104



Her Boy Just Dead

(A MOTHER SPEAKS)

My darling dead ! Is all the long endeavour
To vanquish Death in vain ? These wistful
eyes,

So Truth-illumed and loving, will they never
Check by a look again my futile sighs ?

And shall I weep — although for him the gladness

Of this world's many pleasures now is o'er,

And I am left with this my load of sadness,

Which here on earth is mine for evermore ?
105



HER BOY JUST DEAD

A cripple's lot were his, had he, remaining,

Here ta'en his part where grief and care are
rife —

Little of sinless happiness obtaining,
Feeling all miseries of earthly life.
To shorten that hard period of probation
Given to such as he so often here —

To raise him soon to an immortal station
Where comes no thoughtless word, no taunt,
no jeer —

The Master, in His mercy, gently made him

Fitter among His ransomed ones to be —

And day by day more perfectly arrayed him

In His own peerless robe of purity.
1 06



HER BOY JUST DEAD

Then shall I cherish an abiding sorrow

For him whom God in goodness calls away ?

Nay, rather let me muse on that blest morrow
Which joins in bliss our severed souls for aye.
107



Miracles

Christ's wondrous miracles were signs indeed

Of wondrous power ; yet every miracle

Of His had moral purpose, and was wrought

To show this moral purpose : and perchance

Thus is it that no longer we possess

The power to do such deeds. Had you or I

Such gifts, we still should heal unceasingly,

Nor judge of the effects were cures but made.
