O hoary sculptor, stay thy hand:
I fain would view the lettered
stone.
What carvest thou?—perchance
some grand
And solemn fancy all thine
own.
For oft to know the fitting word
Some humble worker God permits.
“Jain Ann
Meginnis,
Agid
3rd.
He givith His
beluved fits.”
TO-DAY.
I saw a man who knelt in prayer,
And heard him say:
“I’ll lay my inmost spirit
bare
To-day.
“Lord, for to-morrow and its need
I do not pray;
Let me upon my neighbor feed
To-day.
“Let me my duty duly shirk
And run away
From any form or phase of work
To-day.
“From Thy commands exempted still
Let me obey
The promptings of my private will
To-day.
“Let me no word profane, no lie
Unthinking say
If anyone is standing by
To-day.
“My secret sins and vices grave
Let none betray;
The scoffer’s jeers I do not crave
To-day.
“And if to-day my fortune all
Should ebb away,
Help me on other men’s to fall
To-day.
“So, for to-morrow and its mite
I do not pray;
Just give me everything in sight
To-day.”
I cried: “Amen!” He rose
and ran
Like oil away.
I said: “I’ve seen an
honest man
To-day.”
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