A Christmas Message

Far from home thy Christmas keeping, Sad through weariness and pain, Thou, perchance, hast thought with weeping, Christmas-time has come again! Dreams of well remembered places Fill thy memory today; Longing thoughts of loving faces— Thoughts of dear ones far away. Of the little ones who gather Round the fire the boughs to weave, Happy homes where mother, father, Keep with them their Christmas Eve. Of the days when thou wast singing Gleeful songs of other times, While across the fields came ringing Far and near the Christmas chimes. Say’st thou now, Those joys are over; Not for me those home delights; Dark the clouds that o’er me hover, Lone the days and long the nights? Chiming bells and happy voices Fall but sadly on my ear; All the world without rejoices; They are glad—while I am here. Are these sad words thine, oh, mourner? And these dreary thoughts, my friend? Listen, then, now to a message Which home to thy heart we send. In the words the wind came bringing From the hush of quiet room, Where were voices softly singing In the twilight’s gathering gloom. Sweet and clear we hear the music Of a message tender, true, That we now in Christmas season We would sing it forth to you.