Past and Future

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PAST AND FUTURE. 127

"Spirit," quoth I, "of the hidden chambers of the days of yore, Finite mind cannot detect the meaning of thy musty lore,

"Tell me of the coming epochs, of the days that are to be.; Show my soul the future records; take the Past back to the sea." Silence reigned upon the waters, and the shape was wrapped in gloom. But again I heard the accents of a voice as from the tomb.

Long I looked, intent, expectant, for some strange, mysterious form; But instead, the darkness deepened, like the blackest clouds of storm.

And I looked in vain for Future; only Darkness there amassed; And the only voice I heard there was the accents of the Past: "Mortal, fix thy wand'ring mind upon the ever living now; Let thy curious inclination to the active Present bow.

"You can only judge the future by the whisp'rings of the past, Judge the next occurrence only by the one that happened last.

"As the pages of the past are torn, and blurred, and darkly dim, So the record of the future cannot yet be clearly seen.

"Work and struggle while the flying moments of to day remain; Shun the crooked paths and by-way; seek but for the narrow lane. "Truth the only light to guide you 'mid the darkness of the way, Truth, the Spirit of our Father, leading to the brighter day.'