Peace Author:Arthur Christopher Benson Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: Sheer fall the white cliff ramparts, ledge by ledge; The withered creeper trails its silken hair, The fearless saplings, rooted at the edge, Lean o'er the diz... more »zy stair. Cold in the East He wakens; He is drest In clouds and gathering shadow. He is there Behind yon amber sunset in the West, And here, and everywhere. Hence must I leap, although my faltering heart Reluftant thrills, by craven fears beguiled; Lord of the gracious heaven, whate'er Thou art, Uphold Thy eager child ! I must go forth to meet Him, though He hide His secret face, and veil His inmost mind; I know Him great and infinitely wise;? I think His heart is kind. The dear world calls me, saying, "Go not yet;" " A little while in these warm fields delay !" My face even now with parting tears is wet, And still I dare not stay. Soon, soon I may be lying, racked and torn, On yon sharp ledge, to hang and moulder there; Or I may learn His secret, strongly borne Through viewless wastes of air ! And I, who feel so much alive, Who thrill with life from head to feet, Work, think, and speak, enjoy and thrive, Love daylight, talk, and cheerful meat ;- The day must come when from my door I must be borne with waxen face, A stiffened thing, all shrouded o'er, To my last dark abiding-place. There have been days when I desired To fling the wearied flesh away, So sad I seemed, so inly tired, I loathed the bright, unfeeling day. And yet in spite of pain and loss, The world is daily grown more dear; I love my life, nor hold it dross, I love it?I would still be here! Each day that passes binds me close And closer to the world I love; Each day that wanes, the instindt grows To look around, and not above; Bright boys and girls, all ardent hearts, Sweet women, ...« less