AN EVENING PRAYER.

BEFORE I close my eyes in sleep,

Lord, hear my evening prayer, And deign a helpless child to keep With Thy protecting care.

Though young in years, I have been taught

Thy name to love and fear;

Of Thee to think with solemn thought,

Thy goodness to revere.

That goodness gives each simple flower
Its scent and beauty too,

And feeds it in night's darkest hour
With heaven's refreshing dew.

Nor will Thy mercy less delight

The infant's God to be,

Who, through the darkness of the night,

For safety trusts to Thee.

The little birds that sing all day

In many a leafy wood,

By Thee are clothed with plumage gay,

By Thee supplied with food.

And when at night they cease to sing,

By Thee protected still,

Their young ones sleep beneath their wing

Secure from every ill.

Thus may'st Thou guard with gracious arm

The bed whereon I lie,

And keep a child from every harm

By Thy all-watchful eye.

260

For night and day to Thee are one;
The helpless are Thy care;

And for the sake of Thy dear Son,

Thou hear'st

my

childish prayer.

Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colors,
He made their tiny wings.

The purple-headed mountain,
The river, running by,
The morning, and the sunset
That lighteth up the sky.

The tall trees in the greenwood,
The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden,
He made them every one.

He gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell,

How great is God Almighty,

Who hath made all things well.

Mrs. C. F. Alexander.

FALLING TO SLEEP.

EVENING is falling to sleep in the west,
Lulling the golden-brown meadows to rest;
Twinkle like diamonds the stars in the skies,
Greeting the two little slumbering eyes.
Sweetly sleep; Jesus doth keep;

And Jesus will give His beloved ones sleep.

Now all the flowers have gone to repose,
Closed are the sweet cups of lily and rose ;
Blossoms rocked lightly on evening's mild breeze,
Drowsily, dreamily swinging the trees.

Sweetly sleep; Jesus doth keep;

And Jesus will give His beloved ones sleep.

Sleep till the flowers shall open once more;
Sleep till the lark in the morning shall soar;
Sleep till the morning sun lighting the skies,
Bids thee from sweet repose joyfully rise.

Sweetly sleep; Jesus doth keep;

And Jesus will give His beloved ones sleep.
From the German

THE GOD OF MY CHILDHOOD.

O GOD! who wert my childhood's love,
My boyhood's pure delight,

A presence felt the livelong day,
A welcome fear at night.

They bade me call Thee, Father, Lord!
Sweet was the freedom deemed.
And yet more like a mother's ways
Thy quiet mercies seemed.

I could not sleep unless Thy hand
Were underneath my head,
That I might kiss it if I lay
Wakeful upon my bed.

And quite alone I never felt ;
I knew that Thou wert near,
A silence tingling in the room;
A strangely pleasant fear.

I know not what I thought of Thee;
What picture I had made

Of that Eternal Majesty

To whom my childhood prayed.