Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1874-11-27
Here aud Hereafter.


- Say, what shall believe my neighbor said
Late yesternight, when Light discourse had led
To grAver themes. For me, stand perpleIed,
While fierce polemics each upon his text
OF scripturAl foundation builds his creed,
And cries, 10, here is Truth! the Truth" need
Some surer way than theologiAns teach
In dogmas Of the seCts.' answered, '' EAch
Must do his own believing. A for me,
Ny creed is short as any mans may be;
It's written in The Sermon on the Mount
And in the 'PAter-Soster'; I account
The words our Father' had We lost the rest
Of that sweet prayer, the briefest and the bes;
In all the hiursiesj Of higher worth
To ailng sOuls, than all the creeds on earth.
Father loves his childrsu-thAt I know
And fain would mAhs them happy. Even
our Heavenly Fathers clearly learn
From His dear word, ard dinly may discern
From His fair works-for u, His children, weAE
To walk unhelped, and Little prone to seek
In all our ways What best dsscrves His smile
OF Approhstil n-careth all the while
With love ineGAbls. lis little more
OF His designs venture to explore
save with the eye of Faith With that see
Aided by Reas0n glasses what may te
Hereafter. in tnAt coming kingdom when
The kiug shall Justly H!s ways With men
on earth"
"Ani What, my doubling friend euquired,
''shall be destiny
No tongue Inspired
Hath plainly told Us that l cannot tell
It is not given to Enov-ufsere We shall dwell;
I only knov-and humtly leave the rest
To Wisdom InAuIte-that what Is best
For each will be his Place that We shall
In the Beyond the character We bear
| In passing; with what 'mehorAting change
| OF mind and soul within the endless range
| OF their activities, cannot tell
know our Father d5eth all things vel,
And loves and changes not
| The earth IS rife with unavailing voe.f
Ny friend made snswer. How can such things he !:
The Father being perfect, We should see
His government the same"
| Would b. not err
| The hasty judge, who having seen the stir
In the first act u some well-ordered play,
| Should cry Preposterous. and 60 away
And critieise the whole -four acts unseenH
As ill-contrived, inconsequent and mean?'
d" Something germAne to this, ," my daughter said,
" In an old Jewi.h tale lately read
To pious Bildad. deeply mourning one
Whom he had deeply loved-his only son
| Who Of the plague had died that very day,
Came bis friend Amos saying, Tell me, pray,
|
The mourner answered pointing to the bed
| whereou was laid the body Of the youth,
Behold. my friend, the cause good cause, in sooth,
For one to weep, who sees his hopes decay
The work Of years all blasted In day,
AZ there thou seestH Amos, answering said
o lis true, indeed, thine only son Is dead;
And as thy love even 90 thy grief is great
But ten me, friend 10Th not thy faith abate
In some degree the sharpness Of thy pain?
Ais = said Bildad, how can refrain
From these despairing tears when thus hni
Ny nIious care to cultivate the mind,
The wondrous gifts and graces Of nay son,
Unttmely doomed to death, is all undone =.
Touched by his sorrow, Amos sat awhile
In silent thought; then, with beamiug smile
As one who offers manifest relief,
He said, % Bildad let it soothe thy grief,
That He who gave the talents thou hast sought
To cherish, and by culture wouldst have wrought
To highest excellence IN this thy son,
will surely finish what thou hast begun "
-CJohS G. sAxE, in December GALAXY.