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Hope stood one morning by the way,
And stretched her fair white hand to me,
And softly whispered," For this day
I'll company with thee."

Ah no, dear Hope," I sighing said,

Oft have you joined me in the morn,
But when evening came you fled
And left me all forlorn.

"'Tis better far to walk alone

Than have your company awhile
And then to lose it and go on
For weary mile on mile."

She turned rebuked. I went my way
But sad the sunshine seemed, and chill;
I missed her, missed her all the day,
And oh! I miss her still.

SUSAN COOLidge.

O Master! It is not so. Thank God! We have

nay.

not found it so. Thou hast not failed us, Hope of our souls; Hope of glory, Thou art with us still. Abide with us. We will not say Thee "One step enough for me," if Thou wilt go with us but that one. But we trust Thee for all the steps, all the days, all the nights, nights of ignorance, nights of sorrow, the night of death. We have refused in the past, but not now. No more forever. Henceforth we walk together. The loneliness is gone. We are leaning on Him who has promised "I am with you always." We thank Thee, Master, and will go on. Amen.

WILLIAM O. SHEPARD.

Body, how hast thou fared today?

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I have had the best that the world can give; With my costly feasting and rich array.

Where is the prince who could better live?"

And how has it been with thee, O soul?

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I have lived on a crust or two of prayer, And had not a vestment that was whole: Ay! how much worse could a beggar fare?" CHARLOTTE FISKE BATES.

O God, we pray this night for the power, the desire, to pray. Starved are we, but we feel no hunger; naked, but we feel no shame. The cry of our bodies for rich fare and vesture has stifled the cry of our souls - ourselves. We are as one sick unto death but who in folly thinks himself in abounding health. Pity us, that we know this and care not. Save us from that tyranny of the flesh which is dearer to us than the immortal hope, the service of our fellows, the companionship of Thy spirit. Grant unto us the suffering sense of our soul's bitter poverty, that we may be led to seek and find the blessedness of Thy heavenly kingdom. Amen.

ROBERT E. BROWN.

One ship drives east, and another west,

With the self-same winds that blow;
'Tis the set of the sails

And not the gales,

Which decides the way to go.

Like the winds of the sea are the ways of fate,
As we voyage along through life;

'Tis the will of the soul

That decides its goal,

And not the calm or the strife.

ANONYMOUS.

Our Father, the tossing, restless, terrifying sea is Thine. And life's sea with all its voyaging craft is under Thy watchful eye. In this thought do Thou now give our hearts calm. And give us to see more clearly the place and power of our own souls in determining our haven. More than this, may this present hold for us such interest, and sacred worth, and may the future beckon us with such charm that we shall crave and receive from Thee the strong heart and hand for our voyage. Cheer us, if it please Thee, with brighter skies. But may darkness and light alike contribute to the sturdiness of our spirit. In the shadows that now gather, becalmed, we trustingly commit all to Thee. May we be off cheerily with the morning. Amen.

ARTHUR W. STALKER.

He shall give his angels charge
Over thee in all thy ways.
Though the thunders roam at large,
Though the lightning round me plays,
Like a child I lay my head
In sweet sleep upon my bed.

Though the terror come so close,
It shall have no power to smite;
It shall deepen my repose,

Turn the darkness into light.
Touch of angels' hands is sweet,
Not a stone shall hurt my feet.

All thy waves and billows go
Over me to press me down
Into arms so strong, I know
They will never let me drown.
Ab! my God, how good Thy will!
I will nestle and be still.

ALICE FREEMAN PALMER.

O Father, we would not forget Thy benefits. For life we thank Thee; the throbbing life of Nature; the quick-beating pulse of human hearts; for love we thank Thee; that love which has been ours, blessing us, saving us, creating us anew. O God, we call Thee, and Thou art here. We are not strong; grant us Thy strength. We cannot see; grant us Thy light. We do not know the way; lead us, O Father, by Thy Spirit. We falter, we wander, we dare not speak; only teach Thou us to pray. So, in us, and through us, may Thy kingdom come, and Thy will be done. Amen.

CHRISTOPHER R. ELIOT.

I ought. I can. I will.

VINCENT.

I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by a conscious endeavor. It is something to be able to paint a particular picture or to carve a statue, and so make a few objects beautiful; but it is far more glorious to carve and paint the very atmosphere and medium through which we look, which morally we can do. THOREAU.

Gracious Father, every eventide might remind us of life's final sunset. Each day, with time's privilege and earth's resources and the bright, blue firmament overhanging, is a call to action and improveAid and inspire us to feel that benevolence is beauty that virtue is victory, that childlike faith in Thy wise love will gladden for us the new and everlasting day. Amen.

ment.

ROBERT BRUCE CLARK.