Marie Joussaye

“ If he but love me I can bear the rest.”
Another woman prayed with drooping head:
“Oh Angel! will my love love me?” she said,
The Angel’s tears fell fast like summer rain
As soft he answered her, “Thy prayer is vain;
He loves another and can never be
More than a true and faithful friend to thee,”
And then she slowly raised her drooping head
And smiling through her tears she softly said:
“He may not love me other than a friend,
But I love him and will unto the end
Of time, aye, and through all eternity
And that alone is heaven enough for me.” ”

“ Ambition’s flame lies lifeless in my breast;
Nor Love, nor Fame can make my heart rejoice—
The only boon I ask of God is Rest.
My prayer is yet unanswered, but I know
That God knows best how much my heart can bear;
When it hath borne the allotted share of woe
I know that he will hearken to my prayer. ”

“ Dear Lord, I am so tired I cannot pray,
My brain is throbbing, and my eyes are dim,
And all my tired senses seem to swim;
Since Life holds naught for me but toil and pain,
Would I might sleep and never wake again. ”

“ Where the curling waves o’er the wet sands creep,
And my heart responds to the sea’s sad moan
As all in vain for my love I weep.
O my dear, dead love! my only love,
O love that I loved so fond and true,
Do you ever look down from your home above,
Or think of the heart that is aching for you? ”

“ O, innocent babies! so pure and so fair,
You must soon wander forth in the world’s busy strife,
And the dimpled, white hands will be wounded and torn,
For thorns ever lurk ’neath the roses of life. ”

“ Your love proved but a broken reed.
’Twas but a cloud, and soon it passed,
The sun shone fairer than before;
Old friends returned, even you at last
Smiled on me as in days of yore,
But I had learned in that dark while
To live without your sunny smile. ”

“ No longer do I dread Life’s bitter rue
Which Friendship’s lips have touched and rendered sweet,
Still rough the paths that I must journey through,
But what care I tho’ tempests ’round me beat,
I have a friend. ”

“ Hastening on with weary footsteps,
Wailing oft in saddened tone:
“No one cares for all my sorrow,
No one grieves that I am gone.”
Shivering in the bitter night wind,
Death’s dark shadows looming near,
By every one he is deserted. ”

“ And the path is rough and weary
That my tired feet must tread.
Yet though my life is filled with sadness,
Still with fervent heart I pray,
May their lives be filled with gladness
And peace be theirs this Christmas day. ”

“ And health and wealth galore;
May all that’s beautiful and bright
For you be held in store.
May happiness be always thine,
And peace your steps attend,
And Heaven’s choicest blessings rest
On you, my dearest friend. ”

“ And when this life is o’er
And I with joyous steps will tread
Dear Quinte’s side no more,
Oh! let me sleep by Quinte’s side,
More sweet would be my rest
Beside the pleasant waters
I have always loved the best. ”

“ Your saddened hearts with anguish torn,
And deemed the burden Heaven sent,
Too heavy to be borne
Have learned at last, as I once learned,
The burden of old Quinte’s song
That life’s great lesson is “to live,
To suffer, and be strong.” ”

“ The kiss from heaven’s singer reft,
A recompense for future years.
And as the maiden grew in years
They marveled at her winsome grace,
The sweetness of her voice and face,
Which moved mankind to smiles and tears. ”

“ The other bloomed in a valley,
And both were sweet and fair.
But the longing eyes of the maiden
Were fixed on the heights above,
“I will gather Fame’s fairest roses,
There is time enough for love.” ”

“ To me ’tis but the Old Year’s dying knell.
O, dear old friend, the hour has come at last
When I must say farewell for aye to thee.
New Years may come and Old Years pass away,
But you will never be forgot by me. ”

“ Are human tears and prayers so unavailing
That Heaven heareth not our sobbing moan?
“As a shepherd feeds his flock,” so it is written,
Lord, we believe, even as Thou hast said,
Yet see, God! By Famine’s gaunt hand smitten
Thy children faint and die, They have no bread.
Thou hast endowed the Earth with goodly treasure
That each may have a portion, fair and just,
And bade Thy stewards give with flowing measure,
Yet see, Lord, how they abuse Thy Trust. ”

“ Dear Lord, at this glad Christmas tide,
When loving friends with joyous mirth
Meet ’round each cheerful Christmas hearth,
Is there no Christmas guest for me?
See Lord, my heart’s door opened wide,
O, enter Thou, with me abide ”

“ Unto the dregs, pale sorrow’s bitter druaght,
Then will this troubled heart, so sorely tried,
From earthly eare and tormoil find release
And death will grant me all that life denied,
Best and oblivion and unbroken peace. ”

“ He touched the tortured heart and anguish fled
At his command.
Rest, weary one, and be thou not afraid,
Death guards thee well, no agonizing dart
Can pierce the icy shield his hand has laid
Above thy heart. ”

“ But let not anger live against the dead,
“To err is human, to forgive Divine.”
And if your wrath is fierce and fain would live,
Remember that I also suffered wrong,
Yet found it in my power to forgive.
Though Hate is mighty, Love is still more strong. ”

“ Their blithesome notes would mock the ear,
The thrush’s song is not less sweet,
Although we weep to hear.
And though we love the sunshine well
We would not have it always day,
Man soon would weary were his life
One ceaseless roundelay. ”

“ And frozen the blood in my frightened heart,
Then softly and sweetly the angel song
Comes floating across to my listening ear:
“Though the river is dark and swift and strong,
There is one who will help you, so be of good cheer.” ”

“ Those problems that are known to none but Thee.
Bewildered and perplexed, I vainly strove
To find an answer to Life’s mystery.
Thus, step by step, the dangerous path I trod
Till like the fool, I said: “There is no God.” ”

