Page:The songs that Quinte sang.djvu/58

54 Once when my heart had dared to spurn
 * The wisdom of His will sublime,

God set a task for me to learn—
 * To break this stubborn will of mine.

Humbled and penitent, I knelt
 * At my stern teacher Sorrow’s knee,

And with white lips, heart-stricken spelt
 * The lesson God had set for me.

Through shades of swiftly gathering night
 * I strove the tear-stained page to con,

Whilst friends who smiled with morning’s light
 * Departed as the night came on.

Then with my lesson learned by heart
 * I turned to face the world again,

And watched each fickle friend depart,
 * Mine eyes bedimmed with tears of pain.

I scanned each face with wistful eyes
 * For friendly smile, but there was none,

Then turned away with bitter sigh
 * And cried: “O God! There is not one,

“Who heedless of the world’s cold scorn
 * Will step from out the beaten road,

And help with words of kindness born
 * A comrade sinking ’neath the load.”