The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1881-02-27
"OUR BIRTHDAY"


iyered by Miss Oracle After before Il
jairo Baptist Sabbath School at its third al
livcrsary, which was celebrated at Retorl
lall on February Goth, 1881:
Three years Three years Yes, happy years
70 some; to others, many bitter tears
DER blasted hopes and faithess friends
And all the ills misfortune sends,
But in these years Of joy and sorrow
Hope promised US bright tomorrow.
We've met to-day to celebrate,
Not victories won by conQuerer great
Der fellowman in cruel strife,
or homes destroyed and LOSE Of life
OF ShricEs and means that rend the air,
OF orphans and widows In despair
On, no, We can't rejoice in 'hesc.
We sing the trlumphs OF the peace
The angels chanted on that night
When NE and liberty were brought to light,
A world redeemed from death ard sin
And life eternal ushered in
Three years ago, how short the space,
We organized, IN that dear place
Turner Hall the birthplace Of our school,
The Cairo Baptist Sunday School.
What hopes and fears we had that day,
Ofwho wOuld come who'd stay away;
What sympathy we might obtain,
or who would treat our efforts with disdan
And then we watched the sky to see
foul or fair the day would he;
And thus our fears would come and 90,
How it would end, we did not know.
At last our number was complete;
But there was many vacant seat.
just twenty came, OF great and small,
OF old and young, and that WAS all.
4 superintendent was elected then
Best we could do for scarcity Of men.
A song was sung, aud then W tn reyerent air
hclittle school engaged in prayer,
Wcrosc, and on that quiet sabbath morn,
Onr little Sunday school was horn.
We felt encouraged, vet we feared to speak
Ofour success too loud we were so weak;
Who were our friends, we scarcely knew,
And without help, what could we do'
Only this: could hope and pray
That the Good Lord would he our stay
A visitor would now and then drop in,
But seldom ever came again;
We sighed for teachers, but we sighed in vain,
For what few did come would not remain
Wcwcrs alone and twas hard TO understand
In this good work, we had no helping hand
Thus the llr-t year was struggled through,
How 1t was done, We scarcely knew;
Sometimes our prospects, bright and fair,
Atolhcrs, almost in despair.
But now We felt the crisis passed
The long looked for had come at last;
Scholars who waycred Ind resolved to stay
And new ones begun to lind the way;
few more teacher, came to help us now,
Those who ignored our claims were ready
allow
In fact our prospects frightened every day.
All obstacles seemed giving way
But now let = see what has been done
Up to this eighteen hundred and cighty.onc;
what increase has our school attained
What blessing has each scholar gained
Who ha. resolved to watch and pray,
And walk henccforth the heavenly way;
Many thank God, of these dear youth,
Have early sought and found the truth,
Aud from our twenty, named be fore,
We've reached ahundrcd and Gftyrour;
And more than thus, and better still
The blessed fact our bosoms thrill,
We havoH church-a live one, too,
That hraycly means to dare and do.
Who knows what God has still in store,
Past blessings make us look for more
Even now we almost see our new church spir,
And hear the organ and the practiccd choir;
OH may 1t he, God speed the day
house where all can meet to pray,
The rich, the poor the high, the low,
Alike before their Maker bow
Here sinners when by conscience driven
Can come and have their sins forgiven;
The doubling here con come and find
A quiet, for their troubled mind;
Here weary hearts, with care oppressed,
Can come and find peaceful rest;
Here mourning souls, bowed down with grief
Can come and find sweet relief
And Christians, on tac wings of faith can ris
Aud view then home beyond the skies.
What glor us prospects have we here below,
,."praiec God from whom all blessings flow.