Produced by Jonathan Ingram and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team.
[Illustration: PAUL FABER.]
1900
Clear-windowed temple of the God of grace,
From the loud wind to me a hiding-place!
Thee gird broad lands with genial motions rife,
But in thee dwells, high-throned, the Life of life
Thy test no stagnant moat half-filled with mud,
But living waters witnessing in flood!
Thy priestess, beauty-clad, and gospel-shod,
A fellow laborer in the earth with God!
Good will art thou, and goodness all thy arts—
Doves to their windows, and to thee fly hearts!
Take of the corn in thy dear shelter grown,
Which else the storm had all too rudely blown;
When to a higher temple thou shalt mount,
Thy earthly gifts in heavenly friends shall count;
Let these first-fruits enter thy lofty door,
And golden lie upon thy golden floor.
PORTO FINO, December, 1878.
The rector sat on the box of his carriage, driving his horses toward hischurch, the grand old abbey-church of Glaston. His wife was inside, andan old woman—he had stopped on the road to take her up—sat with herbasket on the foot-board behind. His coachman sat beside him; he nevertook the reins when his master was there. Mr. Bevis drove like agentleman, in an easy, informal, yet thoroughly business-like way. Hishorses were black—large, well-bred, and well-fed, but neither young norshowy, and the harness was just the least bit shabby. Indeed, the entireturnout, including his own hat and the coachman's, offered the beholderthat aspect of indifference to show, which, by the suggestion of anodding acquaintance w