The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-01-12
FOR THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
TO oNE IN HEAVEN.

Scarcely down the caves the zephIys lift the elm
bOugh's verdurOus mass,
For sweet June was here before me, here her daint
feet did pass,
Here she dropped her Rowery mantle down amid tn
scented grass.
Beauty glsddens all the landscape white mists ris
along the seas,
Silvery in the morning brightness-purpEng as tn,
daylight fees,
Till night her sapphire tablets writes with stars
grand mysteries.
Greetings Of familiar voices fall in music everywhere
Every gale. and bud, and blossom, sends forth IL
eense ike prayer,
And the bird notes float ike blessings through the
dewy sleeps of air.
have stilled my hearts Wild yeags;ng as the solemn
years sweep round,
And watch net for thy coming, listen not for word
or sound
But my soul with thine keeps talking in thoughts
mystic hush profound.
There are hours when strength seems weakness
JOY dream that ends in tears,
When long to wander backward and unweaye the
griefs and fears,
Woven into my woof Of being ali these dim and 81
lent years.
When sigh to press the shadows, end them then in
deathly woe,
While there fell a crown of glory, lighting up thy
brow of snow,
In that dim October twilight when we parted long
ago.
When would throw of the fetters growing dim with
earthly rust,
Gather up thoughts wasted jewels scattered pearls
of broken trust
And ike thee would drop down softly, meath the
flowers and into dust.
Not that az lifea light and beauty passed with thee
beneath the sod
That were letting finite sorrow hroud the bOuudless
love of God,
And the pail bio. out the glory of the path the sa-
yiour trOd.
Something of immortal vigor thro' the earth.bound
spirit flows,
And my soul puts forth its blossoms though grieFs
wintry tempest blows,
Just as roses look up smiling at the foot of Alpine
SHOWS.
Oft times JOY is wrung from sadness, and bless
Gods power divine
That no lengths of gret are stretching to thy heav
enly home from mine;
And my journeyings should be brighter for the light
that falls on thine.
Can the blossoms of the dead years spring again with
odorous bloom?
Can the raubows of dead summers all their vanished
fires relume?
Harder were the resurrection Of youths hopes that
ind a tomb.
How delu.iye were our drsamings blossom like
with sweetness rife;
In the spanning ranbOws beauty we forgot the tor
rents strife,
Til tide of light celestial dritted in upon thy Hfe
Like to ivy over ruins, memories Overrun dead
hopes
Hopes that vanish ike the star. beams when morn's
rosy portal Opes,
Like the splendOrs when dim twilight deepens down
the sunset slopes
Every heart hath rscOllecous that the lip breathes
not aloud
Some like rosebuds rich in sweetness folded in their
vernal shroud,
Some ike lurid lghtniugs hidden in the black mid
summer cloud.
But ike white pearls underlying all the moaning of
the sea,
Like to hidden gems eurichiug the deep mines OBJ
security,
Meath my spirits outward seeming lie fond memo
ries OF thee.
Other voices have grown silent other forms and
smiles have fed;
But while the Eternal liyeth, we but mock to call
them dead,
They but left Times dusky borders for the golden
gates instead.
Tho our pathways seem divergent; thou, where
raptured seraphs stand
While hear no strain celestial, for the dropping OF
Times sand
Yet we oft are gliding closely for warm claspings O.
the hand.
For Tines journey winds not onward till its vista
gloom appals-
Near and yet unseen it passeth, round and round h
heavenly walls -
Suddenly the gateway opens unawares the gOT,
falls
am Learning earthly lessons, heart and brain al,
soul at school,
Time may bring ITS bitter teachings, change enorc
its sternest rule;
But like dark clouds edged with sunshine faith sha
make life beautiful.
may weary of the conflict ere this dust is ehrOw
aside,
But ike fragrant hhes spriuging Whitley from th
stsgnant tide,
May my soul from Times dark waters, come fort
white and purified.
DID YOU EVER see man fOrding 1--WE
On foOt2 TAKING mis- staff he goes down int