Old Year Leaves Being Old Verses Revised: By H. T. Mackenzie Bell ... New Edition |
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A PRACTICAL THEORY OF LIFE. |
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 | Old Year Leaves |  |
176
A PRACTICAL THEORY OF LIFE.
When musing on the course of Life
How many seem its phases,
Yet every one of them is rife
With trebly tangled mazes.
How many seem its phases,
Yet every one of them is rife
With trebly tangled mazes.
And though our prospects all are fair,
A scene made for enjoying,
Some canker-worm intrudeth there
Our perfect bliss destroying.
A scene made for enjoying,
Some canker-worm intrudeth there
Our perfect bliss destroying.
One man is strong and has delight
Merely in Life's possessing,
But pinching Poverty's bleak blight
Marreth his every blessing.
Merely in Life's possessing,
But pinching Poverty's bleak blight
Marreth his every blessing.
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Another's wealth and friends agree
To lavish pleasures on him,
Yet look, alas! 'tis clear to see
Disease's curse upon him;
To lavish pleasures on him,
Yet look, alas! 'tis clear to see
Disease's curse upon him;
Disease—for which weak human skill
Gives scant alleviation,—
He is doomed to dread Existence still
Despite his smiling station.
Gives scant alleviation,—
He is doomed to dread Existence still
Despite his smiling station.
A third has pulse of purest health
Which yields him nought save gladness,
But private griefs amid his wealth
Impart a sense of sadness.
Which yields him nought save gladness,
But private griefs amid his wealth
Impart a sense of sadness.
If we the daily deeds recite
Which form Life's present measure,
The wrong preponderates o'er the right,
And suffering over pleasure.
Which form Life's present measure,
The wrong preponderates o'er the right,
And suffering over pleasure.
And thus whate'er our lot may be,
Our life is but a bubble,
Blown from some bleak and cruel sea
By the tornado Trouble.
Our life is but a bubble,
Blown from some bleak and cruel sea
By the tornado Trouble.
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Ah! what a mystery is this!
And yet if we revolve it,
Perchance we may not muse amiss,
But find a clue to solve it.
And yet if we revolve it,
Perchance we may not muse amiss,
But find a clue to solve it.
It oft appears absurd to believe
In a God of infinite kindness,
Who, seeming paradox, can leave
Us in such woe and blindness,
In a God of infinite kindness,
Who, seeming paradox, can leave
Us in such woe and blindness,
In perfect Goodness—omnipotent Power,
Permitting Evil to enter
Its fair dominions, and to shower
Such griefs on man, their centre,
Permitting Evil to enter
Its fair dominions, and to shower
Such griefs on man, their centre,
But if we accept the sceptic view,
Denying a God and Life's fruition,
What do we gain even were that true?
For it is merely demolition
Denying a God and Life's fruition,
What do we gain even were that true?
For it is merely demolition
Of many hopes which man holds dear
Of a swiftly coming morrow,
When we shall know with joy sincere
No sense of sin or sorrow,
Of a swiftly coming morrow,
When we shall know with joy sincere
No sense of sin or sorrow,
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Without revealing to our sight
A future fair and clearer:
Nay, leaving all in deepest night—
Far darker, lone and drearer.
A future fair and clearer:
Nay, leaving all in deepest night—
Far darker, lone and drearer.
For we still must bear the woes of Life
With the longings which oft come o'er us
Whilst seeing no rest beyond its strife,
Save nothingness before us.
With the longings which oft come o'er us
Whilst seeing no rest beyond its strife,
Save nothingness before us.
While a Heavenly hope amid our woe
Will cheer our Life's endeavour,
And yield us nought save good, although
At death it may fly for ever.
Will cheer our Life's endeavour,
And yield us nought save good, although
At death it may fly for ever.
Thus, even if we set aside
Religion's proofs completely,
It gives more joy our minds to guide
Till, apprehending meetly
Religion's proofs completely,
It gives more joy our minds to guide
Till, apprehending meetly
That doubtless though upon the earth
Our path is oft perplexing,
Its lack of love and chastened mirth
Our spirits sorely vexing,
Our path is oft perplexing,
Its lack of love and chastened mirth
Our spirits sorely vexing,
180
There must exist a place which gained
Through faith and strong endeavour,
What seems unjust will be explained,
Or rectified for ever:—
Through faith and strong endeavour,
What seems unjust will be explained,
Or rectified for ever:—
That there's a God who made Man's mind
With certain comprehension,
But yet Who has seen fit to bind
Its limits of extension.
With certain comprehension,
But yet Who has seen fit to bind
Its limits of extension.
Who also deemed it best for Man
Here to experience sadness,
As training for a higher plan
Of grandly growing gladness.
Here to experience sadness,
As training for a higher plan
Of grandly growing gladness.
Thus human Reason's utmost sphere
Of thought is reached full early;
And thus to us men's lots appear
So often dealt unfairly.
Of thought is reached full early;
And thus to us men's lots appear
So often dealt unfairly.
That Life's dark mysteries but transcend,
Not contradict our reason,
And so when earthly life shall end
There comes a sun-lit season,
Not contradict our reason,
And so when earthly life shall end
There comes a sun-lit season,
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When with enlarged God-given powers
And intellects commanding,
One bliss of Heaven's bright halcyon hours
Shall be the understanding
And intellects commanding,
One bliss of Heaven's bright halcyon hours
Shall be the understanding
Of problems which distressed the sage
Of deepest skill and learning,
But now that we have burst our cage
Are easy of discerning,
Of deepest skill and learning,
But now that we have burst our cage
Are easy of discerning,
While “themes with which we cannot cope”
Fade 'neath our Heavenly vision,
“And Earth's worst phrenzies, marring hope,
Will mar not Hope's fruition.”
Fade 'neath our Heavenly vision,
“And Earth's worst phrenzies, marring hope,
Will mar not Hope's fruition.”
| Old Year Leaves | |