Show t MATTHEW HAlES HAlE'S PRAYER One of the Best Friends Southern Utah has ever er had was Matthew Hole hale of Washington D D. D C C. C and National President of the Canyon Canon Club Air Mr halo Hale was one cf of the great souls who could go o out and commune with nature and aud gather strength and inspiration from Gods God's great outdoors The beautiful p prose ose poem herewith presented was written by him while hile recuperating in the mountains of North Carolina They express the sentiments that thrilled him v willie while he a n visitor in our own mountains Ills His death August 29 29 1925 1921 is b a distinct National loss loJ lob Hear us oh ye Mountains Hear our prayer We open our souls unto you Enter in inand and give us of your strength and your endurance Teach us to lift high our heads above the daily routine of life even as you lift yours above the mists and clouds that oft times surround you yon Teach TaCh us to seo see far o out t tover over our lives and to keep our vision n always alway broad even as you look out over the surrounding valleys and over peak after arrer peak far away into the distance Be De with us always oh yo ye Mountains Make us one with you Make us a part of you Hear us Hear our prayer Hear us oh ye ye Forests Hear our prayer We open our souls unto you Enter in and give us of your ever renewing youth and freshness Let not the drudgery or unpleasantness of our daily dally tasks dry up our inner spirit Yea let not our inner spirit dry up even ven though we we lose one after another everything that we hold most dear of earthly things til we stand stripped of all but our own souls even as you lose leaf after leaf in autumn til you stand bare in the winter snows Teach us to refresh our Sp spirits lits and renew our souls after each days day's work after each struggle and after each defeat even as you ou renew your leaves each spring Be with us always oh ye Forests Make us us' us one with ith you you Make us a part of you Hear us Hear our prayer Hear us oh ye Streams Hear our Prayer We open our souls unto you Enter in and let your gentle murmur calm our doubts and nd make us peaceful Let Let your our wild roaring and and your torrents inspire us and give us courage to overcome overcome all obstacles Teach us to k keep p on and on doing our best each day no matter how hov far away the end may seem no matter how hard our path may be knowing kno that sooner or later like Y you 1 J we shall reach our goal Be with us always oh y ye Streams Make with take Majce cf you Hear us one you c us a part part- us Hear our prayer Hear us oh ye Winds Hear our prayer We open our souls soula unto you Enter in and give us of your tireless energy and your clean fresh vigour Cleanse us of ev every ry mean n an and selfish and impure thought Blow through us til tit there is nothing leftin left leftin leftin in our souls of the dirt and grime of our dally daily struggle Lift us above ourselves and our surroundings Be with us always oh ye yo Winds Make us one with you Make us a part of you Hear our prayer Hear us oh ye Storms Hear our pra prayer er We open our souls unto you ou Enter in and give us of your exaltation and your our wild spirit Let the rumbling and roaring of your thunder striking out sparks of lightning and crashing the thunder betil betil beti be be- til ti we respond from head to foot Teach our spirits to ride the clouds Teach us to join the wild race of the Gods as they gallop across the heavens on their coal black stall ns striking out sparks of and crashing the thunder beneath be neath their feet as they go Be Dc with us always oh ye yo St Storms Make us one with you Hear us Hear our prayer Hear us oh we Sunsets Hear our prayer We open our souls unto you Enter in and give us of your glory and your power and your strength Teach us liS that the future ia is I full of hope Teach us that no matter how black the clouds may be or how hard the fight there is always light ahead Teach us never to grow hearted grow hearted faint never to cease cense in our ur struggling toward our Ideals and our visions D Be with us always oh ye e Sunsets Make us a part of you Hear us us Hear our prayer r 10 Hear us oh ye Stars Hear Ilene our prayer We open our souls souls' unto you Enter in la and give us of your steadfastness your determination and your our aloofness from all aU little things Teach us to continue in fn our course of duty even as you continue on your course through the heavens Teach us to ignore all to shake us from our steadfast purpose Be De with us always oh ye e Stars Make us one of you Make us a part of you Hear us Hear our prayer Hear us oh Moon Hear r our ur pr prayer yer We o open en our ut souls touts unto you Enter in and give us your peace and calm Soothe away all our cares and our worries woi-ries our hatreds and our bitter ness Even as you shed your light upon the mountains and the valleys cov covering ring over and softening all that is h harsh with your loving touch Fo EO EO shed your our light upon upon our souls Bathe our spirits in Peace and Love Lene Be Dc with us always oh Moon Make us one with you Make us a part of you Hear us Hear our prayer Hear Ilear us oh God God Hear our prayer We Wo open our souls unto Thee We thank Thee The for our mountains with their streams stream I and their forests their winds and their s storms their sunsets their stars and their moon Teach us to keep them with us always Teach us to become a part of them them to to become one M with ith them them and and through them one with Thee Thee Thee-a a part of Thee Teach us above all to turn to them to the memory of them and through them to Thee when we are discouraged when we vo are in the depths Teach us to remember that this on oneness ness with our mountains and with Thee is our spiritual birthright Teach us never to sell It for a mess of pottage or Teach us to remember remember ber that nothing we can gain In life is worth while if by gaining gaining gaining gain gain- ing it we lose this birthright this power always to find a spiritual refuge In our mountains and through them In Thee this power always to come home to our mountains and through them to Thee Be with us always oh God Hear us Hear our prayer Linville N. N N 0 O. O 1918 I IT |