An Assemblage of Verse

An Assemblage of Verse The Laud I Love To this land, and flag whose protection, Has made this the home of the free, Anew I will pledge my devotion, I offer njy all, now to thee.

When foeman shall tempt thy destruction, And take what our heart's blood has bought May I never falter nor waver In giving the help that I ought.

That this world may be free from oppression And all men bask in freedom's pure light I would gladly give all my possessions To conquer and win for the right. No king shall e'er rule o'er this Nation If we are only loyal and true; No flag shall replace dear Old Glory; If to God and country we're true. Mt. Pleasant, Utah Grace Jacobsen

A Song in Gold, or a Sunshine Song The sunshine sang a song to my heart, A beautiful song in gold; "Twas only a wordless, singing sound; I heard it filling the air around,

As I watched the day unfold.

I lay among the soft, green grass, With clover blossoms here and there Filling the air with lovely scent; And the drowsy brown bees hummed content. As they gathered their dainty fare. My soul o'er-flowed with a love divine, And scattered the whole world in; For the singing told in its wordless song, Of a heavenly home where comes no wrong; And no sorrow enters in. The sunshine there is the light of God; And the city lieth foursquare. Its walls are built of the jasper stone, The Lamb shall be seated on his throne, And never shall night be there.

AN ASSEMBLAGE OF VERSE 819

The streets of that city are golden-paved, And each gate is made of a pearl, The river from out of the throne sings sweet, As it runs along by the golden street; And the leaves of the tree unfurl. For the tree of life in the midst thereof Has leaves for the nations saved; None evermore shall be scattered and peeled, For the awful wounds of sin are healed, And men walk in the streets gold-paved. At last we shall see Him face to face; For the veil is rent away. The glory of his face transcends The glory of the sun, and blends The night into the day. The singing voice of the sunshine ceased, For its message had been told. Peace and contentment filled my heart, Born of the hour spent with Him apart, And the beautiful song in gold. A. C. A. Dean Heun. Hobart, Tasmania.

Hope Wind and clouds and a stormy sky |

Rain is falling. But' through the mist, bright gleams A star on high. Pain, anguish, and an aching heart Tears are falling, But, through the gloom, a beacon Gleams apart. Sunlight, laughter, and love-bright eyes; Hearts are happy. But threatening clouds darken The azure sky. Little brown seeds beneath the sod, Hidden in darkness But at length comes life and light From God. Tucson, Ariz. Bergita Jespersen

The Childless Woman

The childless woman! Ah, pity her. As her graces fall from her one by one, Like the petals sweet from a rare, rare rose, Ui.der the heat of the noon-day sun. No one to care for, just herself, Nothing to live f jr only pelf.

820 IMPROVEMENT ERA The childless woman! Oh God, forgive That pitiful person with heart of clay! A loveless life, a life unlived, A useless strife at the close of day. No childish lips to renew her youth, Her faith in God and her love of truth.

Poor, childless woman who never knew The welcome note of a babe's first cry, Who never bent o'er a little bed With terror rent, would he live or die And no one to leave when her life is done, Poor childless woman, not any one! Shelley, Idaho Mrs. Agnes Just Reid

The Slumber Car

We boarded the slumber car last eve, A baby dear and I, The car, a rocker wide and deep With firelight flickering by.

Baby laughed and clapped her hands As back and forth ~we swayed, And tossed her curls and watched with glee, The comical shadows made.

We played that I was a brakeman bold On tbe train to Sleepytown, While baby was one of the passengers, In cunning cap and gown.

And the mother close by the open door Was the trusty engineer, Whose steady hand would guide the train To Sleepytown so near. Now we rush over rivers, we dash through towns, What wonderful sights we see; There was never before such a rollicking ride As was taken by baby and me. But at last we came to the old, old bridge Kept by the Sandman tall, Who sifts the sand into baby eyes When twilight begins to fall. Then hushed were the merry, prattling lips And stilled was the dimpled hand, While slowly I swayed the rocker then For we'd reached the Sleepyland.

