BIRTHDAY LINES.
Forty-one years with its hopes and fears,Forty-one years of smiles and tears,Have passed—since on my infant browA mother’s first kiss was placed; and now,Sitting here in the twilight gray,On this my anniversary day,Let me review the past;—and seeWhat these years have done for me.Forty-one years! why it seems but a daySince I knelt at my mother’s knee, to pray;While her voice was ascending in accents mild,Invoking heaven’s blessings upon her child.That mother was early called away;Yet I feel she is near me day by day;Watching over the child, she leftOf a mother’s loving care, bereft.Time passed; and then there came anotherTo care for her child: a second mother.God bless her to-night in her distant home,And when her last hour of earth shall come,May the mother who bore us take her hand,And welcome her into the “Summer Land.”Ere I reached the years of maidenhoodBy a father’s dying bed I stood;—Bereft again of a parent’s care,I felt it was more than I could bear!Dear father, I know that although unseen,Thou, too, with thy child hast oft-times been.A few years more, and a youthful bride,I pledged my troth at the altar’s side,To one I had chosen from all I knew,By whose side to walk life’s journey through.At length, there came to bless our home,A little life, from the Great Unknown.Over this child so frail and fair,We watched with many an anxious care,From infancy to girlhood’s years,Alternating ’tween hopes and fears.But there came a day when hope was gone;—And our beautiful singing-bird had flown;—Leaving our hearts so lone and sad,We thought we could nevermore be glad;The sun seemed blotted from the sky;And I almost prayed that I might die.But from out this cloud, a beautiful lightShone into my heart; and so, to-night,Sitting here in this quiet place,A light from my darling’s angel faceIllumines the past—and I know her handIs beckoning me on to the “Better Land.”Forty-one years! more than half the spanAllotted here to the life of man!Years fraught with many a sorrow and care;Yet from my life record, not one could I spare;Since in later years, I have come to seeThat what is, is best—or it would not be.True, on my life book, there have been writ,Deeds which have caused me tears of regret.But the past is past, and I put it away;While from my heart I fervently pray,That my future, if future for me there be,May be lived more truly and earnestly.
Forty-one years with its hopes and fears,Forty-one years of smiles and tears,Have passed—since on my infant browA mother’s first kiss was placed; and now,Sitting here in the twilight gray,On this my anniversary day,Let me review the past;—and seeWhat these years have done for me.Forty-one years! why it seems but a daySince I knelt at my mother’s knee, to pray;While her voice was ascending in accents mild,Invoking heaven’s blessings upon her child.That mother was early called away;Yet I feel she is near me day by day;Watching over the child, she leftOf a mother’s loving care, bereft.Time passed; and then there came anotherTo care for her child: a second mother.God bless her to-night in her distant home,And when her last hour of earth shall come,May the mother who bore us take her hand,And welcome her into the “Summer Land.”Ere I reached the years of maidenhoodBy a father’s dying bed I stood;—Bereft again of a parent’s care,I felt it was more than I could bear!Dear father, I know that although unseen,Thou, too, with thy child hast oft-times been.A few years more, and a youthful bride,I pledged my troth at the altar’s side,To one I had chosen from all I knew,By whose side to walk life’s journey through.At length, there came to bless our home,A little life, from the Great Unknown.Over this child so frail and fair,We watched with many an anxious care,From infancy to girlhood’s years,Alternating ’tween hopes and fears.But there came a day when hope was gone;—And our beautiful singing-bird had flown;—Leaving our hearts so lone and sad,We thought we could nevermore be glad;The sun seemed blotted from the sky;And I almost prayed that I might die.But from out this cloud, a beautiful lightShone into my heart; and so, to-night,Sitting here in this quiet place,A light from my darling’s angel faceIllumines the past—and I know her handIs beckoning me on to the “Better Land.”Forty-one years! more than half the spanAllotted here to the life of man!Years fraught with many a sorrow and care;Yet from my life record, not one could I spare;Since in later years, I have come to seeThat what is, is best—or it would not be.True, on my life book, there have been writ,Deeds which have caused me tears of regret.But the past is past, and I put it away;While from my heart I fervently pray,That my future, if future for me there be,May be lived more truly and earnestly.
