Shaker Commonplace Book

I will be Worthy of it. The Home.

I may not reach the heights I seek My untried strength may fail me Or half way up the mountain peak Fierce tempests may assail me. But tho' that place I never gain Here in his comfort for my pain I will be worthy of it.

I may not triumph in success Despite my earnest labor, I may not grasp results that bless The efforts of my neighbor. But tho' my goal I never fee This thot shall ever dwell with me I will be worthy of it. ............... My path may always lead thro' night Like some deserted by way But tho' life's dearest joy I miss There lies a nameless joy in this I will be worthy of it.

One Day at a Time. Helen Hunt.

One day at a time, thats all it can be No faster than that, is the hardest fate And days have their limits, how ever we Begin them too early, & stretch them too late.

One day at a time, every heart that aches Knowing only too well, how long they can seem But its never today, which the spirit breaks Its the darkened future, without a gleam. * * * * * One day at a time. But a single day Whatever its load, whatever its length There's a bit of precious Scripture to say That according to each, shall be our strength.

One day at a time, tis the whole of life, All sorrow, all joy, are measured there-in The bound of our purpose, our noblest strife The one only countersign, sure to win.

He Careth for Me.

What can it mean? is it aught to Him That the nights are long and the days are dim? Can He be touched by the griefs I bear Which sadden the heart, and whiten the hair? Around His throne are Eternal calms And strong, glad music of happy psalms, And bliss unruffled by any strife How can He care for my poor life?

And yet I want Him to care for me While I live in this world, where the sorrows be. When the lights die down, on the path I take When strength is feeble and friends forsake When love and music that once did bless Have left me, to silence and lonliness And life song changes to sobbing prayers - Then my heart cries out, for a God who cares.

When shadows hang o'er me the whole day long And my spirit is bowed with shame and wrong; When I am not good, and the deeper shade

Of conscious sin, makes my heart afraid And the busy world has too much to do To stay, in its course, to help me through And I long for a Savoir - can it be That the God of the Universe, cares for me?

Oh! wonderful story of deathless love Each child is dear to that heart above he fights for me, when I cannot fight He comforts me in the gloom of night He lifts the burden, for He is strong He stills the sigh and awakes the song The sorrow that bound me down He bears And loves, & pardons, because He cares.

Let all who are sad, take heart again We are not alone in the hours of pain; Our Father stoops from His throne above To soothe, and quiet us, with His love. He leaves us not, when the storm is high And we have safety, for He is night Can it be trouble , when He doth share Oh, rest in peace, for the Lord does care.

Thankfulness. Susan Coolidge. Thank God for life! it is not always sweet Hands may be heavy laden, hearts care full Unwelcome nights follow unwelcome days And dreams divine, end in awakening dull. Still, it is life, and life is cause for praise This ache, this restlesness, this quickening sting Prove me no torpid, and inanimate thing. Prove me of Him, who is of life the spring I am alive, and that is beautiful.

Thank God for love; tho' it may hurt & wound Tho' set with sharpest thorns, its rose may be, Roses are not of winter, all attuned Must be the earth filled with soft air & free

Thank God for Death; bright thing with dreamy name We heap her with reproaches, & with blame But calmly mid our clamor and surmise She touches each in turn, & each grows wise. Taught by the light in her mysterious eyes I shall be glad, & I am thankful now.