I.
My brother, take my hand;
The darkness covers me,
And now I fly to thee;
O, hear my call!
II.
My brother, take my hand;
Weary, and sick, and faint,
To thee I make complaint,
Who art my all.
III.
My brother, take my hand;
Though pale it is and thin,
The same blood flows within
That is in thine.
IV.
My brother, take my hand;
It's all I have to give;
O, let me, while I live,
Press it to thine.
V.
My brother, take my hand;
And with the hand receive
The blessing which I leave,
Before I die.
VI.
My brother, take my hand;
And when at last you come,
I will receive you home,—
The home on high.
A correspondent in Ohio sends us the following:—
'It is a good thing for a weak brother to have faith; and some one to rely on is to such an especial blessing. Squire Bullard was wont to find such a prop in his friend Deacon Parrish, who, he firmly believed, "knew everything."
'Near by the Squire lived a graceless old infidel named Myers, who was wont to entangle his simple neighbors in arguments sadly vexing to their orthodoxy. On one occasion he devoted an hour to prove to Bullard that there was no future after death.
'"Well," exclaimed Squire B——, "you kin talk jest as much as ye please. Free speech is permitted; but I don't believe ye. I tell you what, Myers, the soul is immortal; I'll bet five dollars on it, and leave it to Deacon Parrish!"'
This is indeed believing in human power; and yet who would laugh through his heart at it? For it is this same belief in other men, mere mortals like ourselves, in hero-worship, which led man through the stormy ages of old on to the lighter and brighter time, when we see afar the promised time when great ideas shall rule instead of great men, and heroism yield to sincere, unselfish ministry. Great was the final lesson of Friar Bacon's head—'Time will be.'
The failure of the great Southern Confederacy to secure recognition in Europe will doubtless provoke sad strains from the bards of that unfortunate 'empire.' Nor less to be pitied are those who have put their trust in contracts and become the 'victims of misplaced confidence.' The following brace of parodies sets forth the sorrows of either side with touching pathos.