scallop shell of quiet - forgotten books. revelation xxxi. light xxxii. dar' ness xxxiii. the...

SCALLOP SHELL

OF QUIET

BY

CAR OLINE HA'AR D

B OSTON AN D N EW YOR'

HOUGHTON,M IFFLIN AN D COMPAN Y

't he M art ins pm' , dambn’

bge

MDCCCCV II I

CONTEN TS

PRELUDE

LENTEN SONNETS

I . ASH ' WEDNESDAY

I I . THE THRONE

I I I . PRAYER

IV. PETITION

V . JOY

VI . THE SEA OF GALILEE

SACRIF ICEH

VIII . TUMULT

I ' . PEACE

X . THAN' SGIVING

XI . TRIB UTE

XII . SEED' TIME

XII I . RENUNCIATION

XIV . SINCERITY

XV . THE DAYSPRING

XVI . ' IF GOD so CLOTHE THE GRASS

XVI I . THE NAME

XVII I . TR UTH

C O N T E N T S

XIX .

' LIFT THINE EYES '

XX . THE MEASUREXXI . COM PLETION

XXII . NA'ARETH

XXIII . ANNUNCIATION

XXIV . CAPERNAUM

XXV . THE SUN

XXVI . THE VOICE

XXVII . THE JORDAN

XXVIII . THE WILDERNESS

XXIX . JERICHO

XXX . REVELATION

XXXI . LIGHT

XXXII . DAR'NESS

XXXIII . THE CUP

XXXIV . THE ENTRY

XXXV . THE GARDEN

XXXVI . GETHSEMANE

XXXVI I . GOLGOTHA

XXXVIII . THE NINTH HOUR

XXXIX . MARTHA

X L. VERY EARLY IN THE MOR N I NG

INTERLUDETHE CLOSE OF THE YEARVIA VITAE

NEW YEAR’S HYM N

C O N T E N T S

A SPRINGTIME HYM N

RENEWAL

SILENCE

VISION

ASSURANCE

TIMETHY NEIGH BOR

TERROR

ROME

DUALITY

OUT OF EGYPT HAVE I CALLED

REFUGE

A CYCLE OF GRIEF

I . COLD

I I . SU BM ISSION

I I I . WELCOME

IV. SELF ' FORGETFULNESS

V. RECURRENCE

VI . LOVE AN D SORROW

VI I . SIGHT WVIII . LIFE

Give m e my scallop sbell of'uiet,lily staj

'

offaitb to walk upon

'My scr ip ofjoy , imm or tal diet ''My bottle ofsalvation '

'My g ow n ofg lory , bope’

s tr ue gag e,find thus I

’

ll take my pilgr imag e .

SI R WALTER R ALEGH

PRELUDE

AH,ifI once cou l d say j u st What I wou ld ,

A l l understood

Cou l d catch the thought that s t i l l e l udes my might,

H i de s out o f S igh t '

Coul d Speak by forms and mode l s unconfined ,

Pou r my mind

Into the raptu re o f a wondrou s speech

Angel s teach .

Would i t be fren zy,fol ly

,merest madness

,

Or sadnes s

Wou ld i t be rad iant beau ty,glory , grace ,

Love ’s own face ?

Ah,to find and se ize my inmost mean ing,

N O more glean ing

Scanty gra in ' to fol low where my soul hath t rod ,

To seek God

LENTEN SONNETS

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

I I

THE THRONE

AN D hav i ng found H im,what shal l aught avai l

To move thy stead fast m ind ? There i s no i l l '

Whate’er bet i des,i t i s H i s l ov ing wi l l

,

H i s wi l l,and shal l H i s courage eve r fai l ?

And i f the h ighest heaven thou wi l t scal e,

Lo,He i s there 'or lo o k

'

within,and st i l l

H i s i s the glory th at thy sou l doth fi l l,

God and thyselfcomplete thy l i fe’s whole tale .

Then what great peace and what a noble shame

Should fi l l thy soul,for 10

,i t i s th ine own '

The Giver gave the gi ft,res igned al l cla im '

I t i s fo r thee to clean se thy heart fu l l wel l,

This l owly place where H e vouch safes to dwel l,

To Show H i s wondrou s love,to bui l d His throne .

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

I I I

PRAYER

MY grac iou s Lord , I know not what to ask '

I woul d not come beseech ing some one th ing

Whose ve ry grant ing might an angu i sh b r i ng

I know not of' I woul d no t dare to task

Omn ipotence my small des i re s to mask

In glo ry,nor import unate ly C l ing

And st ri ve to stay Thine angel ’s onward wing,

Nor wou ld I i dly in Thy presence bask .

