Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: WORSHIP 39 I'd like to watch his careful tread Along the aisle, red-carpeted; His white bow-tie, his rusty frock — Old shepherd of a failing flock, Who all the years his way has trod, One hand upon the arm of God; To see him in the pulpit stand, And beat the time with withered hand, And smile upon us as we raise Old Hundred's ancient hymn of praise. Perhaps his stark theology Would fan to flame no spark in me. I wonder if, to hail the Throne, One needs a sanctimonious tone, And must each plea for aid propose In words that issue through the nose? I doubt if heaven greatly savors Hymns quite so full of flats and quavers; But yet, perhaps, they rise far higher Than anthems of a vested choir. But I have watched the sunlight come, Across the long prayer's drone and hum, To touch a crown of thin, white hair And weave a golden halo there; Have seen, through windows open wide, Broad fields where bobolinks abide; Have seen the grasses sway and glisten And daisies bow their heads to listen Beneath a tranquil summer sky — And heard God's footsteps passing by. Frederic F. Van de Water NAUGHTY NELL There came a knock at the door of Heaven And the knock was firm and light. St. Peter he opened the window grill And looked on a puzzling sight: A maiden sweet as a swaying bough Of apple-buds pink and white. He scratched his forehead and looked again: No doubt but the girl was fair, She lowered the lids of her blue-bell eyes With a half impenitent air, And the smile that lurked in her pouting lips Had little to do with prayer. "Name?" he inquired in formal tones. "Nell Bassett," the answer fell. " If you please, I thought I might come and knock Before I was dragged to hell, Though there's small use looking...