Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-10
BY ETHEL COLSON

ana VIDE.
Now wake me up to work:
pray the Lord l may not shirk;
If should die before the night,
pray the Lord my works all right.
Another modern prayer eloquent of the
hard besetting struggle against despair and
jealousy runs thus: "Help me to win, if that
l may: but-and this, o Powers! especially
if l may not win, make me good loser"
Here is an evening hymn similarly redo
lent of the daily battle:
Take unto Thyself, o Father,
This folded day of thine,
This weary day of mine
Its jagged edges cut me yet,
0, still the jar and fret!
Father, do not forget
That l am tired
With this marred day of thine,
This evening day of mine;
Forget not, but forgive,
And let me live
The life divine
Next to work, friends in all ages have
elected the tenderest, most sacred senti-
ments on the part of those endowed with
the "gift of prayer" From the Katha
Upanishad comes prayer of two friends"
which in simplicity, feeling and quaintness
recalls those medieval petitions that proved
the intrinsic oneness of all the war divided
world, those soul searching prayers that,
still honored in the Gturgies of the older
religions, still call strangely to the seeking
soul, MAY He protect us both, may He
enjoy us both, and may our wisdom grow
bright together! For all are one in Thee,
since all are Thine!" Now here is the same
all embracing thought in another form.
"Bless me in this life with but the peace
of my conscience, command of my affection,
the love of Thyself and my dearest friends,
and l shall be happy enough to pity Casar!"
thus good old Sir Thomas Browne, who
revolutionized the practice of medicine con-
cluded his remarkable "Religio Medici."
Another little riming prayer that has
found echo in many hearts thus appeals in
behalf of cherished friend:
Father. this prayer offer
For one whom my soul holds dear:
Help him to SCOrn all evil,
Choose right with courage clear;
Hallow each high endeavor,
Touch him with heavenly fire,
Let him be good and happy,
And grant him his hearts desire!
To the beloved and ever sympathetic
ar. L. S." is attributed this affectionate
prayer "For Friends" "For our absent loved
ones we implore Thy loving kindness. Keep
them in life, keep them in growing honor;
and for US, grant that we may remain
worthy of their love. For Christs sake, let
not Our beloved blush for us, nor us for them.
Grant us but that and grant us courage to
endure lesser ills mistaken, and to accept
death, loss, and disappointment as it were
straws upon the tide of life"
Prayers for vanished friends must always
possess peculiar poignance, and the prayer
of Gladstone for departed comrade is SO
beautiful and touching as to soften all be-
reaved hearts, whatever their religious con-
victions or attitude toward those who now
inhabit the Great beyond:
20 God, the God of the spirits of all flesh,
in whose embrace all creatures live, in what
soever world or condition they be, beseech
Thee for him whose name and dwelling
place and every need Thou knowest. Lord,
vouchsafe him light and rest, peace and re-
freshment, joy and consolation, in Paradise,
in the companionship of saints, in the pres
ence of Christ, in the ample folds of Thy
great love. Grant that his life, so troubled
here, may unfold itself in Thy sight, and
find sweet employment in the spacious
fields of eternity. If he hath ever been hurt
or manned by any unhappy word or deed of
mine, pray Thee of Thy great pity to heal
and restore him that he may serve Thee
without hindrance. Tell him, o Gracious
Lord, if it may be, how much love him and