III. MORNING AND EVENING HYMNS.

THE GUARDIAN ANGEL.

DEAR Angel! ever at my side,

How loving must thou be

To leave thy home in Heaven to guard
A little child like me!

Thy beautiful and shining face
I see not, though so near;
The sweetness of thy soft, low voice
I am too deaf to hear.

I cannot feel thee touch my hand
With pressure light and mild,
To check me, as my mother did
When I was but a child.

But I have felt thee in my thoughts,
Fighting with sin for me;

And when my heart loves God, I know
The sweetness is from thee.

THE GUARDIAN ANGEL.

And when, dear Spirit, I kneel down.
Morning and night to prayer,
Something there is within my heart
Which tells me thou art there.

Yes! when I pray, thou prayest too—
Thy prayer is all for me;

And when I sleep, thou sleepest not,
But watchest patiently.

Ah me! how lovely they must be
Whom God has glorified;

Yet one of them, O sweetest thought!
Is ever at my side.

And thou in life's last hour wilt bring

A fresh supply of grace,

And afterwards wilt let me kiss

Thy beautiful bright face.

Then for thy sake, dear Angel! now

More humble will I be :

But I am weak, and when I fall,

O weary not for me;

But love me, love me, Angel dear!
And I will love thee more;

And help me when my soul is cast
Upon the eternal shore.

165

F. W. FABER.

166

CHILD'S SONG.

BIRDS AND ANGELS.

HIGH the feathered warblers fly,
Singing in the clear blue sky;
Higher still the angels soar,
And sing in Heaven evermore.

Birds, come rest your wings awhile,
With me here the hours beguile;
Angels, downward turn your love,
Tell me of the joys above.

SONGS FROM THE GERMAN.

CHILD'S SONG.

FROM THE GERMAN.

WHEN at night I go to sleep,
Fourteen angels are at hand;
Two on my right their watches keep;
Two on my left to bless me stand;
Two hover gently o'er my head;
Two guard the foot of my small bed;
Two wake me with the sun's first ray;
Two dress me nicely every day;
Two guide me on the heavenly road
That leads to Paradise and God.

MRS. FOLLEN.

THE ANGELS.

167

THE ANGELS.

"WHERE are the angels, mother?
Though you have often said
They watched at night around me,
And safely kept my bed;

“And when the silver moonshine
Fills all my room with light,
And when the stars are shining,
So countless and so bright,

"I hope to see them coming,
With their fair forms, to me;

Yet I have never seen them
Mother, where can they be?

"I saw a cloud, this evening, Red with the setting sun;

It was so very lovely,

I thought it might be one.

168

THE ANGELS.

"But when it faded slowly,
I knew it could not be,
For they are always shining-
Why come they not to me?"

"My child, when through your window Shines down the moonlight clear,When all is still and silent,

And no kind friend is near,

"Are you not glad and happy,
And full of thoughts of love?
Do you not think of heaven,
That brighter land above?

"These thoughts the angels bring you;
And though the gentle tone
Of their sweet voices comes not
When you are all alone;

"Yet they are always leaving,

For earth, their homes on high;
And though you cannot see them,
You feel that they are nigh."