Viewing page 310 of 316

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

[[clipping]] COMMISSIONED.

From Sunday Afternoon.

"Do their errands; enter into the sacrifice with them: be a link yourself in the divine chain, and feel the joy and life of it."

What can I do for thee, Beloved,
Whose feet so little while ago
Trod the same way-side dust with mine,
And now up paths I do not know
Speed, without sound or sign?

What can I do? The perfect life
All fresh and fair and beautiful
Has opened its wide arms to thee;
The cup is over-brimmed and full;
Nothing remains for me.

I used to do so many things;
Love thee and chide thee and caress;
Brush little straws from off thy way,
Tempering with my poor tenderness
The heat of thy short day.

Not much, but very sweet to give;
And it is grief of griefs to bear
That all these ministries are o'er,
And thou, so happy, Love, elsewhere,
Dost need me never more:——

And I can do for thee but this:
(Working on blindly, knowing not
If I may give thee pleasure so;)
Out of my own dull, shadowed lot
I can arise, and go.

To sadder lives and darker homes.
A messenger. dear heart, from thee
Who wast on earth a comforter;
And say to those who welcome me,
I am sent forth by her:

Feeling the while how good it is
To do thy errands thus, and think
It may be, in the blue, far space,
Thou watchest from the heaven's brink——
A smile upon thy face.

And when the day's work ends with day,
And star-eyed evening, stealing in,
Waves her cold hand to flying noon,
And restless, surging thoughts begin,
Like sad bells out of tune,

I'll pray: "Dear Lord, to whose great love
Nor bound, nor limit-line is set,
Give to my darling, I implore,
Some new sweet joy not tasted yet,
For I can give no more."

And, with the words my thoughts shall climb
With following feet the heavenly stair
Up which thy steps so lately sped,——
And seeing thee so happy there,
Come back half comforted.

SUSAN COOLIDGE. [[/clipping]]

295

[[stamp]] 134 [[/stamp]]

one of the school teachers who has been here for five or six years died yesterday with Peritonitis. She seems to have been very much beloved. I remember her in Esther with Gertrude. I heard this evening that she and Dr. Chalker were to have been married soon. Wrote to Alice. 

Saturday Nov. 30" 1878. Another fine day, and how beautiful this whole autumn has been. I began to paint Jamies wagon and fixed the seat for him. Went down town just before noon on some errands. Received a letter from John Sanford from Sherman Maine telling me he had sent my canoe on the 26". A letter from Booth to whom I wrote a few days ago for tickets for my father and mother who have never seen him play, to his first performance of Hamlet. It is to be on Monday and they are to go down and Lucy and Andrews will probably be there too. I also had an excellent letter from Mr Sawyer written on Thanksgiving day probably at the very time I was writing to him. It has been so comforting and satisfactory to me in showing me how secure he was in the knowledge that Gertrude was so perfectly and entirely happy with me and in our family. [[strikethrough]] Lucy [[/strikethrough]] Sara had a letter from Lily today. She says Sedgwick told her he saw Aunty Gertrude in his sleep. That she came and sat on the side of his bed and Uncle Jessie too. I wish I could dream of her.
 
Sunday Dec. 1". 1878. The weather continues mild and beautiful. Each day I think will be the last of the fine weather but each morning brings the calm sweet days that I enjoy so thoroughly. My father and I went to the Methodist church. Mr. Terry preached 

Transcription Notes:
.