But s imply as Thy ch i l d I come and kneel,

To Spread my sou l in Th ine effulgen t l igh t,

And tax my every sense to hear,to feel

,

To see,to know

,to open every door

,

To be en larged,to ca tc h o f Th ine ou tpou r

Ofgrace , o fjo y , o fThy t ran scendent m ight .

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

IV

PET ITION

LORD,I do ask

,and ye t I know not how '

Lord,I do long

,and know not yet for what '

I t cannot be , my Lord , I have forgot

Some whi sper ofThine own,once heard

,and now

Lost in obscuri ty I come and bow

My head an d search in vain fo r what i s not,

The power to ri se t o Th e e,t h e holy spot

Where Thou wil t stand revealed,and I may know .

Lord,change my asking

,subl imate des i re

,

Breathe Thou aga in that ble s sed word of Thine,

Show me the dream,the ecs tasy

,the fi re

,

When earth i s los t,and ga te s o fheaven unrol l

In perfect un ion of the soul w i th Soul,

In joy of prayer that mel t s in the d iv ine .

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

VI

THE SEA OF GAL ILEE

SWEET waters , whose serene and l imp id wave

Uphel d the pulp i t from wh ich words were said

To ou t l ast t ime ' on whose banks feast s were

Spread

Which to the sou l an unkn own V igor gave

Ye did obey , when s torms began to rave ,

The Peace,be s t i l l

,

' and each foam ' c rested head

Became l ike sol i d oak beneath that t read

Which bo re embod ied love,and powe r to save .

The mountain s m i rror the i r fai r he igh t s in thee '

Upon the i r s l opes H i s ble s sed foot s teps t rod

Whom mul t i t u de s wen t to the wilds to se e,

And to be fedw i th bread come down from heaven .

From thee wen t out the Spi r i t ’s migh ty leaven,

For here was man i fest the Son of God .

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

VI I

SACRIFICE

I SAID,a sacrifice I Wi l l p repare

Unto my God,some perfec t spotl es s th ing ,

A first ling of my flock for offering,

tender t u rt l e ' dove,al l Wh i te and fai r .

Alas,how fru i t l e s s i s my anxiou s care '

My flock has no unblemi shed l amb to br ing,

My long' sought gen t l e dove wi th b roken wing

In vain endeavor beat s the t roubl ed a i r .

S i nce naught I do— as i s most ev iden t

I s pe rfect,s in ce my fai res t th ings o f p ri ce

Al l fa il i n execut ion or i n ten t '

Let me make OiI'

e ring of the humbled wi l l ,

Which gives u p doing,and wou l d j u st be S t i l l

,

I t sel f the sacrifice of sac rifice .

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

V I I I

TUMULT

LOR D,I wou l d bring the whole of l ife to Thee

,

Not only i t s external outward Show,

But al l i t s Springs,i t s ceaseles s ebb and flow

Ofseeth ing thought,the ri s ing of the se a

Ofhopes and fears ' the solemn Choice s free

Begett ing act ion ' secret seeds which sow

The fe rt i le fiel d s from which my harvest s grow

These would I bring in all humi l i ty .

And far beyond these I would s t r i ve to bring

The horde of t roubled and unqu ie t ghos t s

O f bygone days,which fl i t on bat ' l ike w i ng,

O f murdered love,andoft ' wept griefs wh ich su rge ,

A cruel phantom crowd,wi th scorp ion scou rge

Thine hand alone can stay,O Lord of Hosts .

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

X

THAN'SG IVING

LORD,Thou dost know ' I cannot know the ways

In wh ich Thy love my fl i ckering l i fe doth lead '

I cannot know the profi t and the need

Ofwhat wou ld seem d i saste r and de lays .

But I would have the c u rrent ofmy days

Run clear and st rong,from Springs wh ich Thou

dost feed,

A l ife flood which Thy mercy deign s to heed,

And with heart ' beat s whose pu l se shal l be Thy

prai se .

For grie f and j oy Thy love doth subl imate

To blend into a harmony d iv i ne '

And heavy sorrow j oy doth rec reate

In nobler fash ion,adding dep ths unknown

And v ib ran t height s whi ch lead up to Thy throne,

Whence st ream ing forth the l ight s cel est i al sh ine .

