The Old Brown Book
“The old brown book was worn and finger-stained.
To touch it gently children’s hands were trained.
It had within the hymns that mother sang
In peaceful worship after church bells rang.
I hear her voice again so sweet and clear,
According praise to Christ her Saviour dear.
The old brown book had words that blessed her soul;
She sang them, ‘While the nearer waters roll.’
’Tis years since mother gently passed to rest,
And hands were gently folded on her breast,
She sleeps, but in our ears the old hymns ring—
The sweet old hymns that mother used to sing.
The years are passing onward one by one,
And with them changes to the church have come;
The old brown book no longer fills its place;
We struggle now to sing new hymns of grace.
But when the Sabbath evening takes us home,
And we are gathered there with friends alone,
We take the old brown book and once more sing,
‘Hide thou beneath the shadow of Thy wing.’
And who can tell but what in heaven above
They sing again the old sweet hymns we love?
We only know that when we sing them here
They bring to us the Heavenly Presence near.
Thus we can fight life’s battle calm and sweet,
Each unborn day with courage wait to meet,
‘Blest be the tie that binds,’ we smooth the way,
‘Nearer my God to Thee’ each closing day.
The old brown book a treasure still we keep,
The same old hymns that rocked our friends to sleep;
And if we fail to catch the newest strain,
Our hearts would sing the old hymns once again.”[7]
The same theme is continued in another poem by Maud Frazer Jackson in The Sunday School Times, entitled,