JOSHUA COMMANDING THE SUN AND MOON TO STAND STILL.
BY J. B. VANSCHAICK.
The day rose clear on Gibeon. Her high towers Flash'd the red sun-beams gloriously back, And the wind-driven banners, and the steel Of her ten thousand spears caught dazzlingly The sun, and on the fortresses of rock Play'd a soft glow, that as a mockery seem'd To the stern men who girded by its light. Beth-Horon in the distance slept, and breath Was pleasant in the vale of Ajalon, Where armed heels trod carelessly the sweet Wild spices, and the trees of gum were shook By the rude armour on their branches hung. Suddenly in the camp without the walls Rose a deep murmur, and the men of war Gather'd around their kings, and "Joshua! From Gilgal, Joshua!" was whisper'd low, As with a secret fear, and then, at once, With the abruptness of a dream, he stood Upon the rock before them. Calmly then Raised he his helm, and with his temples bare And hands uplifted to the sky, he pray'd;— "God of this people, hear! and let the sun Stand upon Gibeon, still; and let the moon Rest in the vale of Ajalon!" He ceased— And lo! the moon sits motionless, and earth Stands on her axis indolent. The sun Pours the unmoving column of his rays In undiminish'd heat; the hours stand still; The shade hath stopp'd upon the dial's face; The clouds and vapours that at night are wont To gather and enshroud the lower earth, Are struggling with strange rays, breaking them up, Scattering the misty phalanx like a wand, Glancing o'er mountain tops, and shining down In broken masses on the astonish'd plains. The fever'd cattle group in wondering herds; The weary birds go to their leafy nests, But find no darkness there, and wander forth On feeble, fluttering wing, to find a rest; The parch'd, baked earth, undamp'd by usual dews, Has gaped and crack'd, and heat, dry, mid-day heat, Comes like a drunkard's breath upon the heart. On with thy armies, Joshua! The Lord God of Sabaoth is the avenger now! His voice is in the thunder, and his wrath Poureth the beams of the retarded sun, With the keen strength of arrows, on their sight. The unwearied sun rides in the zenith sky; Nature, obedient to her Maker's voice, Stops in full course all her mysterious wheels. On! till avenging swords have drunk the blood Of all Jehovah's enemies, and till Thy banners in returning triumph wave; Then yonder orb shall set 'mid golden clouds, And, while a dewy rain falls soft on earth, Show in the heavens the glorious bow of God, Shining, the rainbow banner of the skies.
SONG.
BY WILLIAM LEGGETT.
I trust the frown thy features wear Ere long into a smile will turn; I would not that a face so fair As thine, beloved, should look so stern. The chain of ice that winter twines, Holds not for aye the sparkling rill, It melts away when summer shines, And leaves the waters sparkling still. Thus let thy cheek resume the smile That shed such sunny light before; And though I left thee for a while, I'll swear to leave thee, love, no more.
As he who, doomed o'er waves to roam, Or wander on a foreign strand, Will sigh whene'er he thinks of home, And better love his native land; So I, though lured a time away, Like bees by varied sweets, to rove, Return, like bees, by close of day, And leave them all for thee, my love. Then let thy cheek resume the smile That shed such sunny light before, And though I left thee for a while, I'll swear to leave thee, love, no more.