REQUIEM.

Colonist, Volume XLVIII, Issue 11668, 2 July 1906, Page 2 (Supplement)

REQUIEM.

Rest, Premier, rest: Tho end of strife has come, Thy strenuous life has reached its peaceful close:

Throughout the land is hushed its bupy hum, With slackened pulse the life within it Hows: • What grief was this, that held a people dumb? From each has passed a dear-loved, faithful friend, And wet blurred eyes are Him to see : the end To this our woe of woes; .Rest, Premier, rest. Sleep, Leader, sleep, Whose ardour never slept: Thy teeming brain has borne abundant fruit; Before thy fellows thou hast proudly stept, Regardless of flung scorn and rancour's bruit. Whom thou hast led thou leavest, not unwept; Though blossoms fall, the fruit will yet mature; Thy works with this young nation will endure, Deep runs their well-struck root ; Sleep, Leader, sleep, Rest, Toiler, rest; ' In regions of dim dawn, Through social wildernesses thou hast led, Nor climbed alone, but all thy people drawn To sunny heights: but now thou liest dead, I Like that old seer on Pisgab's upland lawn. Though we behold the land of promise near, 1 Our leader leaves us with our hope, our fearGod called him; bow the head. Rest, Toiler rest. Peace, Statesman, peace. Do we with blinded eyes, And hearts too fond, exalt thee o'er thy peers A , voice, no echo of our own, re-, plies (And each sad heart rejoices as it hears) "Of him who now forever silent lies We know the worth ; a life yet promise filled Has passed away : a mighty heart is stilled." With our tears flow their tears; Peace, Statesman, peace. Sleep, Father, sleep. To prove the love we bear, May we accomplish thut by thee "begun; What thou triumphant darodst, may we dare : What tbou wouldst do, may that by us be done. Father ! thyself thou wouldst not respite, spare — Shall we then sit and wait? Nay, rather spend Our lives as thine was spent, that so our end. Like thine, may worth declare. Sleep, Father, sleep. Rest, Premier, rest: Premier in very deed As we have Known, as sister State 3 have known. They words prophetic hitherward did spead — "I leave for God's own country," aui alone We wait, and hope, yea, hope. with hearts that bleed, Thy soul was borne from life that knows not ease, Thy body tossed upon the billowy seas Mid brackishness and moan. j Rest, Premier, rest. Sleep, loved one, sleep ; Our cheeks with waiting burned. Through calm, cold nights, and fro re mid-winter days: No heart but day and night to theeward turned, No eye but seawards did expectant gaze ; No friend but far his leal true comrade yearned. Thy faults though seen, what could they but endear Thee to us all— and now thou canst not hear Our sorrow or our praise: Sleep, loved one, sleep. i Peace, War-king, peace : I Triumphant in the fight, jln midst of victory thou hast found | thine end : j Old errors vanquished, lo ! the | cause of right J Has found thee life-long champion, I life-long friend. The nation thou hast welded moves in might, And as thyself was known o'er sea and land, May it in van of nations purely stand; And now — God us defend. Peace, War-king, peace. —JOHANNES O. ANDERSEN.