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Die, amid strangers, and so far away!
To dire disease so speedily a prey!
Die, with her hopes, her aims all unfulfilled!
Oh, who for her would such a fate have willed?
Yet is the wide world girdled with the love
That was to her all other loves above,
And there in generous hearts it burned and glowed,
And for those five short weeks to her was showed.
So of friends' tender soothing lacked she nought,
One only care had she, one boon she sought,
Blessings on the two dearest she must leave,—
Yes, He would guard them who did thus bereave,—
So, with a Gloria she her Lord confessed,
And, safe in His kind arms, she sank to rest;
And truest comfort mingles with the pain
Of knowing we may ne'er meet here again.
To dire disease so speedily a prey!
Die, with her hopes, her aims all unfulfilled!
Oh, who for her would such a fate have willed?
Yet is the wide world girdled with the love
That was to her all other loves above,
And there in generous hearts it burned and glowed,
And for those five short weeks to her was showed.
So of friends' tender soothing lacked she nought,
One only care had she, one boon she sought,
Blessings on the two dearest she must leave,—
Yes, He would guard them who did thus bereave,—
So, with a Gloria she her Lord confessed,
And, safe in His kind arms, she sank to rest;
And truest comfort mingles with the pain
Of knowing we may ne'er meet here again.
Oh, when the trump of God shall wake His dead
That in His English acres make their bed,
The joyful call shall sound as loud and clear
In her far resting-place, and she shall hear.
And what shall be thereafter who can tell?
This only know we, and we know full well,
Her faith, her hope, her love were not in vain,
Death shall not hold her more, nor smite again;
She shall awake to such a glorious life
As ne'er is guessed at 'mid the earthly strife;
Orphaned no more, no longer desolate,
With perfect love, and perfect bliss elate,
Her Saviour she will welcome and adore,
Be with Him, and be like Him evermore.
And in the hope of that sure-promised day,
Remembering her, more fervently we pray
For that grand consummation—Come! Amen!
How glad the meetings and the greetings then!
That in His English acres make their bed,
The joyful call shall sound as loud and clear
In her far resting-place, and she shall hear.
And what shall be thereafter who can tell?
This only know we, and we know full well,
Her faith, her hope, her love were not in vain,
Death shall not hold her more, nor smite again;
She shall awake to such a glorious life
As ne'er is guessed at 'mid the earthly strife;
Orphaned no more, no longer desolate,
With perfect love, and perfect bliss elate,
Her Saviour she will welcome and adore,
Be with Him, and be like Him evermore.
And in the hope of that sure-promised day,
Remembering her, more fervently we pray
For that grand consummation—Come! Amen!
How glad the meetings and the greetings then!
