That He unable is to loose the reins

To Justice, till released from these chains!
Samson could break his cords

As tow, and yet the Lord of Lords

Who gave that strength to Samson, can not
Break the cords of Man.

BARTER

MARGARET WIDDEMER

If in that secret place

Where thou has cherished it, there yet is lying
Thy dearest bitterness, thy fondest sin,

Though thou hast guarded it with hurt and crying
Lift now thy face

Unlock the bolted door and let God in

And lay it in his holy hands to take:

How such an evil gift can please Him so
I do not know,

But, keeping it for wages, he shall make

Thy foul room sweet for thee with blowing wind (He is so serviceable and so kind)

And set sweet water for thy thirst's distress
Instead of what thou hadst of bitterness;

And he shall bend and spread

Green balsam boughs to make a springing bed
Where thine own thorns pricked in;

Who would not pay away his dearest sin
To let such service in?

UNANSWERED PRAYERS

ELLA WHEELER WILCOX

Like some school master, kind in being stern,
Who hears the children crying o'er their slates
And calling, "Help me, master!" yet helps not,
Since in his silence and refusal lies

Their self-development, so God abides
Unheeding many prayers. He is not deaf
To any cry sent up from earnest hearts;
He hears and strengthens when he must deny.
He sees us weeping o'er life's hard sums,
But should he give the key and dry our tears,
What would it profit us when school were done
And not one lesson mastered?

What a world

Were this if all our prayers were answered. Not
In famed Pandora's box were such vast ills
As lie in human hearts. Should our desires,
Voiced one by one in prayer, ascend to God
And come back as events shaped to our wish,
What Chaos would result!

In my fierce youth

I sighed out breath enough to move a fleet,

Voicing wild prayers to heaven for fancied boons Which were denied; and that denial bends

My knee to prayers of gratitude each day

Of my maturer years. Yet from those prayers

I rose always regirded for the strife

And conscious of new strength. Pray on, sad heart, That which thou pleadest for may not be given,

But in the lofty attitude where souls

Who supplicate God's grace are lifted, there
Thou shalt find help to bear thy daily lot
Which is not elsewhere found.

b. GENERAL PRAYERS

DESIRE

MATTHEW ARNOLD

Thou, who dost dwell alone;
Thou, who dost know thine own,
Thou, to whom all are known,
From the cradle to the grave,—
Save, O, Save!

From the world's temptations,
From tribulations,

From that fierce anguish

Wherein we languish,
From that torpor deep

Wherein we lie asleep,

Heavy as death, cold as the grave,-
Save, O, Save!

When the soul, growing clearer,
Sees God no nearer;

When the soul, mounting higher,

To God comes no nigher;

But the arch fiend Pride

Mounts at her side,

Toiling her high emprise,

Sealing her eagle eyes,

And when she fain would soar,

Make idols to adore,

Changing the pure emotion

Of her high devotion

To a skin-deep sense

Of her own eloquence;

Strong to deceive, strong to enslave,—

Save, O, Save!

From the ingrained fashion
Of this earthly nature
That mars thy creature;
From grief, that is but passion,
From mirth, that is but feigning,
From tears that bring no healing,
From wild and weak complaining,-
Thine old strength revealing,
Save, O, Save!

From doubt, where all is double,
Where wise men are not strong;
Where comfort turns to trouble;
Where just men suffer wrong;
Where sorrow treads on joy;
Where sweet things soonest cloy;
Where faiths are built on dust;
Where love is half mistrust;

Hungry and barren, and sharp as the sea,
O, set us free!

PAGAN PRAYER

ALICE BROWN

You that uphold the world
Uphold me.

You that light the sun,
Make me see,

Bear with me my sorrow:
Help me meet the morrow,
Patiently.

O'er the road we may know not
To end we must fear not,
Guide us, O mighty One!
March with us, heroes!

THE LARGER PRAYER

EDNAH D. CHENEY

At first I prayed for Light:
Could I but see the way,
How gladly, swiftly would I walk
To everlasting day!

And next I prayed for Strength:
That I might tread the road

With firm, unfaltering feet, and win
The heaven's serene abode.

And then I asked for Faith:
Could I but trust my God,
I'd live enfolded in His peace,
Though foes were all abroad.

But now I pray for Love:

Deep love to God and man A living love that will not fail, However dark his plan.