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

XI

TRIBUTE

I N anc ient t imes men brought the i r sovere ign lord

The hardly gathered tr ibu te,year by year

Extorted by Oppre s s ion and by fear.

The frightened se rf in secre t t r ied to hoard

Some scanty sheaf to d res s h i s frugal board '

But when the sum was paid,then he was c l ear

Unt i l the taxe r shoul d aga in appea r '

Then cou l d he j oy in al l that he had stored .

So wi sh I not to deal wi th Thee,my ' i ng ,

To give Thee al l Thy due what sou l may cla im ?

Some s tated t r ibu te wi l l I gladly b ring,

But better Thou mus t have Thy holy Share

In al l,my work o r s tudy

,res t or care

,

Til l al l of l i fe i s t ri bute to Thy name .

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F Q U I E T

XI I

SEED—TIME

A LIVING green has touched the swel l ing h i l l s,

And t iny b i rd s ch i rp i n the leafl e s s t rees '

U p from the ocean comes a vernal b reeze

That b r ings the showers to feed the mountain ri l l s .

In dark red so i l the s teady p loughman dr i l l s

The long deep fu rrows,s ink ing to h i s knee s

In spongy eart h ' i t is no t ime o f ease,

Wi th s ign s o f b i rth and promi se Na tu re th r i l l s .

D ri ve Thou Thy plough,O Lord

,deep in my

hea rt,

Hardened benea th a load o f pet ty cares '

Break up i t s gu il ty c rus t,and freely sta rt

The showers of Thy grace ' then sow some seed

Whose ri pened harvest Thou wi l t de ign to heed,

And hu sband i t wit h grac iou s heaven ly ai rs .

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

X IV

SINCERITY

O THAT I coul d make t rue each word I say '

That eve ry act ion,eve ry l igh test though t

,

That al l I do in Thy dear l ove be wrought

That not a momen t of a S i ngle day

From con sc iou snes s o f Thee I tu rn away,

Thy presence seeking as the sun i s sought,

For l ight,fo r warm th

,fo r growth ' then t ru ly

naugh t

Would grieve,bu t l o s s o f that i n sp i r i ng ray .

So shoul d my l i fe be serv i ce and t rue song,

In blended harmony the two Should mate .

No work,no effo rt

,coul d be coun ted long '

For each is done,or l ived

,or borne fo r Thee

And i f Thou shoul ds t accep t that work from me,

Then naught cou ld be too l i t t l e,or too great .

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

XV

THE DAYSPR ING

THE eastern sky i s fl ushed w i th gleams o fgol d

And gorgeou s t in t s o fcrimson and of red '

The sea reflect s the l ight from overhead,

And l ike a sheet o fs i l ve r l ie s un rol led .

The day draws near on noi sel es s w ings . Behol d

The mighty Change,the ri s ing from the dead

O f n igh t and d reams . Now i s the darknes s fled,

And day wi th warm th and l igh t di spe l s the cold .

The morn ing mi racle 'So when H e came

Who i s the l ight to l ighten al l the earth,

The D aysp r ing from on H igh was call ed H i s

name,

The sou rce Of l ove,the foun t o flife and l ight

,

Whose tender me rcy came to chase ou r n ight,

To give the day w i th i n ou r heart s i t s b i rt h .

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

XVI

IF GOD SO CLOTHE THE GRASS

H E must have kn own th i s l i ly o f the fiel d

In al l the glory of it s c rimson dres s '

This purpl e i ri s in i t s l ovel ines s,

Thi s cycl amen,i t s leaves a s i l ve r sh iel d

,

This mignonette,th i s orch id

,al l appealed

In beau ty to H im,each was an expres s

Image o fjo y , which mutely d i d con fes s

H i s care,Who in the gras s His l ove revealed .

And when upon the h il l s o fGal i l ee

H e spen t the watches o f the n igh t i n p rayer,

When solemn s tars in s i l en ce l ooked to se e

The confl i ct Ofthe wide wo rl d in one soul,

True man,t rue God

,Who shoul d redeem the

whole,

With dawn adoring flowers were al so there .

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

XV I I I

TRUTH

THE t i ny hands wi th al l the i r baby m igh t

S t retch j oyously to grasp the rol l ing bal l '

Too large for thei r smal l hol d they le t i t fal l

And rol l i t n ow to left,and now to r ight

,

S t i l l reach ing afte r,wi th renewed del ight

,

At each rebound from the enclos ing wal l,

With growing courage nothing can appal l,

St i l l eager for the th ing so fu l l in s ight .

