Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1893-03-30


day when earth and Heaven and hearts
seemed al atune
Save the laugh q some care-free youngsier thai
rippled through the air,
All the camp was hushed and quief, as became
the day Of prayer
The river danced and dimpled. the sunlight
glanced and Cleaned,
And a sweeter day, or fairer, no poet ever
dreamed.
The soft clouds floating over spoke the infinite
grace above,
Why, even the breeze In the tree tops was whts'
pering: God is love.
or course there were lots Of fellows that
eoudn have told you this,
But their rough hearts felt il, and soficned as
under baby's kiss;
And we all had worthless feeling, somehow,
that glorious day
That the uereiful Aii-Father tqliie 50 idl
away.
Our hearts to Him were turning with q longing
for the light
And kind OF sEame-faced yearning 10 De winter
in His sight
The buele called to service-we'da parson there
that day.
And we an felt more than ready to hear what he
had to say.
But he preached henire and rlazes until his
breath was spent
And ali that he hal TO give US was 'repcnt-re-
pent. repent,
Loud-mouthed and big and burly, not WORD
had he TO speak
OF the love and mercy waiting for the errlne
ana the weak;
And If you had heard him praying you would
have thought mis- prayer,
So full of our guilt and vileness, just poisoned
the sweet June air.
An Tho ti,l,t WON, ,,f Of The s,nshfre tho heati.
ty LETT the Gay,
We looked at each other grimly-wc hadn't a
word TO say
But we thought: IF this is religion, not any OF
il for me,
No Heaven for us along with any such sanity
fraud as he
We had strayed like sheep from pasture, but we
knew the fold was there,
And we meant to come back sometime to the
shepherds watchful care:
But it stirred up all our evil to hear that fellow
rant
Here he had chance 10 lead Us, and he lost It
by his cant
Right in the midst of service came hurried
word TO me
Down in the shining river, still dimpling on in
glee,
One OF my boys lay drowned, deep under the
waters fair,
Only an hour ago with US, and now forever
where:
/ took a squad of his comrades, and FASTENED
down TO the bank
Sadly we tished his body out, all white and
cold and dank:
Sadly we carried him into camp and straight
ened him out in death,
And spoke OF his widowed mother, with low and
troubled breath
No wood had we for coffins, and 50 ! told the
boys
To tear from my tent the flooring, with the
least they could Of noise,
And build a box 10 put him Through but our
best, you see,
The rest of US in turn might not fare bali a.
well as he
Service was done. and the parson had gone back
into his tent:
The boys asked me TO see him, so with heavy
steps | went
And l said: beg pardon, parson, there's a
burial over there
We'd like 20 have you come along and say
word OF prayer"
His glance so cold, and chilling, never can for.
get.
For all il was so long ago, it makes me angry
But / thought myself mistaken at first when he
refused.
''He was worn out with his sermon; he must
really be excused"
Then said: beg pardon parson you do not
understand;
We're going to bury comrade; you're the only
priest al hand.
We only wish word OF prayer as we lay the
lad away
The parson answered, weariedly: mo thank
you friend; good day
My heart grew cold as marbe the blood few
into my head