Then softly I called for the engineer, Through the door that stood ajar, And gently placed in her loving arms The pet from the Slumber Car. San Diego, Calif. Dorothy C. Retsloff

AN ASSEMBLAGE OF VERSE 821

In Summer Time on Sagar's Hill In Summer time, on Sagar's hills, White cloud ships sail the sky. The sun's a yellow, rolling sheen That scatters gold across the green And life is all a glad desire To feel the heart of nature thrill Thrill with music from the breeze, Wafting through the aspen trees Where gentle zephyrs kiss the laughing rill.

Across the rolling Sagar's hills, Wild mountain flowers bloom; White lilies greet the rosy dawn, And sleep with evening's gloom. O'er sunny hill and shady dell The wily coyote's cry resounds, Over the hills the echo bounds To the valley's depth below.

In Summer time, on Sagar's hills, Dame Nature's reign is o'er. The plowman's song at evening rings; It's a happy song he sings, As o'er the damp and fragrant ground he plods, With tired limbs but happy heart, Towards his cabin home.

Summer time, on Sagar's hills, 'Tis just the time and place. 1 feel the breath of freedom there The freedom of my western land. On Sagar's hills, in Summer time In hazy Indian summer time, I feel the breath of freedom there. Nephi, Utah Ezra J. Poulsen

What Have You Sown? What have you sown, my dear brother? Just stop a moment to think; Kindness you've done for another? Just stop a moment to think.

What have you sown in your pathway, In this world of toil and strife? What have you done day after day, To lighten a darker life?

What have you done for troubled souls? Have you giv'n a kindly smile To urge them on nearer the goal, Pressing forward all the while?

822 IMPROVEMENT ERA Have you done for others a kindly deed, Lightening their loads tomorrow? Have you helped someone sadly in need, Comforting them in their sorrow?

And given laughter for sadness, So smoothing the roughest road? Noticed the weary one's gladness, When helping him with his load? Have you sown, in earthly career, All the things which God above Has ordered to comfort and cheer Unfortunate ones we love?

us begin anew, If not, let Avoiding vice, temptation, Heeding the glorious teachings true, That bring lasting salvation. Brigham City, Utah .. Geo. A. Ipsen

Rejoice, Rejoice, Hawaii

(Tune; An angel from on high) (Sung by Laie Choir in the Hui Hui, of July, 1920)

(Solo) Rejoice, rejoice, Hawaii, Your fathers you have found. Rejoice, rejoice, Hawaii, And let your strains resound, (All) From out of Israel you have traced Your fathers; you're a chosen race, From out of Israel you have traced Your fathers; you're a chosen race. Led by the Prophet Lehi; They came to Zion, blessed, From there they sailed to reach .

Hawaii in the west.

For Hagoth sailed from Nephi's land, Until he reached Hawaii's strand; For Hagoth sailed from Nephi's land, Until he reached Hawaii's strand.

And from Hawaii southward Were peopled all the isles; 'Twas God who led them forth, And now he on you smiles. For in Hawaii he has raised A temple! Hail! the Lord be praised! For in Hawaii he has raised A temple! Hail! the Lord be praised!

AN ASSEMBLAGE OF VERSE 823

Come, all ye island Saints, The dreadful day is near; Elijah has descended, Come, to his voice give ear; For all your fathers known by you Asked for the work that you must do, For all your fathers known by you Asked for the work that you must do. Laie, Oahu, Hawaii O. H. Barlow

Faith and Works

Two seamen once a voyage planned Across a billowy way. "We'll steer in lifeboats each alone, (The Captain says we may) To an emerald isle, a paradise Where many a boat has sped, And make it our eternal home," In ecstasy they said.

