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Around thee and above thee, and darkening all thy track —
Yet thou hast shrunk from praying, because thou wert
ashamed
To call upon the Master, who surely must have blamed
Thy own weak faith full sharply ere lie the tempest tamed.
Oh then, hast ever turned thee from warring thoughts within,
The fear, the hope, the longing, the struggle and the sin —
From these hast ever turned thee to look on Nature's face,
That still reflects so clearly her Author's constant grace ?
She calms thee with her silence, she soothes thee with her
sound,
And like a loving mother's her arms enfold thee round.
Then softly doth she whisper, "Go, erring child, go pray !
If haply so our Father forgive thy sin this day !"
Great Angel of creation ! God placed thee at our side,
An ever present guardian to cheer us and to chide.
Thy glorious forehead blazing with stars of differing grace,
Thy wings of light outstretching through boundless fields
of space.
Thy rainbow garments trailing along thy shining path.