So we , with in fan t hands tha t cannot hold

The rounded tru th,reach ou t and gl adly say

We have i t su rely,he re i s t ru th ’s pure gold '

When we j us t touch the oute r r im,and so

Bu t send i t onward,fa rther from us ' 10

'

Full orbed i t rol l s upon it s heavenly way .

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

XIX

L IFT THINE EYES

MOST noble h i l l s and mountain s darkly bl ue

S t retch round and shel te r me wi th l ov ing care .

Upon the i r s l opes they stately l i ve ' oaks bear

And orchard s fl u shed w i th tender rosy hue,

Where st reams cut rugged canon s sharply through

Yet I,who al l the i r boun t ie s gladly sh are

O f shel te r,shade

,and fru i t

,— the love I bear

I s fo r the i r beau ty , no t for wha t they do .

So from the h i l l s m ine eyes I u pwa rd l i ft,

Not fo r Thy gi ft s,Thy care

,l et me adore

,

Not even for Thy love,d iv ines t gi ft

,

But for Thysel f,the Pe rfec t Holy One

,

E’en to my s igh t a dazzl ing rad iant sun

Whom growing v i s ion shal l l ove mo re and more .

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

XX

THE MEASURE

THOU who hast gi ven so much , my dearest Lord ,

Send me some su re angel i c rod to mete

The bles s ings with wh ich l i fe i s so replete ,

The countle s s merc i es wh ich Thou hast outpou red,

The j oy s wi th wh ich my memory i s s tored,

The beau ty I can see,the cadence sweet

The inner ear can hear,the good complete

Ofsen se an d soul wh ich th i s worl d do th affo rd .

Yet l ike a ch i l d who p rates o f be ing tal l,

I coun t my bles s ings o ’e r ' I say I se e ,

Who ju st perce i ve tha t beauty h ides in th ral l '

I say I l ove ' dear Lord , forgi ve the boast '

Love ’s flood ' gate s open wide,and quench my

ghost

Ofnoth ingnes s in Thine Infin i ty .

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

XXII

NA'ARETH

I N Nazareth , upon i t s southern slope

O f sp r i ngt ime h i l l s ide,ly ing in the sun

Wi th fre sh gras s from the win te r hardly won

And blossoms that begin wi th joy to ope

The l i ly o f the field,i n hel io t rope

And splend id c r im son,such as Sol omon

In glory had not— the Angel i c One

Brought al l to l i fe,wi th those great words of hOpe .

And from the cres t of that fa i r moun tain town

Fa r to the north,the he ight the P rophet s ings

,

The dome of dazzl ing snow,the count ry ’s

c rown ,

The Splend i d maj esty ofHe rmon l ie s,

The joy o fH i s forefather Dav i d ’s eyes

White as the heral d angel ’s rad iant wings .

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

XXI I I

ANNUNC IATION

I N ve rnal days the wingéd angel came

Wi th lowly sal u tat ion to the maid,

And found her calm and s t rong and unafraid ,

Content to know the th ing sh e coul d not name,

L ight i ng wi th in her b reas t that holy fl ame

Which l igh t s the world,fo r which the worl d

had p rayed .

Behold the handmaid o f the Lord, sh e sai d ,

And had no though t of hono r,or o f fame .

So to each one the sec re t mes senge r

Comes S i l en t ly,unsough t

,t o b r i ng God’s word

,

A word c reat i ve a s he b rought to he r .

And each conce i ves a t ruth scarce understood '

Thrice blest t hat sou l whi ch in the V i rgin ’s mood

Can say , Behold the handmaid of the Lord .

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

XXIV

CAPERNAUM

I STOOD among the heap s of broken stones

Once cap i t al and p i l l ar,on the fl oor

O f the centu ri on ’s synagogue ' the door

Through wh ich the Maste r an d H i s chosen ones

Must o ft have pas sed i s here ' and here the groan s

O f s i ck folk sounded,as d i seased an d so re

Men brough t them to the st reet to lay before

That bl es sed Pre sen ce,who cou ld st i l l al l moan s .

This was H i s home,the bl ue lake ’s d iadem

,

He re was the ru le r’s daughte r rai sed,here came

The woman who but touched H i s garmen t ’s hem .

Now desol at ion re ign s ' the s un beat s down

Upon the remnant s of that ancien t town

Wh i ch l i ve s but i n the glory ofHis name .

