 | Poems of home and country |  |
94
RE-UNIONS.
HYMN
FOR THE REUNION OF ALUMNI OF NEWTON THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTION AT SARATOGA SPRINGS, MAY, 1885.
Toilers from many a distant field,
Alike in shade or sun,
Each throbbing heart and beating pulse
Beats as the pulse of one.
Alike in shade or sun,
Each throbbing heart and beating pulse
Beats as the pulse of one.
A thousand memories of the past
Bind us in trust and love;
They make us one,—one band on earth,—
One here, and one above.
Bind us in trust and love;
They make us one,—one band on earth,—
One here, and one above.
One work, one Christly work, inspires
The thoughts of every soul;
One aim, one Christly aim, makes one
The labors of the whole.
The thoughts of every soul;
One aim, one Christly aim, makes one
The labors of the whole.
One hope, one glorious hope, relieves
And cheers our pilgrim way;
We see afar our crown, to grace
Christ's coronation day.
And cheers our pilgrim way;
We see afar our crown, to grace
Christ's coronation day.
And so the men that toiled and loved
In trial, zeal, and pain,
Redeemed, shall find one home, at last,
In Christ be one again.
In trial, zeal, and pain,
Redeemed, shall find one home, at last,
In Christ be one again.
95
HYMN FOR NEWTON THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTION.
Drawn to this blest retreat,
What hosts, in converse sweet,
These paths have trod;
What hosts have loved and prayed,
And on Heaven's altar laid
Their all, amid thy shades,
O mount of God!
What hosts, in converse sweet,
These paths have trod;
What hosts have loved and prayed,
And on Heaven's altar laid
Their all, amid thy shades,
O mount of God!
One bond unites the whole,—
Breathes, moves, one kindred soul,
Our life, the same.
Our hopes, our aims, are one;
Christ is our central sun,
And all our works are done
In His dear name.
Breathes, moves, one kindred soul,
Our life, the same.
Our hopes, our aims, are one;
Christ is our central sun,
And all our works are done
In His dear name.
Our ears the call have heard,
“Go, preach my saving word,”
Here, Lord, are we;
Each in his chosen sphere,
Ready the cross to rear,
Answers, in accents clear,
“Here, Lord, send me.”
“Go, preach my saving word,”
Here, Lord, are we;
Each in his chosen sphere,
Ready the cross to rear,
Answers, in accents clear,
“Here, Lord, send me.”
Behold, the nations wake!
Saviour, Thy sceptre take,
Assume Thy throne;
Armed with the prophet's rod,
Thy servants wait thy nod,
God over all, our God,
Come, reign, alone!
Saviour, Thy sceptre take,
Assume Thy throne;
Armed with the prophet's rod,
Thy servants wait thy nod,
God over all, our God,
Come, reign, alone!
Davenport, Iowa, April 5, 1893.
96
A SONG OF “LANG SYNE.”
FOR THE CLASS OF 1829.
When autumn blasts sweep o'er the fields,
And slanting suns decline,
How bright the hour that gathers here
The Class of '29!
And slanting suns decline,
How bright the hour that gathers here
The Class of '29!
How fair the day when round the heart
Old friendships, hallowed, twine;
Blest be the ties that join in love
The Class of '29!
Old friendships, hallowed, twine;
Blest be the ties that join in love
The Class of '29!
Now college days come back afresh,—
Secant, and curve, and sine,
Logic and Latin, that imbued
The Class of '29.
Secant, and curve, and sine,
Logic and Latin, that imbued
The Class of '29.
Homer and Hesiod, Paley, Brown,
Anacreon's love and wine,
And modern lore, that came t' adorn
The Class of '29.
Anacreon's love and wine,
And modern lore, that came t' adorn
The Class of '29.
Around our brows, once bright with youth,
Now age hangs out its sign;
But nobler grows the fame which wreathes
The Class of '29.
Now age hangs out its sign;
But nobler grows the fame which wreathes
The Class of '29.
Then hand to hand, and heart to heart,
Like brothers, still combine,
Till not a name, unstarred, shall mark
The Class of '29.
Like brothers, still combine,
Till not a name, unstarred, shall mark
The Class of '29.
97
NOT YET THE FROST OF AGE.
HARVARD CLASS OF '29.
Not yet the frost of age,
Nor ardent summer's rage,
Nor history's burdened page
Has chilled or scorched the friendships of our youth;
Nor with a “finis” ended,
Life's stories, vaguely blended,
Which years have comprehended,
Are closed and bound and sealed with changeless truth!
Nor ardent summer's rage,
Nor history's burdened page
Has chilled or scorched the friendships of our youth;
Nor with a “finis” ended,
Life's stories, vaguely blended,
Which years have comprehended,
Are closed and bound and sealed with changeless truth!
Like seamen, when they tack,
Our eyes look gravely back
Along the lengthening track,
Far to our sunny morn and booming spring;
When with our sails inflated,
Time's mingled cup untasted,
On the fair verge we waited,
And gazed intent, to see what life would bring.
