Chapter I: Would Follow Thee

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Jesus, Saviour, Son of God,
Who for me life’s pathway trod,
Who for me became a child,
Make me humble, meek, and mild.

I thy little lamb would be;
Jesus, I would follow thee:
Samuel was thy child of old,
Take me, too, within thy fold.

MORNING PRAYER

I thank thee, Lord, for quiet rest
And for thy care of me;
Oh, let me through this day be blest
And kept from harm by thee.

Oh, take my naughty heart away,
And make me clean and good;
Lord Jesus, save my soul, I pray,
And wash me in thy blood.

Oh, let me love thee; kind thou art
To children such as I:
Give me a gentle, holy heart;
Be thou my Friend on high.

Help me to please my parents dear
And do whate’er they tell;
Bless all my friends, both far and near
And keep them safe and well.

CHILDREN’S PRAYER

Gracious Lord, we look to thee,
Meek and humble may we be;
Pride and anger put away,
Make us better every day.

Teach us for our friends to pray,
And our parents to obey:
Richest blessings from above
Give them for their tender love.

May we find the sweets of prayer
Sweeter than our playtimes are,
Love the Sabbath and the place
Where we learn to seek thy face.

JESUS, TENDER SHEPHERD

Jesus, tender Shepherd, hear me;
Bless thy little lamb to-night:
Through the darkness be thou near me,
Watch my sleep till morning light.

All this day thy hand has led me,
And I thank thee for thy care;
Thou hast clothed me, warmed and fed me,
Listen to my evening prayer.

Let my sins be all forgiven,
Bless the friends I love so well;
Take me when I die to heaven,
Happy there with thee to dwell.

—_Mary Lundie Duncan._

THE FIRST PRAYER

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray thee, Lord, my soul to keep;
If I should die before I wake,
I pray thee, Lord, my soul to take:
And this I beg for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

EVENING PRAYER

The sun has gone to rest,
The bee forsakes the flower,
The young bird slumbers in its nest,
Within the leafy bower.

Where have I been this day?
Into what folly run?
Forgive me, Father, when I pray,
Through Jesus Christ thy Son.

THE FATHER OF THE FATHERLESS

Father, an orphan’s prayer receive,
And listen to my plaintive cry;
Thou only canst my wants relieve,
Who art my Father in the sky.

Thy Word has promised all I need,
More than a father’s, mother’s care;
Thou wilt the hungry orphan feed,
And always listen to his prayer.

[Music: THE LORD’S PRAYER

K. E. C.

1. Our Father in Heaven, We hallow Thy name,
May Thy kingdom holy On earth be the same;
Oh, give to us daily Our portion of bread,
For ’tis from Thy bounty That all must be fed.

2. Forgive our transgressions, And teach us to know
That humble compassion Which pardons each foe;
Keep us from temptation, From weakness and sin;
And Thine be the glory Forever, Amen.
]

CHILDREN PRAISING THE SAVIOUR

Hosannas were by children sung
When Jesus was on earth;
Then surely we are not too young
To sound his praises forth.

The Lord is great, the Lord is good;
He feeds us from his store
With earthly and with heavenly food;
We’ll praise him evermore.

We thank him for his gracious word,
We thank him for his love;
We’ll sing the praises of our Lord
Who reigns in heaven above.

OH, WHAT CAN LITTLE HANDS DO?

Oh, what can little hands do
To please the King of heaven?
The little hands some work may try
To help the poor in misery:
Such grace to mine be given!

Oh, what can little lips do
To please the King of heaven?
The little lips can praise and pray,
And gentle words of kindness say:
Such grace to mine be given!

Oh, what can little eyes do
To please the King of heaven?
The little eyes can upward look,
Can learn to read God’s holy Book:
Such grace to mine be given!

Oh, what can little hearts do
To please the King of heaven?
The hearts, if God his Spirit send,
Can love and trust their Saviour Friend:
Such grace to mine be given!

Though small is all that we can do
To please the King of heaven,
When hearts and hands and lips unite
To serve the Saviour with delight,
They are most precious in his sight:
Such grace to mine be given!

A PRECIOUS TREASURE

Holy Bible, book divine,
Precious treasure, thou art mine;
Mine, to tell me whence I came;
Mine, to teach me what I am;

Mine, to chide me when I rove;
Mine, to show a Saviour’s love:
Mine art thou, to guide my youth
In the paths of love and truth;

Mine, to comfort in distress,
If the Holy Spirit bless;
Mine, to show by living faith
Man can triumph over death;

Mine, to tell of joys to come,
And the sinner’s dreadful doom.
O thou precious book divine,
Precious treasure, thou art mine!

THE COMMANDMENTS

One God I must worship supreme,
And ne’er before images bow;
I must not speak lightly his name,
But pay to my God every vow.

I’m bound to remember with care
The Sabbath so hallowed and pure;
To honor my parents so dear,
That my life may the longer endure.

I never must steal, or consent
To what is impure or untrue;
I must not indulge discontent,
Or covet my neighbor his due.

Now help me, O Father in heaven,
To keep these commandments with zeal,
In the strength that through Jesus is given
To those who are doing thy will.

GOD’S NAME

I must not use God’s name in vain,
Or ever speak a word profane;
For those who learn to curse and swear
The children of the devil are.
My little lips, oh, may they be
Attuned, O Lord, to honor thee.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

EXODUS, CHAPTER 20.

