Year: 1870

"For our light affiiction, which i
but for moment, worketh for us
far more exceeding and eternal weigh
of glory"


1 saw a gentle creature in her beaut,


fade away,
And L watched the awful struggle o


the spirit with the clay;
The large soft eyes were darkened


and the lashes long and meek,
Lay in jetty shadow on the fever


tinted cheek.
The wavy hair was parted from tha,
gentle brow away,
And on its pure transparency the dew
of anguish lay;
The lips weie red with fever, and the


fastly ebbing breath
Came through their parted rose leaves


with the withering gasp of death.
The tiny hands contracted in an agony


of pain,


AS each succeeding spasm rent the vi


tai chord entwain.
1 watched the final struggle, the dead.


liest and the last, .-
As the pure and spotless spirit to the


realms of glory passed
And doubt and misgiving to my


erring bosom stole,
That darkened for moment all the
?. light within my soul
1 marvelled, in my musing, why the


free from earthly stain,
The gentle and the innocent, were


made to suffer pain;
Why our sweetest, purest blossoms,


ere their dawn of life begin,
Are with the guilty called to pay the


penalty of sin.
Then spoke voice within Inc, and a


soft, rebuking tone
'ls not the day more glorious when


storms have come and gone?
''The pangs by which the spirit from


the lovely clay was riven,
Will make more light and beautiful


the blessedness of heaven p'
l looked upon that lily face-a gleam


of holy light
Lay ON those marble lineaments, so
cold, anc still, and white,
And l felt the dark misgiving beneath


its power flee,
Tho still there was within my soul


shade of mystery.
This world is full of suffering-along


the mournful air
The notes of sad complaining are
. ringing everywhere.
Love shieldeth not our idols from


deaths unsparIng darts,
And the whole wide earth is tesasiag


WITH crushed and broken hearts;


our pathway driven,
This world would be a paradise-we


would not dream of heaven
The erring heart to purify, is sent the


Christening rod,
To discipline the spirit and draw it


nigh to God.
We are bid to bow in meekness to the


loss of those We love,
And are pointed to the mercy of a


Providence above,
To raise the heart to heaven with a


meek and holy trust,
And silence its repinings that have


bowed it to the dust.
We may not see the purpose why our


hearts are pierced and riven;
Yet with face .undoubtlng, let us


still look up to heaven!
This life is full of trials, yet we know


that One above
Looks ever down upon us with SYM


pathizing love.
And pitieth our Infirmities, though


others may deride-
For the heart hath not sorrow by


which He was not tried.
o, let us then be patient! be meek,
and murmur not,
Tho clouds and gloom and shadow


surround our earthly lot;
And when the heart repineth, think of


that Holy One
VINO meekIy bore and suffered, to win


for us crown
We know that life hath mysteries, for


God hath not designed
To send his great omniscience on the


lowly finite mind /;
But when the soul is ransomed and
the fount of life unsealed,
The mind shall grasp infnity, and all


will be revealed.
Then let us place the anchor of our


confidence and trust
On the might of the Creator, the Om-


nipotent and Just
Whose will we may not question, nor


the hidden motive tell,
Yet rest in the assurance that "He


doeth all things we'll"