Our eyes look gravely back
Along the lengthening track,
Far to our sunny morn and booming spring;
When with our sails inflated,
Time's mingled cup untasted,
On the fair verge we waited,
And gazed intent, to see what life would bring.
From old companions parted,
The dear and noble-hearted,
With whom the race we started,—
Like weary steeds, we watch the setting sun;
Climbed are the heights we sought,
Our manhood's deeds are wrought,
Our battles sternly fought,
Favored by God's good grace, and victory won.
The dear and noble-hearted,
With whom the race we started,—
Like weary steeds, we watch the setting sun;
Climbed are the heights we sought,
Our manhood's deeds are wrought,
Our battles sternly fought,
Favored by God's good grace, and victory won.
98
Yet that old fervor burns,
Still the young blood returns,
Just as the summer ferns
Are green and strong till falls the autumn blast;
So to the clouds of even,
Grouped in the glittering heaven,
Ever new glow is given,
And never are they brighter than at last.
Still the young blood returns,
Just as the summer ferns
Are green and strong till falls the autumn blast;
So to the clouds of even,
Grouped in the glittering heaven,
Ever new glow is given,
And never are they brighter than at last.
The dropping sands still fall;
From heaven new voices call;
We claim them each and all,—
The starred that shone, the unstarred names that shine.
Oh, fewer still, and fewer,
But never, never truer,
Just as when life was newer,—
God keep the unstarred names of “twenty-nine!”
From heaven new voices call;
We claim them each and all,—
The starred that shone, the unstarred names that shine.
Oh, fewer still, and fewer,
But never, never truer,
Just as when life was newer,—
God keep the unstarred names of “twenty-nine!”
At Parker's, Boston, January 10, 1884.
99
'MID THE TEMPEST AND THE STRIFE.
HARVARD CLASS OF '29.
'Mid the tempest and the strife,
With stern heart and ready hand,
As when amid the conflict dire
Embattled legions stand,
In a world where bounding joy
Comes alternately with tears,
As night dews follow noontide heat,—
We have finished fifty years.
With stern heart and ready hand,
As when amid the conflict dire
Embattled legions stand,
In a world where bounding joy
Comes alternately with tears,
As night dews follow noontide heat,—
We have finished fifty years.
Oh, blissful were the hours
When, with brilliant hopes and young,
We launched our bark on life's bright sea,
And wooed the siren's tongue,
And the future, calm and fair,
Stood undimmed by rising fears;
Alas, our hearts had yet to learn
The scenes of fifty years!
When, with brilliant hopes and young,
We launched our bark on life's bright sea,
And wooed the siren's tongue,
And the future, calm and fair,
Stood undimmed by rising fears;
Alas, our hearts had yet to learn
The scenes of fifty years!
But with steadfast eye and heart,
Ever up and onward led,
The joy of freedom round us cast,
Its light above our head,
As shouts the pilgrim from the height
The towering mountain rears,—
So on the summit gained, we stand;
We have finished fifty years.
Ever up and onward led,
The joy of freedom round us cast,
Its light above our head,
As shouts the pilgrim from the height
The towering mountain rears,—
So on the summit gained, we stand;
We have finished fifty years.
100
Now back we turn to view
The path our steps have trod,
And, yearning, seek to press again
With loving feet the sod,
And busy memory to our souls
The fragrant past endears;
Yet comes that benison no more,—
We have finished fifty years.
The path our steps have trod,
And, yearning, seek to press again
With loving feet the sod,
And busy memory to our souls
The fragrant past endears;
Yet comes that benison no more,—
We have finished fifty years.
As the gray old ruin stands,
And verdure o'er it creeps,
And clings in every nook and seam,
And in silent beauty sleeps,—
So round our manhood's heart
The bloom of youth appears;
Age nurtures these sweet-trailing flowers,—
We have finished fifty years.
And verdure o'er it creeps,
And clings in every nook and seam,
And in silent beauty sleeps,—
So round our manhood's heart
The bloom of youth appears;
Age nurtures these sweet-trailing flowers,—
We have finished fifty years.
We have finished fifty years;
But our friendship, warm and true,
Unchanging, mocks the lapse of time,
Like heaven's immortal blue.
The radiant arch still smiles;
And while faith the portal nears,
Our love outrides the storms of life,—
The gales of fifty years.
But our friendship, warm and true,
Unchanging, mocks the lapse of time,
Like heaven's immortal blue.
The radiant arch still smiles;
And while faith the portal nears,
Our love outrides the storms of life,—
The gales of fifty years.
So clasp each brother's hand,
With a firm heart and a brave,
Strong to endure each adverse shock,
To breast each beating wave,
And light the crested foam with joy,
Howe'er the tempest veers,
Till storm and conflict, lulled, repose
Beyond these mortal years.
With a firm heart and a brave,
Strong to endure each adverse shock,
To breast each beating wave,
And light the crested foam with joy,
Howe'er the tempest veers,
Till storm and conflict, lulled, repose
Beyond these mortal years.
| Poems of home and country | |