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

XXV I

THE VO ICE

O VOICE D iv i ne which I have somet imes heard

C l eav ing through darkness and the t roubl ed

n ight,

Ring in my ears,break w i th Thy trenchant

m ight

The sl umber ofmy soul . Speak Thy great word '

Not bread,not b read I ask

,but to be s t i rred

With that s upremest sound wh ich heard a r ight

Mean s consc iou snes s,securi ty

,an d s ight

,

A present heaven,not a hOpe de ferred .

Too much to ask ? Thou givest da ily bread '

Give then th i s word by wh ich men dai ly l ive '

Attune the se ears,un seal these eyes of l ead

To hear,t o se e

,i n inmost depth s to feel

The word Thou dost to each true sou l reveal'

With Th ine own voice to me the message gi ve .

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

XXVI I

THE JORDAN

THIS i s the myst ic place,th i s t urb id stream

Swi ft flow ing toward the Sal t Sea of the P l a in

Between i t s banks of ru shes and of cane,

Thi s i s the river o f the P rophet ’s dream .

From Pisgah’

s l ofty he ight s he saw i t s gleam

When wi th h i s eager dy ing eyes as t rain

He looked u pon the p romi sed lan d in vain,

And th i s flood marked i t s eas tern verge ex t reme .

And more,for he re was the forerunner sen t

,

The vo ice from ou t the wi ldernes s , P repare ,

Make st raight a h ighway for ou r God,repen t

And here H e came 'and bap t i sm be ing ended ,

The heaven s opened,and the dove descended .

O humble st ream,can st thou such glory bear ?

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

XXV I I I

THE WILDERNESS

U P from the Jordan st raight H i s way He took

To that l one w ilderness,where rocks are hurl e d

And strewn,and p il ed

,as if th e an cien t worl d

In strong convul s ion seethed,and w rithed

,an d

shook,

Which heaved the vall eys up,and sunk each brook

,

And fl ung the mol ten rock l ike ribbon s cu rled

In tw i s t s ofgray around the moun ta in s whirled,

A grim land,of a fierce

,forbidd ing look .

The w i l d beast s haun t i t s barren stony he igh t s,

And wil der v i s ion s came to temp t h im there '

For forty days and forty wea ry n ight s

Alone H e faced H i s mortal selfand s in,

Chaos wi thout,and chaos reigned w i t h in

,

Subdued and conquered by the might o f prayer .

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

XXX

REVELATION

ACQ JAI N T thyselfwith H im ,and be at peace

,

So cried Thy servant in h i s sore d i st re s s,

So every st rong endeavor doth con fess,

The effo rt of the mas ters wi thout cease,

The germ of beauty seeking glad release,

The tran s ient c lothed in an e te rnal dres s,

D umb aspi rat i on s t r i v ing to expres s

The pass ing t ime o f ea rth,by heaven ’s in crease .

L ift u p the ve i l s,O Lord

,that h ide Thy face '

The eager eye s wou ld se e Thee as Thou art ,

Tran scenden t beauty,and ben ignant grace .

My longing sou l comes to Thee to be st i l l ed,

My fin i te in Th ine Infin i te fulfi l l ed,

Come,bles sed Lord I offer Thee my heart '

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

XXXI

L IGHT

CELESTIAL L i gh t,eternal

,ever young

,

'

Which dawn s wi th hope my wai t i ng eyes to

b les s,

Which clothes the mountai n s i n a royal dres s

Spun from the arch that o’er the heaven s hung

When the new' watered worl d from chaos Sprung,

S t i l l dost thou glow,thy wonder grows no t l ess

,

Transmut ing d ros s to gold ' thou dos t exp res s

Pure j oy,as when the son s o f morn ing sung .

The j ewel hol d s thy secret no t alon e

The region s vast of heaven ’s stu pendou s dome

Dost thou inhab i t ' i n smal l s pace i s shown

Thy maj esty,Revealer

,H ealer

,Friend

,

Effulgence from the L ight of L igh ts,Thou End

,

Our be ing’s s t rong endeavor,and ou r home .

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

XXXII

DAR'NESS

LORD,what a wonder hast Tho u made ou r eyes

,

To se e i n l ight,to be i n darknes s bl ind

,

Yet seeking st i l l,ifhaply they may find

Some ray of hope,some star o f far su rmise

Low hanging in the d i stant h idden skie s,

To poin t the path,to leave the dark beh ind

,

To Show the good,t o cheer the troubled m ind

,

To open up new ways of h igh emp r i s e .

