Watchers Are Weary
The watchers are weary, the Night's long and dreary,
The stars of our boyhood are faded and dim;
Our faith's sorely shaken, yet not all forsaken
We sit 'mid the shadows all ghastly and grim.
History's pages are red with the ages
Of crime and of madness they blush to reveal—
Ages of chivalry, darkness and devilry,
E'en from ourselves we are fain to conceal.
With what avidity human stupidity,
In its unreason, unconscious of shame,
SenTheroes 'mid laughter into the hereafter,
From prisons and gibbets, on couches of flame.
But, 'mid our amazement at human debasement,
What hosts of dead heroes start up to our view,
Who here did inherit the very Christ-spirit,
And came our weak faith in frail man to renew.
For, sick of despising and mere theorizing,
Men ask to be shown them the God-ordain'd way;
Few so love the evil that straight to the devil
They run for the sake of his pitiful pay.
All good men are grieving o'er mutual deceiving,
And long for the better way, could it be shown;
Men lack not affection, they need but direction
How ancient iniquities may be outgrown.
Aweary of warring, of hatred and jarring,
Of mutual unhappiness, heart-break and strife,
Of old superstitions, and mutual suspicions,
That poison the springs of the river of Life;
While Nature each morning the earth is adorning,
And spreading beneath us her carpet of green,
Despite the mad revels of gods, men, and devils,
Some traces of Eden are still to be seen.
Despite degradations, still men's aspirations
Are ever ascending to regions on high;
Love's flow'rs are still growing, men's hearts still o'er-flowing
With streams of affection that never run dry:
Still o'er the babe sleeping the mother is keeping
Her watch, never weary the winter night long;
Still fondly believing the tale Hope is weaving,
She twines it in joy with her lullaby song.
Sisters and brothers, how prejudice smothers
The love that is in you and keeps you apart!
This mutual concealing and all double-dealing
By Love and by Knowledge uproot from the heart.
For, oh, in the darkness dense, big hearts in ignorance
E'en with Love's yearning are often at strife:
O dear human kindness, how oft in mere blindness
Thou add'st to the burdens and sorrows of life!
Tho' strong are temptations and false educations
To lead e'en the upright from virtue astray,
Despite of all evil, we know that the devil
Will surely be vanquish'd by Love in the fray.
For, sick of despising and mere theorizing,
Men ask to be shown them the God-ordain'd way;
Few so love the evil that straight to the devil
They run for the sake of his pitiful pay.
The stars of our boyhood are faded and dim;
Our faith's sorely shaken, yet not all forsaken
We sit 'mid the shadows all ghastly and grim.
History's pages are red with the ages
Of crime and of madness they blush to reveal—
Ages of chivalry, darkness and devilry,
E'en from ourselves we are fain to conceal.
With what avidity human stupidity,
In its unreason, unconscious of shame,
SenTheroes 'mid laughter into the hereafter,
From prisons and gibbets, on couches of flame.
But, 'mid our amazement at human debasement,
What hosts of dead heroes start up to our view,
Who here did inherit the very Christ-spirit,
And came our weak faith in frail man to renew.
For, sick of despising and mere theorizing,
Men ask to be shown them the God-ordain'd way;
Few so love the evil that straight to the devil
They run for the sake of his pitiful pay.
All good men are grieving o'er mutual deceiving,
And long for the better way, could it be shown;
Men lack not affection, they need but direction
How ancient iniquities may be outgrown.
Aweary of warring, of hatred and jarring,
Of mutual unhappiness, heart-break and strife,
Of old superstitions, and mutual suspicions,
That poison the springs of the river of Life;
While Nature each morning the earth is adorning,
And spreading beneath us her carpet of green,
Despite the mad revels of gods, men, and devils,
Some traces of Eden are still to be seen.
Despite degradations, still men's aspirations
Are ever ascending to regions on high;
Love's flow'rs are still growing, men's hearts still o'er-flowing
With streams of affection that never run dry:
Still o'er the babe sleeping the mother is keeping
Her watch, never weary the winter night long;
Still fondly believing the tale Hope is weaving,
She twines it in joy with her lullaby song.
Sisters and brothers, how prejudice smothers
The love that is in you and keeps you apart!
This mutual concealing and all double-dealing
By Love and by Knowledge uproot from the heart.
For, oh, in the darkness dense, big hearts in ignorance
E'en with Love's yearning are often at strife:
O dear human kindness, how oft in mere blindness
Thou add'st to the burdens and sorrows of life!
Tho' strong are temptations and false educations
To lead e'en the upright from virtue astray,
Despite of all evil, we know that the devil
Will surely be vanquish'd by Love in the fray.
For, sick of despising and mere theorizing,
Men ask to be shown them the God-ordain'd way;
Few so love the evil that straight to the devil
They run for the sake of his pitiful pay.
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