THE TEN VIRGINS. Another, with her white hands hotly lockt 31 About her damp knees, muttering madness, rockt Forward, and backward. But at last she stopp'd, And her dark head upon her bosom dropp'd Motionless. Then they rose up with a cry To the great moon; and stretched a wrathful arm Of wild expostulation to the sky, Murmuring "These earth-lamps fail us! and what harm? Does not the moon shine? Let us rise and haste Again the moon dipp'd. I could see no more; Not the least gleam of light did heaven afford. And some one crying, "Open to us, Lord 32 THE TEN VIRGINS. There was an awful pause. Beat. I heard my heart Then a voice-"I know you not. Depart." I caught within a glimpse of glory. And The door closed. Still in darkness dream'd the land. I could not see those women. Not a breath! Darkness and awe: a darkness more than death. The darkness took them. OWEN MEREDITH. B THE INFINITE WILL. Y scale and method works the Will Supreme, Nor clouds, nor waves, without a limit stream; And all the floods that daylight never saw, O'er all confusions marring earth and air, JOHN STERLING. D "I FLY UNTO THEE TO HIDE ME." F there had anywhere appeared in space Another place of refuge, where to flee, For we against creation's bars had beat Like prison'd eagles, through great worlds had sought Though but a foot of ground to plant our feet, And only when we found in earth and air, In heaven or hell that such might nowhere be— That we could not flee from Thee anywhere, We fled to Thee. ARCHBISHOP TRENCH. THE FINDING THE WORD. HAT sought we in the Holy Book ? Not Science-wide before us lies Creation's volume, where to look For all the light that sense supplies; Not date or number, name or place, Are still the oldest and the best; Not beauty of the outward frame, Though few can boast such pictures fair, Nor acts of men exempt from blame, |