And yet the dark h ides al l . Not only fear

And dread,not only deeds of sin and hate

,

But utmost love i s sh rouded i n it s sphere,

And utmost hel p and succo r i n i t ve i led,

S ince those three awful hou rs when sun l ight

fai l ed,

Nor perfect Love the dark coul d d i ss i pate .

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

XXXIV

THE ENTRY

WITH branches of the palm,and leaves of sp ring,

With hymn s,and garment s i n the roadway spread

,

The people cal led down bless ings on H i s head

Who now the c i ty gates was entering '

And shou l d these cease t r i umphant songs to s ing

The ve ry stones wou l d l ift the ir voice,He said

As H e rode lowly on the ass they led,

Rode l ow ly,coming to h i s own

,the i r ' ing .

So w i th the season s’ swi ft ret u rn ' each year

The new l eaves wave wi th j oy,the forest s ra i se

Thei r h igh hosannas sound ing sweet and clear .

To thee H e comes,and art thou dumb

,oh heart

In al l the gladness can st thou take no part ?

F l ing w i de thy gates,and welcome H im wi th

pra i se .

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

XXXV

THE GARDEN

I F i t i s t rue,and surely i t i s t rue

,

That each so ul t o the measu re o f i t s l ove

Must taste of darknes s,for i t selfmust prove

Despai r,and drink the cup o f my rrh and rue

,

What must have been the sorrow that p ierced th rough

The heart of Jesu s ? dep th s we know not of

Were sounded by that Sou l al l sou l s above,

For utmost l ove the utmos t angu i sh knew .

We humbly bow the head in holy awe

And worsh i p ' nor may ful ly comprehend

The st range mysteriou s workings of the l aw

O f Bles sednes s and G r i e f. Enough for u s

Chri st fathomed i t that n ight,and p roved i t thu s

,

And t rod the b i tter pathway to the end .

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

XXXVI

GETHSEMANE

THIS o l ive t ree,so gnarl ed but l i v ing yet

,

Perchance was w i tnes s of that dreadfu l hou r

Which tempted flesh and soul w i th awful power .

H ere was the agony and bloody sweat '

Thi s shel te red Him,when host s of ev i l me t .

Beneath now blooms a smal l pu re wh i te c ross

flowe r '

Above i t pou rs the sun a golden shower '

I t ho ld s i t s sec ret,and can ne ’e r forget .

A l i t t l e garden,but a sac red place

,

O f al l the world mos t holy bl e s sed one .

Thy Master’s t rial and His conque r i ng grace

Avai led not on ly fo r H imse l f. H i s heart

Fo r thee was b ru i sed to Show thee who thou a rt .

Fathe r,He prayed

,Thy wil l

,no t mine

,be done.

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

XXXV I I I

THE NINTH HOUR

AFTER the shameful tri al i n the hal l ,

The mocking and the scourging,and the pain

O f Peter’s words to He rod,and aga in

To P i l ate’s j udgmen t ' seat,the royal p all

,

The cros s i t sel f,the v inegar and gal l

The th ieves c lose by,d i sc ipl esh i p proved vain

,

The sco ffing c rowd , His mothe r’s tears l ike ra in

,

There came one moment,bi t te res t of al l .

Ye t i n that c ry , when flesh and sp i ri t fa i l ed,

Last effort Of the awfu l way H e t rod,

Which shook the ea rth,nor le ft the temple

vefled,

In that exceed ing great and b i t te r c ry

Was conques t . The cen tu r i on s tand ing by

Sa id,Tru ly th i s man was the Son of God .

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

XXXIX

MARTHA

CHRIST sa i d to Martha by her b rothe r’s grave,

I am the resu rrect ion and the l ife

And with What t roubled thoughts he r m ind was

rife '

The l i fe,He sa id , and ye t He freely gave

H i s l i fe,and sav ing others woul d no t save

H imself. The Resu rrect i on ? Chuza ’s wi fe

Had seen H i m in the tomb a t en d was s t rife,

And o’e r her angu i sh swep t,a mighty wave .

And yet that fi rm assu rance kep t he r fai th,

And her reply,the fe rven t I bel ieve

,

H ad not H i s vo i ce rai sed Laza ru s from death,

Had not the grave released i t s fou r day s’ prey ?

A foretaste o f the re su rrec t i on day

She had to b id he r wai t,and not t o grieve .