1. Thou shalt have no gods but me;
2. Before no idol bow thy knee.
3. Take not the name of God in vain,
4. Nor dare the Sabbath-day profane.
5. Give both thy parents honor due:
6. Take heed that thou no murder do.
7. Abstain from words and deeds unclean,
8. Nor steal though thou art poor and mean,
9. Nor make a wilful lie, nor love it.
10. What is thy neighbor’s, dare not covet.

SUM OF THE COMMANDMENTS

With all thy soul love God above,
And as thyself thy neighbor love.

BEFORE THE SABBATH

The week is passing fast away,
The hours are almost done;
Before I rise, the Sabbath-day
Will surely be begun.

Through all this week what have I done?
Have I been kind to all?
Have I sought anything but fun,
And run at every call?

Have I been still when I was bid,
And ceased to make a noise?
Have I been good in all I did,
At lessons or at toys?

I’m naughty every day I live,
Say many a foolish word,
But God can pardon all my sins,
Through Jesus Christ my Lord.

A child’s low prayer he will not scorn;
I’ll pray before I sleep,
And ask his love, then rest till morn,
For he my soul will keep.

PREPARING FOR THE SABBATH

Haste! put your playthings all away,
To-morrow is the Sabbath-day:
Come, bring to me your Noah’s ark,
Your pretty tinkling music cart;
Because, my love, you must not play,
But holy keep the Sabbath-day.

Bring here your German village, please,
With all its houses, gates, and trees;
Your waxen doll with eyes of blue,
And all her tea-things bright and new;
Because, you know, you must not play,
But love to keep the Sabbath-day.

Now, take your Sabbath pictures down--
King David with his harp and crown,
Good little Samuel on his knees,
And many pleasant sights like these;
Because, you know, you must not play,
But learn of God upon his day.

There is your hymn-book: you shall learn
A verse, and some sweet kisses earn;
Your book of Bible stories too,
Which dear mamma will read to you:
I think, although you must not play,
We’ll have a happy Sabbath-day.

SABBATH MORNING

Awake! awake! your bed forsake;
To God your praises pay;
The morning sun is clear and bright,
With joy we hail his cheerful light:
In songs of love
Praise God above--
It is the Sabbath-day.

THE BEST DAY

How sweet is the Sabbath, the morning of rest,
The day of the week which I surely love best;
The morning my Saviour arose from the tomb,
And took from the grave all its terror and gloom.

Instruct me, my Saviour, a child though I be,
I am not too young to be noticed by thee:
Renew all my heart, keep me firm in thy ways;
I would love thee, and serve thee, and give thee the praise.

AT SABBATH SCHOOL

1. I’ll awake at dawn on the Sabbath day,
For ’tis wrong to doze holy time away.
With my lessons learned, this shall be my rule,
Never to be late at the Sabbath School.

2. Round our teacher dear, like a posy ring.
We will gather near as we pray and sing;
With the holy word for our guide and rule,
Oh, how happy we in our Sabbath School.

THE SABBATH SCHOOL

Will you come to our Sabbath School?
I really wish you would;
Oh, come and join our infant class,
And learn how to be good.

We learn to sing, we learn to pray,
In our sweet Sabbath School;
And here we learn of Jesus, too,
Who gave the golden rule.

I know I should not steal or use
The smallest thing I see,
Or what I should not like to lose,
If it belonged to me.

And this plain rule forbids me quite
To strike an angry blow,
Because I should not think it right
If others served me so;

But any kindness others need,
I’ll do it cheerfully,
As I am very glad indeed
When they are kind to me.

DEAR LITTLE HEADS IN THE PEW

In the morn of the holy Sabbath
I like in the church to see
The dear little children clustered
And worshiping there with me.
I am sure that the gentle pastor,
Whose words are like summer dew,
Is cheered as he gazes over
The dear little heads in the pew.

Faces earnest and thoughtful,
Innocent, grave, and sweet--
They look in the congregation
Like lilies among the wheat.
And I think that the tender Master,
Whose mercies are ever new,
Has a special benediction
For those dear little heads in the pew.

When they hear, “The Lord is my Shepherd,”
Or, “Suffer the babes to come,”
They are glad that the loving Father
Has given the lambs a home--
A place of their own, with his people;
He cares for me and for you.
But close to his breast he gathers
Those dear little heads in the pew.

So I love, in the great assembly,
On the Sabbath morns to see
The dear little children clustered
And worshiping there with me.
For I know that our Heavenly Father,
Whose mercies are ever new,
Has a special benediction
For those dear little heads in the pew.

—_Margaret E. Sangster._

THE GIVERS

The Careless Penny went loudly in;
It rattled and rang like a piece of tin;
No prayer went with it, and nobody
Was helped or gladdened, and sad was he--
The poor little careless giver!

The Selfish Penny sank heavily,
Like a lump of lead, as it well might be;
No love went with it. “I might have bought
So much for myself!” was his only thought--
The mean little selfish giver!

The Loving Penny dropped softly down,
Like red, red gold from a royal crown;
Pity and love made his eyes grow dim
As he gave his all, and the Lord loved him--
The dear little cheerful giver!

