Classic Poem

Thy work abides, though thou hast passed from sight:
Unconsciously hast thou thy monument
From year to year built fair and permanent
In lives to which thine own was cheer and light.
Wisdom and meekness clothed thee with their might;
In thee the sage and saint were equal blent;
Strength, courage, tenderness dwelt in thy tent,
Thou soldier of the everlasting Right!

By so much as we mourn thee, we rejoice
That we have known thee in these earthly ways,
And with thee striven for the things unseen:
Still in our silences will speak thy voice
And thy dear memory inspire our days,
Till we too pass the veil that hangs between.