A little bird with plumage brown,
Beside my window flutters down,
A moment chirps its little strain,
Then taps upon my window-pane.
And chirps again, and hops along,
To call my notice to its song;
But I work on, nor heed its lay,
Till, in neglect, it flies away.

So birds of peace and hope and love
Come fluttering earthward from above,
To settle on life's window-sills,
And ease our load of earthly ills;
But we, in traffic's rush and din
Too deep engaged to let them in,
With deadened heart and sense plod on,
Nor know our loss till they are gone.

PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR.

My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, O Lord, in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up; and looking up, may we not fail to realize that, amid the turmoil of this outward life, Thou art ever present to give peace and rest in the inner life. Should we fail to recognize that presence we shall lose the comfort which Thou art ever ready to bestow, and must ourselves bear burdens which Thou wouldst gladly bear for us or take from us. Thou knowest our frame and rememberest that we are dust. Open our spiritual vision to behold that Divine resources are subject to our daily prayer. In the name of Jesus, the Christ. Amen.

O. W. SCOTT.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.

Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake:

MATTHEW V. 3, 8, 11.

O God, our Heavenly Father, we thank Thee that Thou dost overrule our weakness, failure and sins to the accomplishment of Thy divine plan for us. We recall with pleasure our successes in the past year, and if we have failed, wilt Thou show us where and when and teach us the way of amendment. We thank Thee for our Hope and Faith which have come to us from the Bible. Here, on every page and in every biography, have we learned of Christ Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life. We thank Thee that through Him our sins are forgiven, and we have learned to know Thee, O blessed Father, which knowledge is eternal life. May we walk with Him, moment by moment in a life of loving service to all mankind, during all the remaining days of our life. Amen.

E. M. WARner.

One flag, one land, one heart, one hand,
One nation, evermore!

OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES

And for your country, boy, and for that flag, never dream a dream but of serving her, though the service carry you through a thousand hells! No matter what happens to you no matter who flatters or never look at another flag, never let a

abuses you

night pass but you pray God to bless that flag.

EDWARD EVERETT HALE.

Thine, O God, is the kingdom. And blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. We believe that Thy hand has been in the founding and the fortunes of this land. We do homage to it for its ideals, its principles, its glorious company of apostles of truth, its noble army of martyrs for liberty and humanity; we love and cherish it as our home and our shrine; but we hallow it, we stand in awe of it, as the scene of Thy special activity, the instrument of Thy holy purposes. May its vision not pass; may the clouds that hang over it be dispersed by the clear shining of the sun of righteousness and peace; may the dream of freedom with fraternity be realized here, even here, upon these shores, that Thy saving health may be known among all nations. Amen.

C. ELLWOOD NASH.

Far up the crag, 'twixt sea and sky,
Where winds tempestuous, blowing by,

Leave giant boulders swept and bare;
Where forked lightnings fitful flare,
And petrels sound their stormy cry.

A dainty bluebell, sweet and shy,
Lifted its head complacently,

As guarded by the tenderest care,
Far up the crag.

And now, whenever fear draws nigh,
In thought I stand 'twixt sea and sky,
And, as of old in my despair,

I bless the Power that set it there

That tiny thing with courage high,
Far up the crag!

FLORENCE E. COATES.

Eternal Presence, may we now speak to Thee? or, consciously within Thy presence, should our lips be still? Art Thou the Infinite Mercy, and shall we say, be merciful ? Shall we persuade the love that can not once withhold itself? We would not ask, were prayer to change established law. But, we will open here our hearts, and so receive the blessedness that seeks us and has sought us, - sought us as the sunlight sought us early, - seeks us as the raindrops seek us in the storm. Not more canst Thou withhold the goodness from us. We wait receptively, unbarring all our rust-hinged doors to welcome the true favors that now find us. sweet trust, asking or unasking, we abide ever in Thee. Amen.

PERRY MARSHALL.

In

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God is a kind Father. He sets us all in the places where he wishes us to be employed, and that employment is truly our Father's business.' He chooses work for every creature which will be delightful to them, if they do it simply and humbly. He gives us always strength enough and sense enough for what He wants us to do; if we either tire ourselves or puzzle ourselves, it is our own fault. And we may always be sure, whatever we are doing, that we cannot be pleasing Him if we are not happy ourselves.

JOHN RUSKIN.

Father Divine, Thou art indeed kind. Thine are the ways of kindness, of wisdom, and of love, the ways of pleasantness and the paths of peace. In simple and humble spirit as becometh Thy children, may we walk with Thee accomplishing the work to which Thou dost call us. Our work is Thy work, our business the Father's business; the business of justice, mercy and truth. When loyal and true, we are what we are, and do what we do by Thy grace. So help us to honor Thee in all the duties of life, Not slothful in business, fervent in spirit," — pleasing Thee and therefore happy ourselves. Amen.

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ISAAC P. CODDINGTON.