Part 42 (1/2)

Under the cloud of world-wide war, While earth is drenched with sorrow, I have no heart for idle merrymaking, Or for the fas.h.i.+oning of glad raiment.

I will retrace the divine footmarks, On the Road of the first Easter.

Down through the valley of utter darkness Dripping with blood and tears; Over the hill of the skull, the little hill of great anguish, The ambuscade of Death.

Into the no-man's-land of Hades Bearing despatches of hope to spirits in prison, Mortally stricken and triumphant Went the faithful Captain of Salvation.

Then upward, swiftly upward,-- Victory, liberty, glory, The feet that were wounded walked in the tranquil garden, Bathed in dew and the light of deathless dawn.

O my soul, my comrades, soldiers of freedom, Follow the pathway of Easter, for there is no other, Follow it through to peace, yea, follow it fighting.

This Armageddon is not darker than Calvary.

The day will break when the Dragon is vanquished; He that exalteth himself as G.o.d shall be cast down, And the Lords of war shall fall, And the long, long terror be ended, Victory, justice, peace enduring!

They that die in this cause shall live forever, And they that live shall never die, They shall rejoice together in the Easter of a new world.

March 31, 1918.

AMERICA'S WELCOME HOME

Oh, gallantly they fared forth in khaki and in blue, America's crusading host of warriors bold and true; They battled for the rights of man beside our brave Allies, And now they're coming home to us with glory in their eyes.

_Oh, it's home again, and home again, America for me!

Our hearts are turning home again and there we long to be, In our beautiful big country beyond the ocean bars, Where the air is full of sunlight and the flag is full of stars._

Our boys have seen the Old World as none have seen before.

They know the grisly horror of the German G.o.ds of war: The n.o.ble faith of Britain and the hero-heart of France, The soul of Belgium's fort.i.tude and Italy's romance.

They bore our country's great word across the rolling sea, ”America swears brotherhood with all the just and free.”

They wrote that word victorious on fields of mortal strife, And many a valiant lad was proud to seal it with his life.

Oh, welcome home in Heaven's peace, dear spirits of the dead!

And welcome home ye living sons America hath bred!

The lords of war are beaten down, your glorious task is done; You fought to make the whole world free, and the victory is won.

_Now it's home again, and home again, our hearts are turning west, Of all the lands beneath the sun America is best.

We're going home to our own folks, beyond the ocean bars, Where the air is full of sunlight and the flag is full of stars._

November 11, 1918.

A sequel to ”America For Me,” written in 1909. Page 314.

THE SURRENDER OF THE GERMAN FLEET

s.h.i.+p after s.h.i.+p, and every one with a high-resounding name, From the robber-nest of Heligoland the German war-fleet came; Not victory or death they sought, but a rendezvous of shame.

_Sing out, sing out, A joyful shout, Ye lovers of the sea!

The ”Kaiser” and the ”Kaiserin,”