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Show THE LESSON OF THE TREES. "Well for those trees always doing His Will, fulfilling His Word." Well for those trees, in their quiet beauty, Doing His Will, fulfilling His Word. Oh! many a day has dawned and faded Since first the peace-breathing thought I heard. Many a summer ayd winter vanished. And yet a moment how short appears The time that has passed since I heard it spoken. I count it over 'tis twenty years. I thought, in that hour of young devotion, devo-tion, That surely my whole long life would be . As placid as sheltered, as heavenward-looking heavenward-looking As the summer day of the cloister tree. But a strange and a lasting chord was wakened By the holy thought that was spoken near, And still, like a strain of olden music, Untouched, unsilenced, these words I hear, Oh! could my heart, responsive, whisper whis-per "Tea, in the midst of hopes and fears, Of joy and sorrow, of change and trials, I have done His will for twenty ! years." Thereon are the trees in their autumn I splendor, They are unchanged, they fulful His word, They are doing His will, in uncon- i scious service, Just as they did when that thought I heard. Wintlr hath often despoiled their treasures, treas-ures, Tempests have swept o'er each stately state-ly head. Again and again their bright leaves were lying Scattered remorselessly withered dead! But whenever the voice of the great Creator, Calling the trees to bloom forth was 1 heard. Again they waved up in their rich luxuriance, lux-uriance, . Doing His will, fulfilling His word.- ' I have watched them alone, in joy and sorrow, And always the thought comes back to me , "Art thou doing His will, His word " fulfilling, Art thou serving Him like the cloister clois-ter tree?" O God! my God! Thou are bending o'er me, The answer that none but Thee canst hear, The tale of my life is all before Thee, Poured forth to Thy pitying, patient ear. : O God. my God, when the death shades round me, By the voice of Thy summons, at 1 last, are stirred. . , By the love of Thy Heart, may that moment find me Doing Thy will, fulfilling Thy word. Sister M. Gertrude, Lorctto College. ' l y ' |