—_Anna Burnham Bryant._

WHAT LITTLE CHILDREN MAY DO

Little hearts, O Lord, may love thee,
Little minds may learn thy ways;
Little hands and feet may serve thee,
Little voices sing thy praise;
Growing wiser, stronger, happier,
Loving Jesus all their days.

Be good, sweet maid, and let who will be clever;
Do noble deeds, not dream them all day long;
And so make life, death, and that vast forever,
One grand, sweet song.

_Charles Kingsley._

JESUS BIDS US SHINE

K. E. C.

1. Jesus bids us shine With a pure, clear light,
Like a little candle Shining in the night.
In this world is darkness, So we must shine,
You in your small corner, And I in mine.

2. Jesus bids us shine First of all for Him;
Well He sees and knows it If our light is dim.
He looks down from heaven To see us shine,
You in your small corner, And I in mine.

3. Jesus bids us shine Then for all around;
Many kinds of darkness In the world are found,
Sin and want and sorrow; So we must shine,
You in your small corner, And I in mine.

SAMUEL

When little Samuel woke
And heard his Maker’s voice,
At every word he spoke
How much did he rejoice.
O blessed, happy child, to find
The God of heaven so near and kind.

If God would speak to me,
And say he was my friend,
How happy I should be,
Oh, how I should attend!
The smallest sin I then should fear,
If God Almighty were so near.

And does he never speak?
Oh, yes; for in his Word
He bids me come and seek
The God that Samuel heard.
In almost every page I see
The God of Samuel calls to me.

THE MISSIONARY SHIP

I see the ships upon the sea
That silently go by,
As white upon the waters blue
As doves in yonder sky.

And men are glad the ships to watch
That bring them many things,
Silver and gold and raiment soft,
Upon their broad white wings.

But I would rather look upon
The ship that goes afar,
And takes our Saviour’s messengers
Where heathen children are;

And carries books, that they may read
How kind our Lord has been;
For such a ship, I know, must be
The fairest ever seen.

A SWARM OF BEES

B patient, B prayerful, B humble, B mild,
B wise as a Solon, B meek as a child;
B studious, B thoughtful, B loving, B kind,
B cautious, B prudent, B truthful, refined.
B cheerful, B grateful, B hopeful, B firm,
B peaceful, Benevolent, willing to learn;
B temp’rate in everything, touching no wine,
B careful of conduct, of money, of time.
B courteous, B gentle, B liberal, B just,
B bold and B humble, because thou art dust;
B penitent, circumspect, sound in the faith,
Be active, devoted, and faithful till death.

A BIT OF A SERMON

Whatsoe’er you find to do,
Do it, boys, with all your might!
Never be a little true,
Or a little in the right.
Trifles even
Lead to heaven,
Trifles make the life of man;
So in all things,
Great or small things,
Be as thorough as you can.

Let no speck their surface dim--
Spotless truth and honor bright!
I’d not give a fig for him
Who says any lie is white!
He who falters,
Twists or alters
Little atoms when we speak,
May deceive me,
But believe me,
To himself he is a sneak!

Help the weak if you are strong,
Love the old if you are young,
Own a fault if you are wrong,
If you’re angry, hold your tongue.
In each duty
Lies a beauty,
If your eyelids do not shut,
Just as surely
And securely
As a kernel in a nut!

Love with all your heart and soul,
Love with eye and ear and touch;
That’s the moral of the whole:
You can never love too much!
’Tis the glory
Of the story
In our babyhood begun;
Hearts without it
(Never doubt it)
Are the worlds without a sun!

Whatsoe’er you find to do,
Do it, then, with all your might;
Let your prayers be strong and true--
Prayer, my lads, will keep you right.
Pray in all things,
Great and small things,
Like a Christian gentleman;
And for ever,
Failing never,
Be as thorough as you can.

DEATH AND THE RESURRECTION

“How still the baby’s lying,
I cannot hear his breath:
They told me he was dying;
They tell me this is death.
My little song-book bringing,
I sat down by his bed
To soothe his pains by singing-—
They hushed me; he was dead.

“They say that he will, rising,
More beautiful appear:
The story is surprising;
Explain it, mother dear.”
“Dear daughter, you remember
The cold, dark thing you brought
One morning in September--
A withered worm, you thought.

“I told you God had power
That withered shell to break,
And from it in an hour
A lovely form to take.
And now you see before you
The empty casement lies,
And, robed in splendor, o’er you
The new-born being flies.”

“Oh, yes, mamma; how brightly
It spreads its golden wings,
And flies away so lightly,
The gayest of gay things.
And God can give my brother
An equal power to rise
From this life to another
And dwell above the skies.”

THE HAPPY LAND

There is a happy land,
Far, far away,
Where saints in glory stand,
Bright, bright as day.
Oh, how they sweetly sing,
“Worthy is our Saviour King;
Loud let his praises ring,
Praise, praise for aye.”

Come to that happy land,
Come, come away;
Why will ye doubting stand,
Why still delay?
Oh, we shall happy be,
When, from sin and sorrow free,
Lord, we shall live with thee,
Blest, blest for aye.

Bright, in that happy land,
Beams every eye;
Kept by a Father’s hand,
Love cannot die.
Oh, then to glory run,
Be a crown and kingdom won;
And bright, above the sun,
We reign for aye.

