OFFERINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2856, 9 December 1908, Page 87

OFFERINGS.

O SENSE OF GLORY. O rising sun^ O everlasting «ea, O silent seabirds sitting "by the »hor«, Ye are a marvellous mystery to me — A mystery, yet a joy for evermore! O sense of glory in the heavenly blue, •0 green grass gleaming in the morning devr, O mellow moon diffusing Joveliest light Amidst tiie dusky glories of the night; O -wild wind moaning through the naked tree ; O mortals moving on the land and sea ; O sweetest rose, bright and shining star, O Life, O Death, O all things near and far, Ye are a mystery all, from fringe to core — A mystery, yet » joy for evermore. WOOING TIME. O wooing: time, O wooing time, When all the wide world is a-chime, .be-hued with, the hop© and aglow with, the tire, And strong with the strength of divine desire; And beauty's glamour and heaven's sweet grace Are blended together in one dear face. Even when all its pride has passed. Its memory lives with tha soul to the last, Like the magical glow which a gtforious- day Leaves -with the earth as it passes away, Yet lingers on with a hallowing light That seemeth to say there shall be no night. SINGING HEART. O singing heart, O singing heart, Where hast thou flown, -where hast thon flown? Hast thou in only foTty years Been turned to stone, been turned to stone ? If thus at two- score thou dost dree. What wilt thou be at threescore tea? Or will youth come again to me. Like springtime to my native O second childhood, very soon Conduct me to thy dear domain, If there the heart doth sing in tune With *11 the perfect world again! THE BBAES OF PARADISE. Long, long ago, on the braes of Ochtertyre, A laddie and a lassie roamed together; Life with bo.th was En. its spring, yet his heart was hot as- fire, And she sweeter than the sweetest summer weather. And so they walked and talked on the hills amongst tile broom, Or lay along the gross among the gowans Till the sweet stars blent their sweetness with the yearning gloaming's gloom, And the night wind told its story to the rowans. All the world then was young, all the world then, was sweet ; But naoghfc in. all the wide, wide world was sweeter Than the joy that filled their hearts -when they sped with flying feet To their trystinga — never mountain deer flew fleeter. And as thirsty deer will drink at the flowing river's brink, As though, drinking were the Wiesfullest of blisses, So the lovers drained their love till the veTy stars above Felt -the rapture of therr raptures and their kisses. But the glory flea at last, and they walked in weary ways 'Jh»t were desolate and rough and widely parted;

Yet the thought of all their love anS their love-time's happy days Kept them to life's latest evening morninghearted. , , , So even when they met on the braes of Paradise, , Where the human heart puts off all grief and scorning, And arrays itself in gladness, heaven s &elf seemed to thsir eyes But the braes of Ociitortyre in. love s sweet morning.