The Songs of the Stars

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1882 edition. Excerpt: ...its windings back, Judge of its far futurity? For every path laid out by God Must have its final bourne in Him--And could we trace--where first we trod Life's hidden slopes--however dim. Did we behold, though faint and far, Some radiance of a birth divine, Deep sunk in ancient space--a star However nebulous, still with shine, Sufficient to attest its birth Of Heaven--and not a meteor cloud--Then we should know this middle earth Was but life's stepping stone--the shroud. The Chrysalis sheath--from whence new wing, Would spread--to bear us on our way To where eternal being springs, Beyond the gateways of the day! ERE God indeed a God of wrath And vengeance, as the bigot saith, Then 'midst life's dark and narrow path, Its lodestar, were an awful faith. An awful faith--yea, better far The sunless darkness of the grave, Than light from such a baleful star, O'er dread eternity's dim wave. We judge of causes by effects, And when we feel affliction's rod, The soul with innate scorn rejects As false that such is willed of God. All torture must be hell's alone; For only fiends could heedless hear Man's sigh of sorrow, and the groan Of agony, or anguished fear. It scarce needs Heaven to train the soul In perfect love of God and man; For God our flesh could so control, And mould it on a higher plan. With happier elements at birth, We might be born to lead the life Of angels, on this lowly earth, Without one pain, or wrong, or strife. The highest joys are simplest--these The field, the garden, and the wood, The dew, the day dawn, and the breeze, Could give us, and fulfil each mood Of work or worship, toil or rest, Where-every effort should but blend, Through love to make the whole world blest, And work for ever to some end, In which the whole wide universe...