THE NEWCOMER IN HEAVEN

“Oh, what do you think the angels say?”
Said the children up in heaven.
“There’s a dear little girl coming home to-day:
She’s almost ready to fly away
From the earth we used to live in.
Let’s go and open the gates of pearl,
Open them wide for the new little girl,”
Said the children up in heaven.

“God wanted her here where his little ones meet,”
Said the children up in heaven;
“She shall play with us in the golden street.
She had grown too fair, she had grown too sweet,
For the earth we used to live in.
She needed the sunshine, this dear little girl,
That gilds this side of the gates of pearl,”
Said the children up in heaven.

“So the King called down from the angels’ dome,”
Said the children up in heaven:
“‘My little darling, arise and come
To the place prepared in thy Father’s home,
The home that my children live in.’
Let’s go and watch at the gates of pearl,
Ready to welcome the new little girl,”
Said the children up in heaven.

“Far down on the earth do you hear them weep?”
Said the children up in heaven,
“For the dear little girl has gone to sleep!
The shadows fall and the night-clouds sweep
O’er the earth that we used to live in:
But we’ll go and open the gates of pearl--
Oh, why do they weep for their dear little girl?”
Said the children up in heaven.

“Fly with her quickly, O angels dear,”
Said the children up in heaven.
“See, she is coming! Look there--look there!
At the jasper light on her sunny hair,
Where the veiling clouds are riven!
Ah, hush, hush, hush!” All the swift wings furl,
For the King himself at the gates of pearl
Is taking her hand, dear, tired little girl,
And leading her into heaven!

CHILDREN’S PRAISES

Around the throne of God in heaven
Thousands of children stand--
Children whose sins are all forgiven,
A holy, happy band,
Singing, Glory, glory,
Glory be to God on high.

What brought them to that world above,
That heaven so bright and fair,
Where all is peace and joy and love,
How came those children there?

Because the Saviour shed his blood
To wash away their sin:
Bathed in that pure and precious blood,
Behold them white and clean,
Singing, Glory, glory,
Glory be to God on high.

THE CHRIST CHILD

Come, let us all adore him;
Our hearts’ pure love we bring
To him, the Babe who came from heaven,
The little children’s King.

THE CHRIST CHILD

O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM

O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie;
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by;
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting light,
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee to-night.

O holy child of Bethlehem,
Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and enter in,
Be born in us to-day.
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell;
Oh, come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Emmanuel.

—_Phillips Brooks._

CRADLE HYMN

Martin Luther J. E. Spilman

1. Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head.
The stars in the bright sky looked down where He lay--
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.

2. The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes.
I love Thee, Lord Jesus! look down from the sky,
And stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.

3. Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care,
And fit us for heaven to live with Thee there.

ONCE IN ROYAL DAVID’S CITY

Once in royal David’s city
Stood a lowly cattle-shed,
Where a mother laid her Baby
In a manger for his bed.
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little Child.

He came down to earth from heaven,
Who is God and Lord of all,
And his shelter was a stable,
And his cradle was a stall.
With the poor and mean and lowly
Lived on earth our Saviour holy.

For he is our childhood’s pattern,
Day by day like us he grew;
He was little, weak and helpless,
Tears and smiles like us he knew.
And he feeleth for our sadness,
And he shareth in our gladness.

And our eyes at last shall see him,
Through his own redeeming love,
For that Child so dear and gentle
Is our Lord in heaven above.
And he leads his children on
To the place where he has gone.

Not in that poor lowly stable,
With the oxen standing by,
We shall see him, but in heaven,
Set at God’s right hand on high,
When like stars his children, crowned
All in white shall wait around.

STAR OF THE EAST

Brightest and best of the sons of the morning
Dawn on our darkness and lend us thine aid;
Star of the East, the horizon adorning,
Guide where our infant Redeemer is laid

Cold on his cradle the dewdrops are shining
Low lies his head with the beasts of the stall;
Angels adore him, in slumber reclining,
Maker, and Monarch, and Saviour of all!

RING OUT THE BELLS FOR CHRISTMAS

Ring out the bells for Christmas,
The happy, happy day,
In winter wild the holy Child
Within the cradle lay.
Oh, wonderful! the Saviour
Is in a manger lone;
His palace is a stable,
And Mary’s arm his throne.

On Bethlehem’s quiet hillside,
In ages long gone by,
In angel notes the glory floats,
“Glory to God on high.”
Yet wakes the sun as joyous
As when the Lord was born,
And still he comes to greet you
On every Christmas morn.

Where’er his sweet lambs gather
Within his gentle fold,
The Saviour dear is waiting near,
As in the days of old.
In each young heart you meet him,
In every guileless face
You see the holy Jesus
Who grew in truth and grace.

Then sing your gladsome carols,
And hail the new-born Son;
For Christmas light is passing bright,
It smiles on every one.
And feast Christ’s little children,
His poor, his orphan call;
For he who chose the manger
He loveth one and all.

WHILE SHEPHERDS WATCHED THEIR FLOCKS BY NIGHT

While shepherds watched their flocks by night,
All seated on the ground,
The angel of the Lord came down,
And glory shone around.
“Fear not,” said he--for mighty dread
Had seized their troubled mind--
“Glad tidings of great joy I bring
To you and all mankind.”