Forty-one years with its hopes and fears,Forty-one years of smiles and tears,Have passed—since on my infant browA mother’s first kiss was placed; and now,Sitting here in the twilight gray,On this my anniversary day,Let me review the past;—and seeWhat these years have done for me.
Forty-one years with its hopes and fears,
Forty-one years of smiles and tears,
Have passed—since on my infant brow
A mother’s first kiss was placed; and now,
Sitting here in the twilight gray,
On this my anniversary day,
Let me review the past;—and see
What these years have done for me.
Forty-one years! why it seems but a daySince I knelt at my mother’s knee, to pray;While her voice was ascending in accents mild,Invoking heaven’s blessings upon her child.That mother was early called away;Yet I feel she is near me day by day;Watching over the child, she leftOf a mother’s loving care, bereft.
Forty-one years! why it seems but a day
Since I knelt at my mother’s knee, to pray;
While her voice was ascending in accents mild,
Invoking heaven’s blessings upon her child.
That mother was early called away;
Yet I feel she is near me day by day;
Watching over the child, she left
Of a mother’s loving care, bereft.
Time passed; and then there came anotherTo care for her child: a second mother.God bless her to-night in her distant home,And when her last hour of earth shall come,May the mother who bore us take her hand,And welcome her into the “Summer Land.”
Time passed; and then there came another
To care for her child: a second mother.
God bless her to-night in her distant home,
And when her last hour of earth shall come,
May the mother who bore us take her hand,
And welcome her into the “Summer Land.”
Ere I reached the years of maidenhoodBy a father’s dying bed I stood;—Bereft again of a parent’s care,I felt it was more than I could bear!Dear father, I know that although unseen,Thou, too, with thy child hast oft-times been.A few years more, and a youthful bride,I pledged my troth at the altar’s side,To one I had chosen from all I knew,By whose side to walk life’s journey through.At length, there came to bless our home,A little life, from the Great Unknown.Over this child so frail and fair,We watched with many an anxious care,From infancy to girlhood’s years,Alternating ’tween hopes and fears.But there came a day when hope was gone;—And our beautiful singing-bird had flown;—Leaving our hearts so lone and sad,We thought we could nevermore be glad;The sun seemed blotted from the sky;And I almost prayed that I might die.But from out this cloud, a beautiful lightShone into my heart; and so, to-night,Sitting here in this quiet place,A light from my darling’s angel faceIllumines the past—and I know her handIs beckoning me on to the “Better Land.”
Ere I reached the years of maidenhood
By a father’s dying bed I stood;—
Bereft again of a parent’s care,
I felt it was more than I could bear!
Dear father, I know that although unseen,
Thou, too, with thy child hast oft-times been.
A few years more, and a youthful bride,
I pledged my troth at the altar’s side,
To one I had chosen from all I knew,
By whose side to walk life’s journey through.
At length, there came to bless our home,
A little life, from the Great Unknown.
Over this child so frail and fair,
We watched with many an anxious care,
From infancy to girlhood’s years,
Alternating ’tween hopes and fears.
But there came a day when hope was gone;—
And our beautiful singing-bird had flown;—
Leaving our hearts so lone and sad,
We thought we could nevermore be glad;
The sun seemed blotted from the sky;
And I almost prayed that I might die.
But from out this cloud, a beautiful light
Shone into my heart; and so, to-night,
Sitting here in this quiet place,
A light from my darling’s angel face
Illumines the past—and I know her hand
Is beckoning me on to the “Better Land.”
Forty-one years! more than half the spanAllotted here to the life of man!Years fraught with many a sorrow and care;Yet from my life record, not one could I spare;Since in later years, I have come to seeThat what is, is best—or it would not be.True, on my life book, there have been writ,Deeds which have caused me tears of regret.But the past is past, and I put it away;While from my heart I fervently pray,That my future, if future for me there be,May be lived more truly and earnestly.
Forty-one years! more than half the span
Allotted here to the life of man!
Years fraught with many a sorrow and care;
Yet from my life record, not one could I spare;
Since in later years, I have come to see
That what is, is best—or it would not be.
True, on my life book, there have been writ,
Deeds which have caused me tears of regret.
But the past is past, and I put it away;
While from my heart I fervently pray,
That my future, if future for me there be,
May be lived more truly and earnestly.