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TO A FRIEND LEAVING FOR AUSTRALIA.

    Swiftly the days pass by,
    Our parting hour draws nigh,
And soon thy untried course must lie across the trackless sea;
    May streams of blessing flow
    Wherever thou may'st go,
All peaceful, glad, and beautiful may thy new pathway be!

    Thou wilt pass from our sight,
    And to a clime more bright
Wilt go among a stranger-band to find thy future home;
    And many a stranger-face
    Will cheer that stranger-place,
As stranger-stars look down on thee from out their azure dome.

    But the same sun shall shine
    Upon our home and thine,
And distance cannot sever from the Sun of Righteousness;
    One Friend shall watch o'er thee,
    Beyond the barrier-sea,
And still remain for aye with us to brighten and to bless.

    And this great joy shall prove
    A ceaseless bond of love,—
Shall we not pledge each other still to the dear name of friend?
    We shall not sundered be,
    Unfettered, swift, and free,
Our wingéd thoughts shall meet, and oft in sweet communion blend.

    And e'en if nevermore
    Thou seek thy native shore,
Doth not our heavenly Friend for us one glorious home prepare
    And oh, the wondrous joy,
    So free from all alloy,
Oh, the glad fellowship of love that waits His loved ones there!