“To you, in David’s town this day,
Is born of David’s line
A Saviour, who is Christ the Lord,
And this shall be the sign:
The heavenly Babe you there shall find
To human view displayed,
All meanly wrapt in swathing bands,
And in a manger laid.”

Thus spake the seraph, and forthwith
Appeared a shining throng
Of angels praising God, and thus
Addressed their joyful song:
“All glory be to God on high,
And to the earth be peace:
Good-will henceforth, from heaven to men,
Begin and never cease.”

Christmas Carol

Joyously the angels sang
Long ago at Christmas.

Every note of praise which rang
Told the birth of Jesus.

Shepherds wondering looked around,
Tidings heard of Jesus.

Upon a manger soon they found
Christ, the baby Jesus.

So may we to-day behold
In our hearts this Jesus.

—_Marie Belle Coles._

[Music: CHRISTMAS CAROL

Marie Belle Coles K. E. C.

Joyously the angels sang Long ago.. at Christ-mas;
Ev’ry note of praise which rang Told the birth of Jesus.

Repeat for last stanza
]

CRADLE HYMN

Hush, my dear, lie still and slumber;
Holy angels guard thy bed;
Heavenly blessings without number
Gently falling on thy head.

Soft and easy is thy cradle;
Coarse and hard thy Saviour lay
When his birthplace was a stable,
And his softest bed was hay.

See the kindly shepherds round him,
Telling wonders from the sky;
Where they sought him, there they found him,
With his virgin mother by.

Lo, he slumbers in the manger
Where the hornèd oxen fed!
Peace, my darling, here’s no danger,
Oxen stand not near thy bed.

Mayst thou live to know and fear him,
Trust and love him all thy days;
Then go dwell forever near him,
See his face and sing his praise!

—_Watts._

HEROES AND PATRIOTS

God wants the boys with all their joys,
That he as gold may make them pure,
And teach them hardness to endure;
His HEROES brave he’ll have them be,
Fighting for truth and purity.

HEROES AND PATRIOTS

YOUNG SOLDIERS

Oh, were you ne’er a schoolboy?
And did you never train,
And feel the swelling of the heart
You ne’er will feel again?
Did you never meet, far down the street,
With plumes and banners gay,
While the kettle, for the kettledrum,
Played your march, march away?

It seems to me but yesterday,
Nor scarce so long ago,
Since all our school their muskets took
To charge the fearful foe.
Our muskets were of cedar-wood,
With ramrod bright and new;
With bayonet forever set,
And painted barrel, too.

We charged upon a flock of geese
And put them all to flight,

Except one sturdy gander
That thought to show us fight.
But ah! we knew a thing or two--
Our captain wheeled the van;
We routed him, we scouted him,
Nor lost a single man!

Our captain was as brave a lad
As e’er commission bore;
And brightly shone his new tin sword;
A paper cap he wore.
He led us up the steep hillside,
Against the western wind,
While the cockerel plume which decked his head
Streamed bravely out behind.

We shouldered arms, we carried arms,
We charged the bayonet,
And woe unto the mullein-stalk
That in our course we met.
At two o’clock the roll we called,
And till the close of day,
With fearless hearts though tired limbs,
We fought the mimic fray
Till the supper-bell, from out the dell,
Bade us march, march away.

HOW BIG WAS ALEXANDER, PA?

“How big was Alexander, pa,
That people call him great?
Was he like old Goliath tall,
His spear a hundred weight?

“Was he so large that he could stand
Like some tall steeple high,
And while his feet were on the ground
His hands could touch the sky?”

“Oh! no, my child; about as large
As I or Uncle James.
’Twas not his stature made him great,
But greatness of his name.”

“His name so great? I know ’tis long,
But easy quite to spell;
And more than half a year ago
I knew it very well.”

“I mean, my child, his actions were
So great he got a name
That everybody speaks with praise
Who tells about his fame.”

“Well, what great actions did he do?
I want to know it all.”
“Why, he it was that conquered Tyre
And leveled down her wall,

“And thousands of her people slew,
And then to Persia went,
And fire and sword on every side
Through many a region sent.

“A hundred conquered cities shone
With midnight burnings red;
And, strewed o’er many a battle-ground,
A thousand soldiers bled.”

“Did _killing people_ make him great?
Then why was Abdel Young,
Who killed his neighbor training-day,
Put into jail and hung?

“I never heard them call _him_ great.”
“Why, no--’twas not in war,
And him that kills a single man
His neighbors all abhor.”

“Well, then, if I should kill a man,
I’d kill a hundred more;
I should be great, and not get hung
Like Abdel Young before.”

“Not so, my child, ’twill never do;
The Gospel bids be kind.”
“Then they that kill, and they that praise,
The Gospel do not mind.”

“You know, my child, the Bible says
That you must always do
To other people as you wish
To have them do to you.”

“But, pa, did Alexander wish
That some strong man would come
And burn his house and kill him, too,
And do as he had done?

“And everybody called him great
For killing people so--
Well, now, what right he had to kill
I should be glad to know.

“If one should burn the buildings here,
And kill the folks within,
Would anybody call him great
For such a wicked thing?”

THE HEROIC BOY

The boy stood on the burning deck,
Whence all but him had fled;
The flames that lit the battled wreck
Shone round him o’er the dead.

