Bonney, Charles Carroll

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MISCELLANEOUS.THE NEW YEAR.I saw the gates of the Celestial LandUplifted, and the everlasting doorsOpened before a Throne.So marvellousIn grandeur and in beauty was the scene,That human language hath no words in whichIts glory may be told.Before the ThroneThe Old Year stood, with grave and solemn mienWaiting the judgment ; and beside him kneltThe New Year, in the attitude of prayer.And, while I stood and wondered, lo ! he spoke ;And the broad streams of splendor from the throneBore CO my eager ear his earnest wordsOf supplication. Thus the New Year prayed:' Vouchsafe, O King of kings, and Lord of lords.To give me wisdom, strength and fortitudeTo do with all fidelity the workTo which Thou callest me, whate'er it be;Whether of joy or sorrow, peace or pain ;Whether in tempest, and in wilderness,Or in the calm, and in the smiling field." If Thou shouldst deem it best to try my soulWith fire, or sword, or other dreadful thing.Oh ! strengthen me to bear it patiently,And bravely fight the battles of Thy truth,And give me safe deliverance from allThe perils into which my pathway leads."Or if Thou wilt not order that I bearAny heroic burden, under whichI might achieve a martyr's sacred fame ;But that my troubles shall be little thingsMISCELLANEOUS. 55Too small for strength or courage—such as fretAnd chafe the spirit with temptations sore—Oh ! give me patience, cheerfulness, and hope,To bear and overcome them, though there beNo outward glory in my victory,Nor aught to lift me up in human eyes.And oh ! my King, grant that, throughout the world.My reign may be distinguished by increaseOf peace among the nations, and good-willAmong the men of all communities.Grant that there be no war to dye the seasWith human blood, or desolate the landWith carnage. But may ev'ry people beatTheir swords to ploughshares, spears to pruning-hooks,—And every field, by war made desolate.Be sweet with bloom, and rich with growing grain;And every spot where ruined houses lie.Ring with the laugh of children, and the songOf maiden, waiting lover's step and voice.'And oh ! my Father, most abundantlyGive me the disposition and the meansTo help the poor and the unfortunate ;—To aid them, not alone by kindly words,But with relief of urgent present needs,And means and opportunities to riseTo better state, in which they may provideBy their own work for their necessities.'And grant me. Lord, most potent influenceTo heal domestic discord everywhere;To lessen envy, pride, and selfishness;To check extravagance and indolence;To turn estranged affection to its own;To bring the erring back to virtue's ways;To foster love, and truth, and industry;To brighten all the blessed charms of home;To warm all hearts with holy charity;To make the young obedient and pure;To make the old benevolent and wise."And, gracious Governor of Nations, grantThat all who make, expound, or executeThe laws of human government, may beInspired by Thee with purpose to obeyThe righteous mandate of the golden rule;To serve the truth, by doing what is good ;To seek their fame in the prosperity.And happiness and glory of the landsO'er which, by Thy permission, they preside.56 THE OPEN COURT."And above all, O Father, King, and Lord !Grant me to lead Thy creatures to Thy throne ;To fill their hearts with Thy celestial love ;To fill their minds with Thy celestial truth ;To fill their lives with Thy celestial power ;And thus, with Thine own glory, fill the world."I saw the radiant face of the New YearUplifted to the Lord, and heard him say,"Amen! O King of kings, O Lord of lords/ "I heard no more his earnest words of prayer;I saw no more the vision of the Throne ;But from the world, upswelling like the toneOf a most grand and solemn anthem, cameThe echo of the New Year's prayer : Amen! Amen!My grateful heart took up the sweet refrain ;My grateful voice, the blessed anthem caught;And my exultant soul re-echoed backThe closing words of the angelic prayer ;Amen ! O Father, King, and Lord, Amen !Charles Carroll Bonney.The present number of The Open Court contains a thoughtful sketch entitled" Tante Fritzchen," which is not only interesting to the psychologist as delineatingan original character, but also to the philosopher and theologian as discussing theproblem of immortality. The heroine of the sketch has a definite idea on the sub-ject, and it is developed with great lucidity by the author, Hans Hoffmann, one ofthe rising novelists of Germany. The solution appears rather negative, and seemsto be a flat denial of immortality, but a closer inspection will prove that it onlycriticises a wrong conception of the nature of the continuance of after-life,—a con-ception which we may fairly grant is very common throughout the world.We may assume that our own views are known to the readers of The OfenCourt, and may abstain here from restating them ; but we would say that answersand criticisms of Dr. Hoffmann's exposition of the problem will be welcome, onthe condition that they be brief and to the point, and they must state the positiveaspect of immortality, setting forth what will survive after death and in whichway.Hans Hoffmann, the author of "Tante Fritzchen," was born in Stettin in1848 ; he attended the Gymnasium in his native city, studied classical philologyand Germanistics in Bonn, Berlin, and Halle, in addition making a specialty ofliterature and the history of literature. He took his degree at Halle in 1871, andwas appointed teacher in his native city. He interrupted his career for a journeythrough Italy, Greece, and Turkey, and held positions as a teacher successively atthe Gymnasia at Stolp, Dantzic, and Berlin. He gave up his profession as an edu-cator for the more congenial work of an author and editor. He published in 1884the Deutsche Illustrirte Zeitung. His present residence is Wernigerode, in theHarz Mountains.

The New Year

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The New Year

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