Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1914-06-18
The Village Church At Home.

| ing skies in hues of rose,
Shadows stealing o'er the landscape wrap
the earth in charmed repose.
Toll and care like brooding spirits Lift
their sullen wings OF gray,
Lift, and vanish with the music in the
silence far away.
In the hush the soul uplifted feels the
Fathers tender care,
Linked with changless love and mercy to
His creatures everywhere.
Near, anivied church is standing, brightly
beams the open door,
Where blessing waits unbidden all who
pass its threshold DER;
Down the street the earnest Christians
come with thoughtful steps and slow,
Tripping by in lightSome measure, goes
the maiden with her beau.
As watch the congregation pass beneath
the hallowed dome,
Memory takes me back to childhood, to
the village church at home.
With what fond, peculiar reverence comes
that fame of childhood days,
Where the infant soul exalted thrilled
with songs of childish praise
Where our simple supplications always
found Gods listning ear,
While the heart Of the Eternal seemed so
wonderfully near;
Where the angels seemed to hover, poised
on radiant, rapturouS wing,
As if drawn from heavenly worship, just
to hear the old choir sing.
Sacred to the hearts emotions is that
little house Of God
With its sanity men and women who the
path OF duty trod.
Such as these upreared its structure, laid
its carven cornerstone;
Love 10 God their inspiration, gave it
beauty all its own.
Though the years of storm and sunshine
leave their impress on its face,
They but smoothed its rugged features
into lines OF softer grace.
Leaning walls and creaking belfry show
the ravages of time,
Yet, on heavenly records craven, glows
its history divine
Not pew but has its story in that holy
house OF prayer,
Souls Opened to His glory took the
first steps heavenward there;
Fathers, mothers, Christian pilgrims,
hearts aglow with sacred love,
In those blessed amen corners caught a
vision from above.
There in vernal pastures Springing, fed
the humble, poor and blind,
Christ the Shepherds care surrounding
as one flock OF humankind;
Little children drank His goodness from
the fount Of living love,
Felt His tender blessings falling like the
sunlight from above.
Consecrated men and women knelt about
its sacred board,
Where the spirit in communion met in
transport with its Lord;
There the troubled ones and laden sought
forgiveness, hope and rest,
While the soul, in full surrender, leaned
in Joy on Jesus breast.
Round that holy altar cluster visions OF
the bridal scene,
Welded hearts in faith who promised on
each others love TO lean;
Through the changing paths OF fortune,
each to bear his part in life,
Unto death be to the other, faithful hus-
band, loving wife.
Down those quiet aisles and solemn, Love
has borne our cherished dead,
Crushed in spirit, close we followed,
weeping o'er the cotfined head;
There the soul by sorrow shaken, clung
to God in helpless trust,
When above the grave was spoken,
"earth TO earth and dust 10 dust"
From its pulpit, quaint and olden, men OF
God have preached the Word;
Flowing eyes and beaming faces told OF
hearts with rapture stirred;
Sermons then were full of power, brought
us sweet consoling rest,
While the church with arms around us
seemed to fold us to her breast.
Years have brought successive changes
in religions views and ways,
But TO me there's no improvement on the
faith of those old days;
God is still our only Saviour, Friend, and
Helper in our needs,
Though the world today has cloaked Him
in the rags OF tattered creeds.
Lives OF those old Christian people, hum
bic though they were and plain,
In the heart today re-echo like some holy,
sweet refrain;
Have power TO kindle ardor, quicken
zeal, inspire our love,
Point with magnet-truth the vision to the
things supreme above.
In that Sacred Book illumined, those old
Christians seemed TO scan
That the one religion taught us is the
brotherhood OF man;
Love the only creed there given, where
by weak humanity,
Upward striving, claim with angels kin
ship with divinity.
Wealth and pride have reared Him temples
grand in arch and nave and dome,
But no fane is half so sacred as the vii
lage church at home;
l.