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ILLUSION

BY NEVAH TREBOR

Sundown is but the mortal eye's confusion,
Like death, the great illusion.

The spirit whose corporeal ember chills
Is bright on farther hills.

Bird-man, fly westward with the westering light,—
Would you outdistance Night.

THE WIND OF SORROW

BY HENRY VAN DYKE

The fire of love was burning, yet so low
That in the peaceful dark it made no rays,
And in the light of perfect-placid days
The ashes hid the smouldering embers' glow.
Vainly, for love's delight, we sought to throw
New pleasures on the pyre to make it blaze:
In life's calm air and tranquil-prosperous ways
We missed the radiant heat of long ago.

Then in the night, a night of sad alarms,
Bitter with pain and black with fog of fears
That drove us trembling to each other's arms,
Across the gulf of darkness and salt tears

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Into life's calm the wind of sorrow came,

And fanned the fire of love to clearest flame.

VICTORY IN DEFEAT

BY EDWIN MARKHAM

Defeat may serve as well as victory
To shake the soul and let the glory out.
When the great oak is straining in the wind,

The boughs drink in new beauty, and the trunk
Sends down a deeper root on the windward side.
Only the soul that knows the mighty grief
Can know the mighty rapture. Sorrows come
To stretch out spaces in the heart for joy.

SONGS OF JOY

BY WILLIAM H. DAVIES

Sing out, my Soul, thy songs of joy;
Such as a happy bird will sing
Beneath a Rainbow's lovely arch
In early spring.

Think not of Death in thy young days;

Why shouldst thou that grim tyrant fear,

And fear him not when thou art old,

And he is near.

Strive not for gold, for greedy fools

Measure themselves by poor men never; Their standard still being richer men, Makes them poor ever.

Train up thy mind to feel content,
What matters then how low thy store?
What we enjoy, and not possess,
Makes rich or poor.

Filled with sweet thought, then happy I
Take not my state from others' eyes;
What's in my mind-not on my flesh
Or theirs-I prize.

Sing, happy Soul, thy songs of joy;
Such as a Brook sings in the wood,
That all night has been strengthened by
Heaven's purer flood.

PIPPA'S SONG

BY ROBERT BROWNING

The year's at the spring,
And day's at the morn;
Morning's at seven;

The hill-side's dew-pearl'd;
The lark's on the wing;

The snail's on the thorn;
God's in His heaven-

All's right with the world!

IDLE TO GRIEVE

BY DUNCAN CAMPBELL SCOTT

Idle to grieve when the stars are clear above me,
When the bright waters bubble in the spring,
Idle to grieve when there are storms to prove me
And birds that seek me out to come and sing.

Idle to grieve, the light is on the highway, There are the mountain meadows to achieve, Beyond in the pass the airy heights are my way, Idle to grieve, glad heart, idle to grieve.

DUET

(I sing with myself)

BY LEONORA SPEYER

Out of my sorrow

I'll build a stair,

And every to-morrow

Will climb to me there

With ashes of yesterday
In its hair.

My fortune is made
Of a stab in the side,
My debts are paid
In pennies of pride-

Unminted coins

In a heart I bide.

The stones that I eat

Are ripe for my needs,

My cup is complete

With the dregs of deeds

Clear are the notes

Of my broken reeds.

I carry my pack
Of aches and stings,
Light with the lack
Of all good things-

But not on my back,
Because of my wings!

COMFORT

BY MARGARET FRENCH PATTON

If grief should come to me
Like a big wind bringing the rain,
Or if sorrow should cramp my heart
With its pain,

I know where my heart would turn, As a battered flower to the sun,

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