LOVE’S GARLAND.
We will weave Love’s sweetest garland,
Fit to deck a monarch’s brow,
We will hide the thorns with roses,
And before Love’s throne will bow.
We will strive to make all happy,
And will never duty shirk.
Never loiter by life’s wayside,
Ne’er in heart shall malice lurk.
We are sowing, ever sowing—
Soon the harvest we shall reap;
We are planting for the morrow.
Deeds will ripen while we sleep.
We may harvest richest blessings,
Or may gather thorns instead.
We may place Love’s choicest garland
On some tired and drooping head.
If an unkind word we utter,
We shall make some poor heart sad.
If we give a cup of water,
It will make some faint heart glad.
We may often light life’s pathway
With the candle of our love,
And its beams will shine forever
In the heaven we make above.
We may bring a ray of sunshine
Where before was darkest cloud.
And with flowers hide a coffin,
And may cover up the shroud.
We can give a smiling welcome,
We can send out loving words;
E’en our tears may comfort some one
Showing that our love engirds,
And surrounds him as a garland
Woven by Love’s tireless hands;
Woven from Love’s sweetest blossoms,
Love translated in all lands.
We are gathering joy or sorrow
In our every walk of life.
We are sowing, we are reaping,
Sowing peace, we reap not strife.
We may garner, we may scatter
Many blessings on life’s road.
We may help to carry burdens,
We may help to lift the load
From our weaker brother’s shoulders
From our weary sister’s way,
We may cast a ray of sunshine
O’er some dark and stormy day.