A HAME BEYOND THE SKIES.

"There is a world to come."-GILFILLAN.

I.

When the heart's oppressed wi' sorrow,
And the head bow'd down wi' care-
When we labour wi' a heavy load
O' grief and dark despair-

When a' before seems murky,

And black clouds around us rise

It's a blessed thing to think we ha'e

A hame beyond the skies.

II.

When the friends wha dearly lo'ed us, Wha by us were aye held dear,When they're lowly laid by fell disease, And stretched upon the bier,

When we kiss the cheek sae lately warm,

An' close the glist'ning eyes,

It's a blessed thing to think we ha’e
A hame beyond the skies.

III.

When our earthly friends forsake us,
And upon us shut their door,-
When left by a', like some lone tree,
Upon a blasted moor,-

There's ae Friend wha never leaves us,
If we're just, an' guid, an' wise.
It's a blessed thing to think we ha'e
A hame beyond the skies.

IV.

Ah, me! I aften wonder

What this weary world would be,

If we kenn'd nae o' anither,

When in death we close our e'e.

When we're laid into the lonesome grave, From which we a' maun rise,

It's a blessed thing to think we ha'e

A hame beyond the skies.

V.

A' kinds, a' colours, and a' creeds,

Are blest wi' hope in heaven:

To saint and savage, Turk and Jew,
This balm o' life is given.
The Catholic and the Calvinist,
Wha ither's creeds despise,

Think it's a blessed thing to ha'e
A hame beyond the skies.

VI.

The burden'd slave, who lives on earth

A life of care and woe,—

The Greenlander, who climbs o'er hills

Of everlasting snow,

The poor untutored Indian,

Who, lack of knowledge, dies,

Is taught by nature that he has
A hame beyond the skies.

VII.

Let us thank our God, the giver

Of this cheering hope below,

Which dispels the darkest clouds of fate,

And sets us free from woe.

There's a land of bliss, where He will wipe

All tears from weeping eyes:

It's a blessed thing to think we hae

A hame beyond the skies.

VERSES TO MY AUNT.

This is one of my earliest efforts: it will explain itself. The person to whom it was written-Mrs. Warden of the Plans of Thornton-is one of the kindest and best of women. She is one of "Nature's nobles,"-dearly beloved by all who know her. that the world were composed of her like.

Would

I.

Dearest Aunt, when thinking on your
Kindness to us day by day,

I see that we're in among your

Debtors wha can never pay.

II.

When I think upon the ruin

That comes owre baith ane and a',

When a faither, wha's weel-doing,

Frae his family wears awa':

III.

When I think, and thinking, shiver,

On the havoc it wad made,

Had

my father been for ever

Laid within his narrow bed: