The Lost Star

God set a star within our sky.
     And o'er our home its light was thrown, 
And as we looked with loving eye
     It seemed peculiarly our own.

And evermore its growing ray
     Drove out whate'er was dark and cold,
Till life seemed luminous as day,
     And all its glooms were tinged with gold.

Resolves and hopes which long had lain
     Palsied by custom and distrust, 
Touched by its warmth, revived again,
     And brightly blossomed from the dust

Thenceforth, with clearer eyes we saw
     "What seemed before but blurred and dim;
And read anew God's perfect law 
     Which binds the universe to Him.

With wider scope His works we viewed, 
     The slow unfolding of His plan,
And, taught by loving hearts, renewed 
     Our faith in God, our faith in man.

And earth and sky, and day and night, 
     No longer dark, and drear, and dull,
Basked in that permeating light, 
     And glowed divinely beautiful.

But suddenly, while yet our lips
     Trembled with songs of grateful praise,
Our star, involved in drear eclipse, 
     No longer cheered us with its rays.

Then darkness deep and full of dread 
     Threw o'er our sky its veil of gloom;
We seemed to walk amid the dead, 
     And earth itself was but a tomb.

Perchance some questioning or doubt 
     Of God Himself came o'er our mind,
When that sweet star was blotted out, 
     And hope expired, and faith was blind.

Perchance our wayward wills rebelled 
     Against the loving Father's will,
Till sorrow's first wild gust was quelled 
     By His all tender "Peace! be still!"

For weak, at best, is human faith.
     And love is passionate and strong, 
And wildly deems the loss or death
     Of what we love, a cruel wrong.

But God is good, and folds in calms 
     Of His own rest our restless souls,
Till with hushed hearts and clasped palms 
     We bless the Wisdom that controls.

And when for us the heavy hour 
     Of doubt went by, and holy trust
Resumed its tranquilizing power,
     And hope looked upward from the dust, -

Our hearts interpreted the law
     Of earthly loss and heavenly gain;
And through the lens of faith we saw 
     The covering darkness rent in twain;

And lo ! the star we called our own,
     Whose loss we mourned with bitter tears.
Full orbed and clear serenely shone, 
     A light to gladden all our years.