e drop by drop of little ills;
We still deplore, and still obey,
The hard behests of every day.

The heart which boldly faces death
Upon the battle-field, and dares
Cannon and bayonet, faints beneath
The needle-points of frets and cares;
The stoutest spirits they dismay--
The tiny stings of every day.

And even saints of holy fame,
Whose souls by faith have overcome,
Who won amid the cruel flame
The molten crown of martyrdom,
Bore not without complaint alway
The petty pains of every day.

Ah, more than martyr's aureole,
And more than hero's heart of fire,
We need the humble strength of soul
Which daily toils and ills require;
Sweet Patience! grant us, if you may,
An added grace for every day.

PEACEABLE FRUIT

(Heb. 12. 11.)

What shall thine "afterward" be, O Lord,
For this dark and suffering night?
Father, _what_ shall thine "afterward" be?
Hast thou a morning of joy for me,
And a new and joyous light?

What shall thine "afterward" be, O Lord,
For the moan that I cannot stay?
Shall it issue in some new song of praise,
Sweeter than sorrowless heart could raise,
When the night hath passed away?

What shall thine "afterward" be, O Lord,
For this helplessness of pain?
A clearer view of my home above,
Of my Father's strength and my Father's love--
Shall _this_ be my lasting gain?

What shall thine "afterward" be, O Lord?
How long must thy child endure?
Thou knowest! 'Tis well that I know it not!
Thine "afterward" cometh--I cannot tell what,
But I know that thy word is sure.

What shall thine "afterward" be, O Lord,
I wonder--and wait to see
(While to thy chastening hand I bow)
What "peaceable fruit" may be ripening now--
Ripening fast for me!

--Frances Ridley Havergal.

HOW WE LEARN

Great truths are dearly bought. The common truth,
Such as men give and take from day to day,
Comes in the common walk of easy life,
Blown by the careless wind across our way.

Great truths are greatly won, not found by chance,
Nor wafted on the breath of summer dream;
But grasped in the great struggle of the soul
Hard buffeting with adverse wind and stream.

But in the day of conflict, fear and grief,
When the strong hand of God, put