and bright;
The forest sleeps in shadow,
And slowly off the meadow
A mist is curling, silver-white.

Another stanza, reflecting something of Claudius' own spiritual groping
and, at the same time, confessing the futility of all human efforts to
attain moral perfection, reads:

We, poor, frail mortals, groping,
Half fearing and half hoping,
In darkness seek our way;
Our airy cobwebs spinning
With erring and with sinning,
Far from the mark we sadly stray.

In the lyrics of Claudius we may observe a transition from the
spiritually impoverished hymn production of the rationalistic period to a
new type of hymnody, giving expression to the old rugged faith in a more
elegant form. Men's souls could no longer be satisfied with the dry husks
of philosophical speculation and were turning again to the Bread of God
which cometh down from heaven and giveth life unto the world.

Balthasar Muenter was another faithful witness to the truth in this
unhappy age of widespread skepticism and unbelief. Born at Luebeck in
1735, he became Lutheran court pastor at Gotha and afterwards of the
German Church of St. Peter in Copenhagen. He was the writer of about 100
hymns, many of which were set to tunes composed for them by the greatest
musicians of the day. Among the best known hymns of Muenter are "Lord,
Thou Source of all perfection," "Full of reverence, at Thy Word," "Behold
the man! how heavy lay," and "Woe unto him who says, There is no God."

A Picture of a Christian Home

O happy home, where Thou art loved the dearest,
Thou loving Friend and Saviour of our race,
And where among the guests there never cometh
One who can hold such high and honored place!

O happy home, where two, in heart united,
In holy faith and blessed hope are one,
Whom death a little while alone divideth,
And cannot end the union here begun!

O happy home, whose little ones are given
Early to Thee in humble faith and prayer,
To Thee, their Friend, who from the heights of heaven
Guides them, and guards with more than mother's care.

O happy home, where each one serves Thee lowly,
Whatever his appointed work may be,
Till every common task seems great and holy,
When it is done, O Lord, as unto Thee!

O happy home, where Thou art not forgotten
When joy is overflowing, full and free,
O happy