Yet beautiful and bright he stood,
As born to rule the storm;
A creature of heroic blood,
A brave though childlike form.

The flames rolled on--he would not go
Without his father’s word;
That father, faint in death below,
His voice no longer heard.

He called aloud--“Say, father, say
If yet my task is done!”
He knew not that the chieftain lay
Unconscious of his son.

“Speak, father!” once again he cried,
“If I may yet be gone;”
And but the booming shots replied,
And fast the flames rolled on.

Upon his brow he felt their breath,
And in his waving hair,
And looked from that lone post of death
In still yet brave despair;

And shouted but once more aloud,
“My father, must I stay?”
While o’er him fast, through sail and shroud,
The wreathing fires made way.

They wrapped the ship in splendor wild,
They caught the flag on high,
And streamed above the gallant child
Like banners in the sky.

There came a burst of thunder-sound--
The boy--oh, where was he?
Ask of the winds that far around
With fragments strewed the sea,

With mast and helm and pennon fair
That well had borne their part--
But the noblest thing that perished there
Was that young faithful heart.

—_Mrs. Hemans._

THE LEAK IN THE DIKE

A STORY OF HOLLAND

The good dame looked from her cottage
At the close of the pleasant day,
And cheerily called to her little son
Outside the door at play:

“Come, Peter, come! I want you to go,
While there is light to see,
To the hut of the blind old man who lives
Across the dike, for me.
And take these cakes I made for him--
They are hot and smoking yet;
You have time enough to go and come
Before the sun is set.”

Then the good wife turned to her labor,
Humming a simple song,
And thought of her husband, working hard
At the sluices all day long,
And set the turf ablazing
And brought the coarse black bread,
That he might find a fire at night,
And find the table spread.

And Peter left the brother
With whom all day he had played,
And the sister who had watched their sports
In the willow’s tender shade;
And told them they’d see him back before
They saw a star in sight,
Though he wouldn’t be afraid to go
In the very darkest night!
For he was a brave, bright fellow,
With eye and conscience clear,
He could do whatever a boy might do,
And he had not learned to fear.
Why, he wouldn’t have robbed a bird’s
nest,
Nor brought a stork to harm,
Though never a law in Holland
Had stood to stay his arm.

And now with his face all glowing,
And eyes as bright as the day
With the thoughts of his pleasant errand,
He trudged along the way;
And soon his joyous prattle
Made glad a lonesome place;
Alas! if only the old blind man
Could have seen that happy face!
Yet he somehow caught the brightness
Which his voice and presence lent,
And he felt the sunshine come and go
As Peter came and went.

And now, as the day was sinking
And the winds began to rise,
The mother looked from her door again,
Shading her anxious eyes.
She saw the shadows deepen
And birds to their homes come back,
But never a sign of Peter
Along the level track.
But she said: “He will come at morning,
So I need not fret or grieve;
Though it isn’t like my boy at all
To stay without my leave.”

But where was the child delaying?
On the homeward way was he
And across the dike while the sun was up
An hour above the sea.
He was stopping now to gather flowers,
Now listening to the sound
As the angry waters dashed themselves
Against their narrow bound.

“Oh, well for us,” said Peter,
“That the gates are good and strong
And my father tends them carefully,
Or they would not hold you long.
You’re a wicked sea,” said Peter;
“I know why you fret and chafe;
You would like to spoil our lands and homes,
But our sluices keep you safe.”

But hark! through the noise of waters
Comes a low, clear, trickling sound;
And the child’s face pales with terror
And his blossoms drop to the ground.
He is up the bank in a moment
And, stealing through the sand,
He sees a stream not yet so large
As his slender childish hand.

‘_Tis a leak in the dike!_ He is but a boy,
Unused to fearful scenes;
But young as he is he has learned to know
The dreadful thing that means.
A leak in the dike! The stoutest heart
Grows faint that cry to hear,
And the bravest man in all the land
Turns white with mortal fear;
For he knows that the smallest leak may grow
To a flood in a single night;
And he knows the strength of the cruel sea
When loosed in its angry might.

And the boy! He has seen the danger,
And shouting a wild alarm,
He forces back the weight of the sea
With the strength of his single arm
He listens for the joyful sound
Of a footstep passing nigh;
He lays his ear to the ground, to catch
The answer to his cry.
And he hears the rough winds blowing
And the waters rise and fall,
But never an answer comes to him
Save the echo of his call.

He sees no hope, no succor,
His feeble voice is lost;
Yet what shall he do but watch and wait
Though he perish at his post?
So, faintly calling and crying
Till the sun is under the sea,
Crying and moaning till the stars
Come out for company,

He thinks of his brother and sister
Asleep in their safe warm bed;
He thinks of his father and mother;
Of himself as dying--and dead;
And of how, when the night is over,
They must come and find him at last;
But he never thinks he can leave the place
Where duty holds him fast.

The good dame in the cottage
Is up and astir with the light,
For the thought of her little Peter
Has been with her all the night.
And now she watches the pathway
As yester eve she had done;
But what does she see so strange and black
Against the rising sun?
Her neighbors are bearing between them
Something straight to her door;
Her child is coming home, but not
As he ever came before.

