The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1869-07-29
Select 2ustry.
Only Seven Years Old When She Died.

Only seven years old when she died,
Surely the angels must love her dearly
Bright golden.haired and violet-eyed,
None could eer look on her face severely
There are children as many as the howers,
hut never was one more sweet than ours,
The latest bud on an aged tree
Whore never blossom again may be.
Once held up my head with the best,
Crowned with three flowers OF fpromise bright
Two---two Of the fairest-death tore from my
breast,
Five years ago, In the selEsame night.
She was the only one left to me,
And prayed with groans OF agony
That burst from my heart, mingled
prayer
or hope and doubling and black despair,
That lie who doeth wisely, whatever betide,
Would be willing to leave her aye by my side,
Still blessing her richly with increase Of
Il NAV be lie heard me--but ah His ways
Are not as ours-from the heavenly place
Perhaps she lighteneth our life with grace.
Only seven years old when she died
Yet the hopes of two lifetimes died with her!
We have not wish in the world wide,
Save that We had gone out on the tide with
heri
The tide that has borne them all away,
Sybil and Avis, now little May
The ebb that never knows a turn or flow,
however Tue luii inOOus tOme OF kol
But would not murmur-no complaint
Breaks from the lips, asleep or awake,
or the mother who bore them, making feint
or being content for my loves sake.
But sometimes her hand clings to her heart,
And at certain hours she sits apart;
And the golden light of sunset skies
Brings far-of look into her eyes;
And fear me much that her treasure in
Heaven
Her heart from its earth-hold has almost riven,
And soon, hearing the voice of her children
three,
She too, will drifl out to that unknown
sea
"The sea Of glass for her 1t should be
God belp me what then will become OF
Only seven years old when she died
How our old hearts took young delight in
heri
Our only pleasure, our hope, our pride
Well lie who made her had the most right
10 her
We took her from Him thanksgivingly;
We gave her baek-no, not willingly,
But not with repining-God forbid
Yet think He pardons that we did
Falter awhile aud fail in our praise,
Missing the key to which 1t was set,
For a sweet childtreble in happier days,
The old tune haunts our memory yet,
And we scarce can read, for tears, the page
0fblessings left to our altered age.
Our ''lines," once "fallen in pleasant pla-
ces,"
Blankly stare in our darkened faces,
And our harps on the willows ofgrief hang low;
But God, omniscient, has known what we know.
Once the harpings OF Heaven ceased sud
denly,
And His heart was thrilled by bitter cry,
The cry Of His Sons last agony
lie knows what we felt when we saw her
die.
Only seven years old when she died
Passed from the earth ere she learned its his
tory
Now she stands up with the glorihed,
Fully as wise In the heavenly mystery
As they who through great tribulation
Fought their way up from every nation,
Leayened the world with their liie-brood
warm,
Carried the kingdom Of God by storm.
Sometimes still they talk OF their story
How they suffered, and conquered, and died;
Cleft path on through the cloud to the glory;
She stands listening, wondering eyed.
Nought she knew Of toll or endeayor--
Mothers arms were around her ever;
Little of sorrow, doubt, or despair;
Halt she questions her right to be there
She who has nothing either suffered or done
Till, tuddenly smiling, she looks to the Son,
And, folding her pretty hands reverently,
Lisps out her child creed most confidently,
The same she learned ather mothers knee,
"He said Let the little ones come TO me. +"
Only seven years old when she died
Seventy long years, yea and more years still
We have clambered and clung to the side
She stands even now at the top Of the hill,
Bright in the beams of the morning light
Ours, at the best, is a starry night.
We toll on through the dust and the heat !;
She sitteth calm at the Masters feet,
Reading the truth of his lovelit face,
Answering him back glad smile for smile.
We tremblingly shrek out for grace-"Lord
more graceW
Dreading 10 meet bis look all the while,
So spotted our souls, and moiled with sin,
She shows stainless without and within
A snow white soul In a robe like snow,
Weary, and wayworn, and sad we go,
Sorely doubling il, after our course be run,
Our life-lasting journey well battled and done,
When the Judge stands up the awards to
divide,
We shall be worthy to stand by her side,
Whose sword was meier neshed, whose
strength was ns'er tried
who was only seven years old when she