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

XL

VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING

O JOYFUL morn , whose fain te st dawn of day

Behel d what morta l eye s may never se e,

The r i s ing from the dead,the v i cto ry

Concei ved but d imly in the prophet ’s l ay .

Behol d the place,t he sh in ing angel s say

Unto the women coming tearfu ll y

Wi th prec iou s sp i ces fo r the i r min i s t ry

And quest i on ing who shoul d ro ll the stone away .

And there were but t he garmen t s i n the tomb '

The L i fe was l i v ing,and made man i fes t

One l i fe con t i nuous . The fear , the gloom

Were ban i shed on that re su rrect i on morn '

We but l i e down i n fai th and are new born ,

For L ife,unending L ife

,i s death ’s great ques t .

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

THE CLOSE OF THE YEAR

THE days are Short,O Time

,I sa id '

The hou rs move fast,—give me a few ,

A b r ie f space ere the days are fled

Give me , for I have work to do .

I have a good and nobl e work,

My Father’

5 work 'to i t shal l bend

My mind and hea rt ' I will not Sh i rk

I f thou the prec iou s hours wilt l end .

Bu t Time moved on,relen t l e s s s t i l l

The work i s all thy Father’s,ch il d

,

The t ime i s His , fo r good or i l l ,

Take what thou can st , nor be begu i led .

Ifthou woul d st choose , and p ick thy days ,

And say, 10 , here to work I come ,

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

VIA V ITAE

I HAD a message from the Lord

H e bade me ri se and seek H i s face,

H e set me in a shady road

That bl oomed wi th beauty and with grace .

I wande red on from flowe r to flowe r,

I breathed the i r perfume wi th del ight '

How sweet ly passed each sunny hou r,

How ful l o fbeau ty eve ry s igh t

Til l almos t I forgot that I

Was bu t a t raveler on the road,

The vale so fa i r,so blue the sky

,

I t seemed i t mus t be my abode .

Then colde r grew the azu re sky ,

The n igh t came down,the flowe rs were gone

,

A voice Spoke to me from on h igh,

Thou fool i sh ch il d,pre ss on

,press on .

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

Thi s New Year c la im thy b les sednes s

And cast on H im thy cares .

And forward,forward tu rn thy gaze

,

L i ft up th ine eyes and se e '

The New Year brings unt rodden ways '

Thy God shal l walk with thee .

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

RENEWAL

WORN and weary,far beh ind

I le ft the town awhil e,

Once more o ’er Natu re ’s face to find

A grac iou s Father’s smi l e .

The sadnes s that was then my share

To me do th s t i l l be long '

I took i t wi th me as a prayer,

I brough t i t back a song .

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

V IS ION

LOO' without and fin d God,

Look with in,He i s here .

What matte rs the road ?

I am of good cheer,

What is there to fear ?

He above,I below '

And the infin i te bond

Shal l hol d me,I know

,

Bo th here and beyond,

Both here and beyond .

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

TIME

WE meas ure l i fe with ou r short span o f years,

And count the flying moment s,hou rs

,and days '

Turn back on past de l igh t s a mourn fu l gaze,

Perplex the futu re wi th a thousand fears '

Ch ide Time,who al l the happy pas t endears

,

And bid h im stay h i s course to su i t ou r ways,

No t knowing that h i s fl igh t demand s ou r pra i se,

O r how shal l be exceeds what now appears .'

For Time lead s onward to immo rtal day,

To wh ich the changes se rve u s as a gu ide,

For Time b rings changes,so the poe t s say .

Then welcome change,— I am no longe r l oa th

To b id the years farewel l,for Time i s growth

,

Growth t i l l I wake,and shal l be sa t i sfied .

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

TERROR

SCOURGED by some dread or some portentou s fear

O ut from oursel ves an d ou r accu s tomed ease,

How phantom ' l ike the worl d becomes ' The

t rees,

So l i v ing once,but a va in Show appea r

.

The sol i d eart h and al l that we hol d dear,

The hues and forms and al l the s ight s that please,

The ways we walk,become the hum of bees

,

Unce rta in,drowsy

,vague

,where al l was clear .

Then in th i s momen t,when i n chaos fal l s

The fab ri c of an o rdered,shel te red l i fe

,

The sou l eme rges,b reaks i t s p ri son wal l s .

