198 THE OLIVE LEAF. CHAP. 



Our blessed religion teaches us that nothing beautiful 

 or good once possessed is wholly lost to us ; that there is 

 a deeper truth in the words, " a thing of beauty is a joy 

 for ever," than even its poet knew. That thing of 

 beauty goes away as our Saviour went away, only to 

 come again, dearer and closer to be with us alway, 

 even unto the end of the world. Our religion engages 

 to give to him that overcometh the besetting sins which 

 lay waste the life and make the heart old to eat of 

 those fruits of the tree of life which once in the garden 

 of innocence hung within reach of infant humility and 

 helplessness. And out of the sunset and the after 

 glow, when the glory and the dream of life have 

 vanished, comes the sweetest of all its promises, " I 

 will give him the morning star." And He who is the 

 resurrection and the life the Alpha and the Omega 

 will make the outgoings of the fair, innocent morning of 

 the world's childhood with its fresh poetic visions, so 

 dear even to remember in this weary, worn-out prosaic 

 world to rejoice for all who live and believe in Him ; 

 and the hour of splendour in the grass and glory in the 

 flower will come back again. 



Youth's joys to cheer life's autumn gloom, 



Fond memory back will bring ; 

 As in September fields will bloom, 



The crocus of the spring. 



So may we live, that all our past 



May light our future track ; 

 And all our best for us at last, 



In higher form come back. 



