God's greatest gift,--a little child!

The ballot may be more powerful than the bullet, but sometimes the gun
contains the wrong load.

For the New Year.

I.

Through all this New Year's varied walks and ways,
Let us like kings Truth's royal raiment wear,
And whatsoe'er the burdens of the days,
With brave hearts bear;
For amid the starless night
Love exalts the lilies white,
And the hours of wrath and wrong
Leap with laughters of her song.

II.

Wherever fate may lead the vagrant feet,
Let us hail Duty as Life's holy guest,
And in the shock of battle bravely meet
Foes breast to breast;
For unto the timid fields
Love her staunchest courage yields,
And her martial music thrills
To the summits of the hills.

III.

Whatever fortune crowns imperfect deed,
Let us keep Hope our comrade evermore,
Nor fear to follow where her banners lead
On sea and shore;
For despite the tears of men,
Love shall sing her songs again,
And beyond the wintry snows
Blooms the redness of her rose.

IV.

With Truth about us and with Duty near,
With Hope beside and Love along the way,
Life climbs the hills and all the darkness here
Grows bright with day;
For each fond beatitude
Crowns the dreams of greater good,
And the stars of living light
Lead the footsteps through the night!

Finally.

Finally, brethren, finally,
We are marching to the sky,
And all this earthly music
Tunes us up for bye and bye!

If We Were Wise.

"If we were wise," said the social philosopher, "civilization would be
of a different metal. But we are not all of us wise, and therefore we
build court-houses and churches and sanitariums, and lawyers, doctors
and preachers become necessary, all being the inventions of our lack of
wisdom." And the man knew, for he had just been through the alimony
court, turned out of church, and was on his way to a winter resort for
the tinkering of his health.

Life.

A little day through which we play
In spite of wish and warning;
A little love along the way,
And then good-night,--till morning!

Pluck thou now the Good Resolution from the topmost bough of the sublime
tree of righteous will; and preserve it as the apple of gold in the
silver pictures of the