They set afloat with each a boat As strong as one could ask, But O! how soon in gloom they stopped Unequal to the task. "Why here in darkness must we wait?" "Hail, pilot, hail," they cried, "While others pass us by in haste We're drifting with the tide." "The Captain saw your destinies And sent me here to you To re-adjust your oars," he said, Not faith, not works, will do; The oar of Faith, the oar of Works Together steer you there To where your friends, in that fair clime, Your love and triumph share." And so it is with you and me: Each, giv'n a lifeboat strong, Must make his oars both faith and works If he would sail along The way He bade us come to Him, In doubt no further roam. Not faith, not works, but faith and works Together take us Home. Vernal, Utah. Lucy Goodrich Lin.

The Lincoln Highway To one who clothes his secret visions In a garb of common clay Came a dream, divinely fashioned, Of a marvelous highway

824 IMPROVEMENT ERA That, through mountains and o'er prairies, Should extend from sea to sea, Binding East and West together And a nation's high-road be!

But it needs the hoards of Mammon As did monuments of old Ifwe cannot from our coffers Pour a wealth of hard-won gold, We can mix cement and mortar, We the plank or beam may hold, Artist, minstrel, singer, poet, Each may help with his own art Love shall teach our hands to labor If we seek to do our part.

And the dweller in the desert And the herder by the hill Each shall ken a higher duty And a greater task fulfil, Than a petty round of toiling For a recompense of bread For each soul 'neath freedom's banner With heart's manna shall be fed

In the name of one who led us Up from valleys dark and dread Where grim War's sardonic humor Ruthless heaped its swaths of dead- One whose heart knew bitter sorrow; Whose right to fame his bloom hath bought; In the name of noble Lincoln Shall this miracle be wrought! Maud Baggarky.

Morning 0, the glory of the morning; Let me hear the sweet toned musi( List the meadow lark's sweet tune; That is wafted on the breeze. What a world of joy and music On this pearly morn of June. Let me put aside all baseness; Love and music fill my soul; Cive, give me now the hillside; Tune my feelings to the rhythm From the haunts of men apart, Of the waters as they roll. Where the myriad tones of nature To her music tunes my heart. O, the glory of the morning; O, the beauty of the world; Let me hear the doves a-calling; What a gladness fills creation To each other from the trees, As the tents of night are furled. Pravo, Utah Samuel Biddulph

AN ASSEMBLAGE OF VERSE 825

The Oak In humble dell In early spring An acorn fell. Bring birds on wing To work and sing, When came again While building nests The warm spring rain, For feathered guests. Its wintry shell Began to swell. Not birds, but all Have heard the call, As seedling burst, And romped and played Appeared at first In old oak's shade. A tiny shoot, And then a root Can it be true Sent forth a stem The old oak knew To marvel all The good it wrought, Who soon should see The joy it brought The future tree. To heart of man In life's brief span? Long years have past, We view at last Oh, none can tell, An oak so vast But know full well That many knew Our birth on earth How large it grew. Must be of worth To others still, Now do but see Ifwe fulfil This sturdy tree Our Maker's will. Rexburg, Idaho John H. Squires

The Stone Path Speaks

I'm nothing but a path of stone, Which avers: 'There .goes forward But many are the feet A soul devoid of fear.'" That pass my way both night and day, 0ftimes feet, thefe come ^ loitering

Now up, now down, the street That halt upon the road; Their tripping feet come lightly by,Methinks, some one too careless With hops and skips between, grows, Proclaiming care-free childhood Or bears not well his load. Is living out its dream. But, ah! the feet abhorrent, A lilting football now vibrates, Are those that skulk by night, That tells this tale to me, And 'neath the shrouding darkness, "I'm buoyant youth, with confidence, Leave imprint of their blight. Of better things to be. A noxious army such appear, "And when come soft steps mingl- AH vigilant for prey; ing, I ask no voice to speak of these Like music on the way; Who desecrate my way. I know it is love's sweet June time For I am just a path of stone And life's most glorious day. That must expression find "Now with a firm precision, Through the divinest gift of man, A rhythmic tread I hear, The miracle of mind. '

Provo, Utali Grace Ingles Frost