“He is dead,” she cries, “my darling!”
And the startled father hears,
And comes and looks the way she looks
And fears the thing she fears:
Till a glad shout from the hearers
Thrills the stricken man and wife--
“Give thanks, for your son has saved our land
And God has saved his life!”
So there in the morning sunshine
They knelt about the boy;
And every head was bared and bent
In tearful, reverent joy.

’Tis many a year since then; but still,
When the sea roars like a flood,
Their boys are taught what a boy can do
Who is brave and true and good.
And every man in that country
Takes his small son by the hand
And tells him of little Peter
Whose courage saved the land.
They have many a valiant hero
Remembered through the years,
But never one whose name so oft
Is named with loving tears.
And his deed shall be sung at the cradle,
And told to the child on the knee,
So long as the dikes of Holland
Divide the land from the sea.

“IN GOD WE TRUST”

No need of blazoned shield
To mark our country’s story;
No need of battle’s gory field
To tell of fame and glory;
These are but baubles in the dust;
Here rests our fame--“In God we trust!”

He whose unerring hand
Guides nations in their blindness
Doth wield at once, in every land,
The scepter of his kindness.
He is the Good, the Great, the Just:
This is our strength--“In God we trust!”

But speed the day when we,
A great and glorious nation,
In right and might, on land and sea,
Are Christ’s in imitation,
Striving for this--and strive we must--
Our motto is, “In God we trust!”

MY COUNTRY, ‘TIS OF THEE

My country, ’tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing;
Land where my fathers died,
Land of the Pilgrims’ pride,
From ev’ry mountain-side
Let freedom ring.

Let music swell the breeze,
And ring from all the trees,
Sweet freedom’s song;
Let mortal tongues awake,
Let all who breathe partake,
Let rocks their silence break,
The sound prolong.

Our fathers’ God, to thee,
Author of liberty,
To thee we sing:
Long may our land be bright
With freedom’s holy light;
Protect us by thy might,
Great God, our King.

THE LANDING OF THE PILGRIMS

The breaking waves clashed high
On a stern and rock-bound coast,
And the woods against a stormy sky
Their giant branches tossed,
And the heavy night hung dark
The hills and waters o’er,
When a band of exiles moored their bark
On the wild New England shore.

Not as the conqueror comes,
They the true-hearted came;
Not with the roll of the stirring drums,
And the trumpet that sings of fame:
Not as the flying come,
In silence and in fear:
They shook the depths of the desert gloom
With their hymns of lofty cheer.

Amidst the storm they sang,
And the stars heard, and the sea;
And the sounding aisles of the dim woods rang
To the anthem of the free.
The ocean eagle soared
From his nest by the white wave’s foam,
And the rocking pines of the forest roared--
This was their welcome home.

What sought they thus afar?
Bright jewels from the mine?
The wealth of seas, the spoils of war?
They sought a faith’s pure shrine.
Ay, call it holy ground,
The soil where first they trod--
They have left unstained what there they found,
FREEDOM TO WORSHIP GOD.

—_Mrs. Hemans._

THE LANDING OF THE PILGRIMS

MRS. HEMANS MARY ANNE BROWNE

The breaking waves dashed high On a stern and rock-bound coast,
And the woods against a stormy sky Their giant branches tossed;
And the heavy night hung dark The hills and waters o’er,
When a band of exiles moor’d their bark On the wild New England
shore.

MY OWN, MY NATIVE LAND

Breathes there a man with soul so dead
Who never to himself hath said,
“This is my own, my native land!”
Whose heart hath ne’er within him burned,
As home his footsteps he hath turned
From wandering on a foreign strand!

If such there breathe, go, mark him well:
For him no minstrel raptures swell:
High though his titles, proud his name,
Boundless his wealth as wish can claim,
Despite those titles, power, and pelf,
The wretch, concentered all in self,
Living, shall forfeit fair renown,
And, doubly dying, shall go down
To the vile dust from whence he sprung,
Unwept, unhonored and unsung.

