Sing, my heart, for the day cometh wherein the night
shall be no more at all remembered; the clouds shall
melt like vapor, and the voice of mourning and lamentation
shall be heard no more forever. Awake and sing!
“YE DID IT NOT TO ME.”
’Twas night—a dark and stormy night:
The wintry winds were high;
Within the fire was blazing bright
And as I trimmed the cheerful light
I heard a pleading cry.
“Come in,” in hasty tones I said,
The door flew open wide—
The tempest roared—I shrieked with dread,
For, lo, a Spectre from the dead
Was standing by my side!
One icy hand was on mine own,
I would have turned and fled:
But ah! my limbs were chilled to stone,
As in a low, sepulchral tone
The sheeted Spectre said:
“It was a night like this I died,
Scorned by my fellow men;
To me a shelter was denied
But when they slumber by my side,
We shall, be equals then.
“I starved—and thou wast clothed
and fed,
And had enough to spare;
Thou mightst have come with gentle tread,
And stood beside my dying bed,
And found a blessing there.
“But now my curse: nor mine alone—
The moment yet will be
When thou wilt stand before the Throne,
And hear it said in thunder tone:
‘Thou didst it not to Me.’”
The light grew dim throughout the room,
Soon darkness reigned supreme,
But that pale Spectre from the tomb
Still eyed me through the dusky gloom,—
Thank God, ’twas but a dream!
Darkness and death are round me,
The night is late;
Yet once the Shepherd found me
In such a state!
He lulled my fears to rest,
He took me to his breast;
Is he less kind to-day?
Lord Jesus, hear me pray!
Oh, hear me pray!
Remove the hateful sin
Which cankers all within
And shrouds my way.
Oh, hear me in my anguish,
My Saviour God!
I droop, I faint, I languish
Beneath thy rod:
I tremble on the brink,
Support me or I sink:
Oh, hear me while I cry;
Oh, save me or I die!
We stood upon the lonely shore
And watched the bounding bark
Which far away the loved ones bore,
On billows wild and dark;
And then there came a gloomy sound
Mournfully, mournfully stealing around—
And the sound was this,
As it rose and fell
O’er the broad expanse,—
"Farewell, farewell!"
We sought our home—once bright and fair,
No word of hope we said,
For Sorrow entered with us there,
With slow and silent tread;
And came a voice from every room
Mournfully, mournfully through the gloom;
And the voice was this,
As it sadly fell
On our aching hearts,—
"Farewell, farewell!"
