"So," prayed we," when our feet draw near The river dark, with mortal fear,

"And the night cometh chill with dew, O Father!-let thy light break through!

"So let the hills of doubt divide,
So bridge with faith the sunless tide!

"So let the eyes that fail on earth On thy eternal hills look forth;

"And in thy beckoning angels know The dear ones whom we loved below!

A MEMORIAL.

M. A. C.

O THICKER, deeper, darker growing,
The solemn vista to the tomb
Must know henceforth another shadow,
And give another cypress room.

In love surpassing that of brothers,

We walked, O friend, from childhood's day;
And, looking back o'er fifty summers,
Our footprints track a common way.

One in our faith, and one our longing
To make the world within our reach
Somewhat the better for our living,

And gladder for our human speech.

Thou heardst with me the far-off voites,
The old beguiling song of fame,
But life to thee was warm and present,
And love was better than a name.

To homely joys and loves and friendships
Thy genial nature fondly clung;
And so the shadow on the dial

Ran back and left thee always young.

And who could blame the generous weakness Which, only to thyself unjust,

So overprized the worth of others,

And dwarfed thy own with self-distrust ?

All hearts grew warmer in the presence
Of one who, seeking not his own,
Gave freely for the love of giving,
Nor reaped for self the harvest sown.

Thy greeting smile was pledge and prelude
Of
generous deeds and kindly words;
In thy large heart were fair guest-chambers,
Open to sunrise and the birds!

The task was thine to mould and fashion
Life's plastic newness into grace;
To make the boyish heart heroic,

And light with thought the maiden's face.

O'er all the land, in town and prairie,
With bended heads of mourning, stand
The living forms that owe their beauty
And fitness to thy shaping hand.

Thy call has come in ripened manhood,
The noonday calm of heart and mind,
While I, who dreamed of thy remaining
To mourn me, linger still behind :

Live on, to own, with self-upbraiding,
A debt of love still due from me,-
The vain remembrance of occasions,
Forever lost, of serving thee.

It was not mine among thy kindred
To join the silent funeral prayers,
But all that long sad day of summer
My tears of mourning dropped with theirs.

All day the sea-waves sobbed with sorrow,
The birds forgot their merry trills;
All day I heard the pines lamenting
With thine upon thy homestead hills.

Green be those hill-side pines forever,
And green the meadowy lowlands be,
And green the old memorial beeches,
Name-carven in the woods of Lee!

Still let them greet thy life companions
Who thither turn their pilgrim feet,
In every mossy line recalling

A tender memory sadly sweet.

O friend! if thought and sense avail not
To know thee henceforth as thou art,
That all is well with thee forever

I trust the instincts of my heart.

Thine be the quiet habitations,

Thine the green pastures, blossom-sown, And smiles of saintly recognition,

As sweet and tender as thy own.

Thou com'st not from the hush and shadow
To meet us, but to thee we come;
With thee we never can be strangers,
And where thou art must still be home

HYMN.

SUNG AT CHRISTMAS BY THE SCHOLARS OF ST. HELENA'S
ISLAND, S. 0.

O NONE in all the world before
Were ever glad as we i
We're free on Carolina's shore,
We're all at home and free.

Thou Friend and Helper of the poor,

Who suffered for our sake,

To open every prison door,

And every yoke to break!

Bend low thy pitying face and mild,
And help us sing and pray;

The hand that blessed the little child,
Upon our foreheads lay.

We hear no more the driver's horn,
No more the whip we fear,
This holy day that saw thee born
Was never half so dear.

The very oaks are greener clad,
The waters brighter smile;

O never shone a day so glad,
On sweet St. Helen's Isle.

We praise thee in our songs to-day,

To thee in prayer we call,

Make swift the feet and straight the way

Of freedom unto all.

Come once again, O blessed Lord!

Come walking on the sea!

And let the mainlands hear the word

That sets the islands free!