Thou art not grief, thou art not death,
But in Thy mantle grey
Dost only shroud and hoard awhile,
Such gifts Of price, most sweet and bright,
As make thee fain to veil with guile,
Through many n lingering day and night,
The beaming Of tho conscious smile
With which thy face is bright.
o shadowed form o hidden face
Thou makst no haste approaching me,
But day by day, with steady pace,
Nearer draw to thee;
And whatsoo'er thy name may be,
Whithersooer thy coming tends
Or If my pathway passes thee,
Or at thy fated station ends
Thou know'st what It's thou bring'st to me,
I know who tits that sends
"I HOLD STILL"
From rHE GERMAN or JULIUS sruRM.
Pains furnace heat within me quvers,