“DARKNESS SHROUDED CALVARY."

SARAH F. ADAMS.

DARKNESS shrouded Calvary,

An earthquake rent the Temple's veil; Human grief and human fear

Uttered mournful wail:

There came a voice like light athwart the skies, 66 To-day thou 'It be with me in Paradise.”

Darkness shrouds humanity

When death doth sunder heart from heart; Human love and human hope

Cannot bear to part:

Again that voice is heard athwart the skies, "To-day thou 'lt be with me in Paradise."

MARY BY THE CROSS.

W. J. FOX.

Jews were wrought to cruel madness;
Christians fled in fear and sadness;
Mary stood the cross beside:

At its foot her foot she planted,
By the dreadful scene undaunted,
Till the gentle Sufferer died.

SONNET.

Poets oft have sung her story,
Painters decked her brow with glory.
Priests her name have deified.

But no worship, song, or glory
Touches like that simple story,-
Mary stood the cross beside.

And when, under fierce oppression,
Goodness suffers like transgression,
Christ again is crucified;

But if love be there, true-hearted,
By no grief or terror parted,

Mary stands the cross beside.

SONNET.

97

SACRED OFFERING.

John, Chapter xix.

STRETCHED On the cross, with mortal woe oppressed,

The Son of Man breathed forth his parting

sighs;

Darkness o'erspread the earth; and then the cries Of smitten hearts were heard, and nearer pressed

His mother, and the follower whom he loved. "Mother, behold thy son!" the Saviour said, "Behold thy mother!" The o'erwhelming

dread

Of death came o'er him; yet his pale lips moved With love and mercy still, as the base crowd

Mocked at his sufferings, and the tumult grew. "Father, forgive! they know not what they do!" Was heard amid his anguish, and aloud

He cried, "'T is finished!" bowed. his hallowed head,

And to his God the chastened spirit fled.

LOOKING UNTO JESUS.

MRS. MILES.

THOU who didst stoop below,
To drain the cup of woe,
And wear the form of frail mortality,

Thy blessed labors done,

Thy crown of victory won,

Hast passed from earth, — passed to thy home

on high.

It was no path of flowers,

Through this dark world of ours,

Beloved of the Father, thou didst tread;

LINES WRITTEN AT THE HOLY SEPULCHRE. 99

And shall we, in dismay,

Shrink from the narrow way,

When clouds and darkness are around it spread?

O Thou, who art our life,

Be with us through the strife;

Thy own meek head by rudest storms was bowed; Raise thou our eyes above,

To see a Father's love

Beam, like a bow of promise, through the cloud.

E'en through the awful gloom
Which hovers o'er the tomb,

That light of love our guiding star shall be;
Our spirits shall not dread

The shadowy way to tread,

Friend, Guardian, Saviour, which doth lead to

thee.

LINES WRITTEN AT THE TEMPLE OF TITE" HOLY SEPULCHRE.

COPIED FROM A VERY OLD EDITION OF SANDYS'S TRAVELS.

SAVIOUR of mankind, Man! Emmanuel!
Who, sinless, died for sin; who vanquished hell;
The first-fruits of the grave; whose life did give
Light to our darkness; in whose death we live;

O, strengthen thou my faith, correct my will,
So that the latter death may not devour
My soul sealed with thy seal. So in the hour
When thou, whose body sanctified this tomb,
Unjustly judged, a glorious Judge shall come
To judge the world with justice, by that sign
may be known, and entertained for thine.

I

MARY AND JOHN, BEFORE THE RESUR-
RECTION.

S. G. BULFINCH.

My mother! in the awful hour
When darkness o'er us lay,

While, fainting by the Blest One's cross,

My arm became thy stay,
Did not his gentle voice then seal
The bond for thee and me,
And give me for the coming time
To be a son to thee?

O privilege of all most high!
O boon of all most dear!
Still, still, in sweet, sad memory
That voice I seem to hear.

Then come, my mother! share the cot
Thy Jesus oft hath blest,