—_Sir Walter Scott._

INDEX

Answer to a Child’s Question, 102

Ark and the Dove, The, 148

Asleep, 80

At Close of Day, 77

Baby-jumper, The, 22

Baby, Sleep, 19

Bees, The, 113

Before the Sabbath, 199

Best Day, The, 202

Bird’s Nest, The, 99

Bit of a Sermon, A, 211

Blackberry-girl, The, 40

Blind Boy, The, 35

Boy and the Lark, The, 100

Boy’s Faith, A, 37

Brook, The, 25

Bud, The, 151

Busy Bee, 112

Busy Little Farmer, 67

Butterfly, The, 119

Captive Bluebird, The, 97

Chickens, The, 91

Children Praising the Saviour, 195

Children’s Praises, 218

Children’s Prayer, 190

Child’s Self-examination, 72

Christmas Carol, 228

Cold Water Boy, The, 52

Commandments, The, 197

Country Music, 124

Cradle Hymn, 230

Cruel Sport, 98

Daisy’s Prayer, 69

Dapple Gray, 167

Dawn of Day, 49

Dear Little Heads in the Pew, 205

Dear Mamma, 12

Death and the Resurrection, 213

Dolly Going to Sleep, 170

Don’t Kill the Birds, 101

Evening Prayer, 192

Eye-peep Hour, 50

Father of the Fatherless, The, 192

Father’s Will, The, 9

First Prayer, The, 191

Fly, The, 113

Folded Wings, 55

For Mother, 14

Generous Heart, The, 67

Gentle Bossy, 88

Givers, The, 206

Go and Tell Jesus, 185

God is in Heaven, 177

God, the Creator, 178

God’s Name, 198

Going to Rest, 77

Golden Rule, The, 62

Good Name, A, 65

Good-night, 21, 73

Good Shepherd, The, 185

Grandpa and Me, 31

Happy Childhood, 156

Happy Helen, 59

Happy Land, The, 215

“He Giveth Us All Things,” 164

Hen and Chickens, 91

Heroic Boy, The, 238

Ho for Slumberland, 78

Honest Boy, The, 60

How Big was Alexander, Pa? 235

How I Love, 58

How Selfish It Is! 44

Hushaby, 18

“In God We Trust,” 247

Is It You? 68

I will be Good To-day, 60

I Would Follow Thee, 189

Jack Frost, 139

Jesus, Tender Shepherd, 191

John White and His Kite, 166

Kindness to Animals, 87

Kitty and Mousie, 86

Lamb’s Lullaby, The, 122

Landing of the Pilgrims, The, 249

Leak in the Dike, The, 240

Learning to Walk, 22

Lie, The, 61

Like Jesus, 184

Little, but Wise, 83

Little Dog, 84

Little Fish, The, 127

Little Neighbors, 36

Little Star, 73, 162

Love at Home, 28

Love One Another, 26

Love Your Little Brother, 24

Mary and Her Little Lamb, 125

Master Has Come Over Jordan, The, 182

Meddlesome Mattie, 63

Merry Fly, The, 118

Merry Raindrops, 149

Missionary Ship, The, 209

Moon, The, 162

Morning, 21, 50

Morning Hymn, 187

Morning Prayer, 189

My Brother, 23

My Country, ’Tis of Thee, 248

My Doll, 170

My Father Blessed Me, 15

My Kite, 166

My Little Pony, 168

My Mother, 13

My Pussy, 84

My Shadow, 172

My Tame Squirrel, 120

Naughty Chick, The, 90

Never Forget to Pray, 186

Newcomer in Heaven, The, 216

North Wind, The, 141

Of What are Your Clothes Made? 126

Oh, What Can Little Hands Do? 195

O Little Town of Bethlehem, 221

Once in Royal David’s City, 223

Orphan Flower-girl, The, 40

Papa is Coming, 14

Peacock, The, 111

Persevere, 66

Pet Lamb, The, 129

Poor Robin, 93

Praise, 188

Precious Treasure, A, 197

Preparing for the Sabbath, 200

Pretty Bee, 117

Prince Comes! The, 16

Reindeer and the Rabbit, The, 128

Ring Out the Bells for Christmas, 225

Robin Redbreast’s Secret, 94

Robin Redbreasts, The, 93

Run and Play, 173

Sabbath Morning, 201

Sabbath School, The, 204

Samuel, 209

Saturday Night, 171

Setting Sun, The, 159

Seven Times One, 158

Shadows, The, 70

Sled-ride, The, 165

Sleep, Baby! Sleep! 20

Sleigh-ride, The, 164

Snow, The, 138

Snow-bird’s Song, The, 103

Snowdrop, The, 150

Snowflakes, 139

Snow-shower, The, 142

Song to Bring Sleep, A, 74

So Safe! 179

Sparrow in the Snow, The, 104

Spider and the Fly, The, 114

Squirrel’s Arithmetic, The, 121

Star of the East, 224

Stars are Coming, The, 161

Sum of the Commandments, 199

Summer-time, 155

Sun, Moon and Stars, 160

Swarm of Bees, A, 210

Sweetly Sleep, 20

Swing, The, 169

Sympathy, 27

Temperance Song, A, 95

Ten Commandments, The, 199

That Sweet Story of Old, 179

Thinking of Mercies, 46

Through the Year, 137

Thunderstorm, The, 154

Time, 56

Trust and Try, 65

Turtle-doves, The, 108

Two Little Tempers, 62

Up Early, 55

Violet, The, 152

Voice of Spring, The, 146

Walk in Spring, A, 147

Wanderings of the Birds, The, 107

We are Seven, 28

Welcome, 15

What I Hate, 53

What I Love, 54

What Little Children May Do, 207

What the Winds Bring, 143

When Father Comes Home, 10

When the Cows Come Home, 88

Where do you Come from, Baby Dear? 17

Where is God? 164

While Shepherds Watched their Flocks by Night, 226

Why should I Fear? 74

Works of God, The, 163

Young Soldiers, 233

SONGS WITH MUSIC

An April Shower, 153

At Sabbath School, 203

Christmas Carol, 229

Cradle Hymn, 222

Father’s Will, The, 8

Jesus Bids Us Shine, 208

Jesus Dwells Within, 34

Landing of the Pilgrims, The, 251

Lightly Row, 174

Little Doves, The, 110

Little Drops of Water, 57

Lord’s Prayer, The, 194

Slumber Islands, 79

Sweet Story of Old, That, 181

Wind Song, 145

* * * * *

Transcriber’s Notes

Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected.

In the original all verses, apart from the musical items, were set within full page illustrations these, together with minor decorations, have not been indicated.

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