ONE BY ONE.

Have we not caught that smiling
On some beloved face,

As if a heavenly sound were wiling
The soul from our earthly place-
The distant sound and sweet

Of the Master's coming feet?

We may clasp the loved one faster,
And plead for a little while;

But who can resist the Master?

And we read, by that bright'ning smile,

That the tread we may not hear

Is drawing surely near.

Or in the hush of the summer weather,

In the golden afternoon,

As we watch by a friend's sick bed together,

And murmur-"Better, soon:

Sudden the Master's feet

May be heard in the sunny street.

Till then, no dream of dying

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Had flashed through the sick man's heart;

But a sudden smile on his face is lying,

And the Soul rises up to depart,

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ONE BY ONE.

At the sound of those gentle feet

Which come up through the sunny street.

Or perchance he lieth sleeping
With weary hand and head,

And does not hear our weeping,

Nor the sound of that solemn tread,

Telling the hour is come

For his returning home:

Then we whisper low together-
"Behold the Master's feet!

He comes through the sunny weather,
Up by the smiling street;

We had no thought, or fear

That the hour had come so near."

Then, trying to still our weeping,
With trembling lips we say—

"We must break on this silent sleeping,
We must prepare 'His' way;"
And we stoop to murmur low-
"Are you ready, dear, to go?

ONE BY ONE.

The Master is come, and calleth
For thee; He is at the door.
Awake! for His shadow falleth
Already across the floor:

Are you ready, dear, to go
With Him who loveth so?"

Then a sudden voice of gladness, As our earthly voices cease,"After my years of sadness,

He bringeth tidings of peace; How beautiful are His feet,

Which shine from the golden street!"

And gently enters the Master:

Through the room His garments sweep,

And our trembling hearts beat faster,
And our eyes forget to weep;
Though we can hear Him say—
"Thou shalt be there to-day."

As one whom his mother comforts,
He lays the soul on His breast,
But He draweth the curtains closely,
As it enters into rest;

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ONE BY ONE.

And none may see it go

Away, through the sunset glow.

He hath hushed the worn frame sweetly,
He hath soothed the death alarms,
Till it lieth asleep, completely

In the everlasting arms;

We know not the soul is gone

Till the Lord is found alone.

*

Or when the storm-rain dasheth
Across the wintry night,

And the wild red lightning flasheth
Like Angels' swords of light,

And we pray for sailors' souls,
As the sea in thunder rolls;

Behold, as we kneel down trembling,
The thunder crasheth free;

The door bursts open wildly,

And startled we rise to see,

Serene, and still and fair,
The Master standing there!

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ONE BY ONE.

He looketh upon us sweetly,

With His well-known greeting-"Peace!"

And He fills our hearts completely,

And the sounds of the tempest cease:

But we know the hour is come

For one of us to go home.

On all the sweet smile falleth

Of Him who loveth so,

But to one the sweet voice calleth

"Arise! and let us go;

They wait to welcome thee,
This night at home with Me."

Not sweeping up together,

In whirlwind or in cloud,

In the hush of the summer weather,

Or when storms are thund'ring loud;

But one by one, we go

In the sweetness none may know.

Not pressing through the portals

Of the celestial town,

An army of fresh immortals,

By the Lord of Battles won;