Page:Poems Gifford.djvu/99

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A GREETING To Old Schoolfellows and Successors. (Written for the first number of a School Magazine.)

Wide scattered, and divided many a way,
 Yet to one well-known centre strongly bound,
 Where o'er rich teaching the glad Gospel sound
Rang out in bygone years, and rings to-day,
Across all distances we speak and say
 That of true lessons learnt on the same ground,
 Or light and easy, or sublime, profound,
The name of Jesus holds strong, gentle sway,
And sweet that matchless theme, and simply grand,
 Storage of wisdom, or for age or youth,
 The full embodiment of grace and truth,
That e'en the ignorant may understand.
 Be this our unity all bonds above,
 Love to the Master, born of His great love!

A BIRTHDAY GREETING.

E ver may thy birthdays be
V ery happy ones for thee,
E ver may home's glad love-light
L inger round thee warm and bright;
Y ear by year for thee unfold
N ew delights unpriced by gold!

M ay the hopeful days of spring
A ll their sweetness for thee bring!
R adiant be thy summertide,
Y ielding joys long to abide!

G row in stature, grow in mind,
I n all strength and grace combined!
F ruitage crown thy autumn days,
F ull be they of love and praise!
O nward then, through good and ill,
R eaching upward, heavenward still,
D oing all the Father's will!