“ Thank God for Life!
E’en tho’ it bring much bitterness and strife,
And all our fairest hopes be wrecked and lost;
E’en tho’ there be more ill than good in Life
We cling to Life and reckon not the cost. ”

“ Life is full of hidden perils,
And the traveller never thinks
Of the dangers that surround him,
Till the ground beneath him sinks.
Can you calmly stand and watch him
Sinking in the treacherous sand,
Heeding not his cry of anguish?
Shame upon you! Lend a hand!
When you see a young beginner
Struggling up the steps of Fame,
And in spite of opposition
Striving hard to win a name,
You who’ve gained the heights before him
And upon the summit stand,
Do not idly watch his struggles,
Rouse yourselves and lend a hand. ”

“ For Truth and Knowledge, though we mourn our loss,
Rejoice to picture him in that far land,
Drinking deep draughts of knowledge from the springs
Of glorious, eternal, living Truth.
And knowing this we would not wish thee back,
Teacher and guide, philosopher and sage,
Who lived as God ordained mankind should live,
Who died as God ordained mankind should die,
Whose life was blameless and whose end was peace. ”

“ The birds are singing sweet and clear,
Their songs are full of gladness,
The sun is shining bright, but still
My heart is filled with sadness.
It matters not how glad the birds,
Or fair the sunny day be. ”

“ A post’s song and a true heart’s prayer,
And many a smile and tear.
Dreams of wealth, and dreams of fame,
Hopes of winning an honored name
And all the pride of a lofty aim,
And many a hope and fear. ”

“ For a glimpse of your future lover
In the words of a quaint, old rhyme,
That the good Saint never refuses
To answer a prayer sincere,
And the form of the one who loves you
That night in your dreams will appear. ”

“ Life and Death.
On a bed of pain the sick girl lay
With closed, white-lidded eyes,
As the sunset gilded the azure bay
And crimsoned the western skies,
Whilst over her head in bitter strife
Strove the Angel of Death and the Angel of Life. ”

“ Seems to lighten up the gloom,
It lulls my bitter yearnings
Into calm and peaceful rest,
As it bids me not to murmur
For God knows what is best.
It is the lot of mortals
To feel the weight of woe. ”

“ More fair than all the rest,
Our country’s precious emblem,
The dearest and the best.
O lovely land of Canada
May joy and peace be thine,
May the sun of bright prosperity
O’er thy Dominion shine. ”

“ Whose songs found answer in the hearts of men,
Thy name shall live on Fame’s immortal scroll
After his name has passed from mortal ken,
Thine the true poet soul and master mind
Whose lyrics touched the hearts of all mankind. ”

“ All ye who are lowly-born and poor.
When the King arrives in royal state
It is fitting that none but the rich and great,
The ruler, the statesman, the scribe and priest,
Should sit with Him at the royal feast;
So depart, ye slaves, from the palace door,
Go, seek your homes in the haunts of the poor,
Lest your garments worn and your faces thin
Should offend His eyes as He enters in. ”

“ Some sleep beneath the ground,
And winter winds sweep o’er their graves
With sad and mournful sound.
And some by happy firesides,
With children, bright and fair,
Encircled by Love’s shelt’ring arms
They know no pain nor care. ”

“ Seek not then to read the future,
Leave it all to time and God.”
Then with footsteps fleet and noiseless,
Speed the shining throng away
And once more alone I’m sitting
In the darkness, cold and gray. ”

“ All day long I walk the shore
Gazing out across the sea
Where the merry white-capped waves
Chase each other in their glee.
And I watch with eager eyes,
Pacing slowly to and fro,
For the ships I sent to sea
Many weary years ago. ”

“ And when at eve in the glowing west
The golden sun sinks down to rest
They often watch the fading light
And say, “Perhaps he will come to-night.”
Ah! faithful hearts! ’tis all in vain,
Your loved one will not come again. ”

“ Find grace in His loving eyes
And the Lord hath chosen thy treasure
To beautify Paradise.
Dear baby hands that will never
Grow weary with earthly strife,
Sweet baby eyes that will never
Grow dim with the cares of life. ”

“ And years may come and vanish yet
Ere we two meet again.
The path I’ve trod since then, dear friend,
Has proven rough unto my feet;
I’ve learned that Life holds in the end
More bitterness than sweet. ”

“ There are some who sneer at working girls;
As they pass us on the street,
They stare at us in proud disdain
And their lips in scorn will curl,
And oftentimes we hear them say:
“She’s only a working girl.” ”

“ Lift up those clear, calm eyes to mine,
Calm eyes that search me thro’ and thro’,
And listen while I question thee,
O Soul of mine, and answer true.
Life is so full of mysteries
That are not understood by men. ”

“ And who shares your bitter heart ache
Comes this offering of flowers.
Let their beauty light the shadows
Death has brought around his bed,
Breathing forth their subtle incense,
Messengers unto the dead. ”

“ Then turned away with bitter sigh
And cried: “O God! There is not one,
“Who heedless of the world’s cold scorn
Will step from out the beaten road,
And help with words of kindness born
A comrade sinking ’neath the load.” ”

“ The nightingale’s sweet notes, when day is done,
Float gently from the woodland’s cool retreat
In soft and plaintive strains, yet is there one
Who hearing both, would deem the lark’s mark sweet?
“A smile is better than a tear you say,
Believe me, friends, it is not always so,
As I can prove. ”

“ Upon that hero’s head,
Who bravely toils throughout each day
To earn his loved ones bread.
You’ll find no monarch who can show
A record half so grand.
God bless great labor’s true-born knight—
The honest working man. ”

“ And all the rulers met to plan
How Earth should welcome the Son of Man.
And they summoned the myriad slaves of Earth,
The sad-faced toilers of humble birth,
Saying: “Work! We bid ye, slaves of the land! ”