Year: 1868

Talking of sects till late one eve
| OF the various doctrines the saints selieye,
That night stood, in a troubled dream
By the SIDE of darkly flowing stream.
And a "Churchman" down TO the river came;
When heard a strange voice call his name,
| Good father stop; when you cross the tide,


Yon must leave your robes on the other side.


But the aged father did not mind,


And his long gown ioated out behind;


As down TO the stream his way he took


His pale hands clasPing giltedged book.


I'm bound for Heaven, and when I'm there,
! l shall want nv book Of Common Prayer;


And though l put on a starry crown


1 should feel quite lost without my gown.


Then he fixed his eye on the shining track,


But his gown was heavy and held him back
| And the poor old father tried in vain


4 single step in the food to gain.


saw him again on the other side
But his silk gown foated on the tide;


And no one asked in that blissful spot
Whether he belonged TO The Church or not.


Then down to the river Quaker strayed,
His dress of sober hue was made
My coat and hat must all be gray,


cannot go any other way


Then he buttoned his coat straight up to his


chin,


And staidly, solemnly waded in,


And his broad brimmed hat he pulled down


tight,


Over his forehead so cold and white.


But strong wind carried away his hat;


A moment he silently sighed over that


And then as he gaZed to the farther shore,
The coat slipped Oft and AS seen no more.
As he entered Heaven, his suit of gray


Went quietly sailing-away-away,
And none of the angels questioned him
About the width Of his beavers brim.'
Next came DR.. Watts, with a bundle Of psalms
Tied nicely up in his aged arms,
And hymns as many-a very wise thing
That the people in Heaven all round might


sing.


And thought that he heaved an anxious sigh
As he saw that the river ran broad and high,
And looked rather surprised as, one by one,
The psalms and hymns in the wave went down.
And after him, with his MSS,
Came Wesley, the pattern of godliness;
But he cried Dear me what shall dot
The water has soaked them through and


through


And there, on the river, far and wide,
Away they went down the swollen tide,
And the saint, astonished, passed through alone
Without his manuscripts, up to the throne.
Then gravely walking, two saints by name,
Down To the stream together came,
But as they stopped at the rivers brink,
saw one saint frsm the other shrink.
"Sprinkled or plangedl May ask you, friend,
How you attained to lile's great end'
Thus with few drops on my brow.
sgttf I ha aS
And really think it will hardly do,
As I'm close communion, to cross with YOU
Your bound, l know, to the realms OF bliss,
But you must 90 that way, and III 90 TINS
Then straightway plunging with all his might
Away to the left-his friend TO the night,
A part they went from this world o. sin,
But at last together they entered in
And now. when the river was rolling on,
\ Presbyterian Cherch went down;
OF women there seemed an innumerable throng,
Bat the men l could count as they passed along.
And concerning the road they could never


agree,
rhe Old or the neio way, which it could be,
Nor never a moment paused 10 think
That both would lead To the rivers brink.
And sound OF murmuIing, long and loud,
Came up TO us from the moving crowd
- \ on re IN the Oiu way, anu III III Tue HCN'
That is the false and this is the true -
Or. I'm in the old way, and you're in the new
That is the false and this is the true
Tho L.-,L-a~ only seemed " speak,
Modest the sisters walked and meek,
And ii ever enc of them chanced to say
What troubles she had met with on the way,
How she longed to pass to the other side,
Nor feared TO cross over the swelling tide,
\ voice across from tho brethren then,
= Let no one speak but the holy men,
For have We not heard the words of Paul
Oh, let the women keep silence alli %
| watched them long, in my curious dream,
Till they stood by the bOrders of the stream
Then. Just "a | thought, the two ways met,
But the brethren were talking yet,
And would talk on till the heaving tide
Carried them over, side by side
Side by side fOI the way was one,
The tOilsome journey of life was done,
And priest and Quaker, and all who died
Came out alike on the other side
No forms, or crosses, or books had they,
No gowns of silk or suits of gray,
No Creeds to guide them, or MSS,
For all had put on Christ's righteousness.