Grea t God,what is th i s Thing wh i ch s tands al one

In al l the un i verse,un seen

,unknown

,

And dumbly gazes toward Thee through the

strife

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

DUAL ITY

How i s i t that the eager m in d del igh t s

In paradoxes S tate an obv iou s fact ,

And St raight the contrary seems true ' there

lacked

I t s fu l l complet ion . Not al one do n igh t s

Devou r t ime,but days ' the earth has he ight s

O f mountain s and has plain s ' no separate ac t

I s whol ly good,or bad

,for i t i s packed

With mot ive s m ixed,and good with ev i l figh t s .

True man,t rue God

,we say , and bow the head ,

He trod those Gal i lean h i l l s i n you th '

As Love embod ied He b roke l i v ing bread .

Does God then walk the eart h,and bles s ings give ?

And can man say , Becau se I l i ve , ye l i ve

Th i s Holy One alone combines al l t ru th .

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

REFUGE

B UILD thee , my soul , a safe and sure re t reat

From al l vexat ion s,and from babbl ing men

Who vain ly st rive,and go

,and come again

In the fierce confl i c t o f the busy S t ree t .

F ly back,and to thysel f once more repea t

Wha t thou wi th j oy has t seen . Remember when

That d i stan t l and un folded to thy ken,

And thou d id st walk where t rod H i s ble s sed feet .

The mounta in s that He knew stand there secu re,

And swel l ing h i l l s,wh ich gave H im glad release

From to i l some days ' the l i v ing foun tain s pure

From which He d rank s t i l l flow ' once more I see

The l imp i d wate rs of Lake Gal i l ee,

And to m y tempest s H i s c lear voice says , Peace .

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

I

COLD

A B ITTER day,w i th i cy breath

,and ch i l l

,

Low in the sky the bright sun blankly stares '

To leave the co t tage roofthe smoke scarce dares

And chained to s il ence i s the frozen r i l l .

Benumbing qu iet reign s sup reme,and st i l l

The oak i t s m ighty arms to heaven bares,

Mute wi th the angu i sh of unan swered prayers,

And l ike a pal',the col d shrouds val e an d hil l .

Thou too,poor hea rt

,i ce ' bound in sorrow ’s bands

,

Art dumb wi th al l the angu i sh of thy pain '

This numbing cold descende th from God ’s hands,

A mantle to en fold thee with thy dead,

And when the stony ' hearted day has fled,

Wi th n ight the heal ing tears Shall fal l l ike rain .

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

I I I

WELCOME

WITH home ' retu rn ing step s,my anx iou s heart

Longs ardently to se e my dear one’s face,

To read her starry eyes,and fondly t race

Each subtl e S ign o fchange ' wi th lov ing art

To bridge the t ime tha t we have been apart,

To hold her c losely in a long embrace,

And in her soft cares s ing han d to place

Some t rue ' l ove token,from a foreign mart .

Alas,no earthly token reaches her '

I open wide my arms,sh e cannot come .

Perchance she knows the tumul t and the st i r

Ofm y great grie f' for she i s gone before

To make the skie s seem dear,and when once more

She welcomes me, I t o o shall be at home .

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

V

RECURRENCE

U PB ORNE by Asp i rat ion and by Hope ,

Some ease I find,from al l my heavy grie f

,

Some rays ofcomfort come to m y re l ie f,

And in the darknes s I no l onger grope .

I t i s as i f a door ofheaven d id ope ,

And unto me st reamed ou t i t s bl es sed l ight,

That comforted and cheered my longing s i ght,

As I reposed on Beulah ’s mountain sl ope .

And then,my gr i ef comes su rging back again

,

And al l i s dark around,and far above .

I want her here,her los s i s b i tte r pain

,

And wh il e the bu rn ing tears my sad eyes drench,

I know once more that there i s naught can

quench

Immortal sorrow bu t immortal l ove .

A S C A L L O P S H E L L O F QU I E T

VI I

VIS ION

OH that some holy prophet,as o f old

,

Woul d ask the Lo rd‘fo r me that I might se e '

For when one looked around so fearfully,

E l i sha prayed,and then he saw 'Behol d

The mountai n fu l l o f chariot s o f gold,

And fie ry steeds of heaven ly caval ry

A rrayed to fight for I s rael glor i ou sly,

A mighty host,whose numbers were untold .

E’en here wh il e l i v ing in the flesh there come

Some bles sed rays to sat i s fy Fa i th ’s s ight '

Some rad iance from the everl as t i ng home

S t reams down to eart h,from out the open door

,

A l ong the path o f those gone on be fore ,

From that pu re worl d where God H imsel f gives

l ight .