Fugitive Poetry. 1600–1878/The Two Dedications

The Two Dedications.

i.

Our darling is baptised to-day, And with two hearts at one,We have offered up to Jesus Our little first-born son.

It is his dedication-day— A day of peace and joy,And purpose, hope, and prayer for him Bull well our hearts employ.

In his white robes our baby slept While midst the Sabbath throngWe held him up for baptism With prayer and sacred song.

And still he slept, though storm and snow Beat down our hill-bound glen,And tore his snowy coverings off As we bore him home again.

Sweetly he slept through all, nor knew Of fear, or cold, or storm,Till in his mother's arms at home He wakened, cradled warm.

So might we two have said or sung But four short years ago,That Sabbath evening that we bore Our darling through the snow.

ii.

Another dedication-day Has come and gone since then,And we have given our darling boy Up to the Lord again—

God grant with hearts as true, as when, That day of storm and snow,We brought him first unto the Lord, Four happy years ago!

A stormy day to our poor hearts This baptism of fire—Though nature wears her roses now, And earth her greenest 'tire!

Roughly the storm of sickness shook Our little tender flower;But the Good Shepherd of the sheep Was with us in that hour,

And gave to our beloved sleep— Then bid us watch and seeThe storm pass o'er him while he slept, From conscious suffering free.

Kinder than tenderest mother's arms Were round him as he slept,And brighter visions than our home Were for his waking kept!

For the dear Saviour in His arms Has borne our lamb away,To wake to more than mother's love— Earth's storms all past for aye!