Poems (Sharpless)/Household Martyrs
HOUSEHOLD MARTYRS
There are household martyrs round us, In domestic places dwelling,Silent ones whose blighted beauty Of their martyrdom is telling; Those whose love and faith grow stronger As the tempest swells around;Who so sanctify our homesteads That they make them holy ground.
Oh! these silent, humble martyrs Bear their cross about them still,Crucifying selfish longings And the stubborn human will;Bending unto love or duty, Or to stern necessity,—Bearing cheerful spirits with them, Whatsoe'er their lot may be.
These are they, God's chosen martyrs, Burning bright before His throne,Steady beacons thro' the darkness To guide us who stumble on.And altho' no crown of laurel May entwine their pallid brow,In men's hearts and homes their place is Radiant, there their stars shall glow.