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THE CHANGED CROSS. 185
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Transcript
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
. . It Was A Time Of Sadness, And My Hea...
This may not be , I cried , —and looked again To see if any there could ease my pain ;
But one by one I passed them slowly by , Till on a lovely one I cast my eye .
Fair flowers around its sculptured form entwined , And grace and beauty seemed in it combined ;
Wondering I gazed , and still I wondered more To think so many should have passed it o ' er .
But oh , that form , so beautiful to see , Soon made its hidden sorrows known to me ;
Thorns lay beneath those flowers and colours fair , Sorrowing I said— " This Cross 1 may not bear . "
And so it was with each and all around , Not one to . suit my need could there be found ;
Weeping I laid each heavy burthen down , As my guide gently said— " No Cross—no Crown . "
At length to Him I raised my saddened heart ; He knew its sorrows , bade its doubts
depart" Be not afraid , " he said , " but trust in me ; My perfect love shall now be shown to thee . _"
And then , with lightened eyes and willing tread , Again I followed where my Guardian led ;
With careful footsteps , turning not aside , For fear some hidden evil might betide .
And there , in the prepared appointed way , Listening to hear and ready to obey ,
A Cross I quickly found , both plain and light , Inscribed with words of love to make it bright .
With thankfulness I raised it from the rest , And joyfully acknowledged it the best ,
The only one of all the many there That I could feel was good for me to bear .
And while I thus my chosen one confessed , I saw a heavenly brightness on it rest ;
And as I bent my burthen to sustain , I recognised my own old Cross again !
But ohhow different did it seem to be , , Now I had learned its preciousness to see !
No longer could I unbelieving say" Perhaps another is a better way . "
Ah , no ! henceforth my one desire shall be , That He who hnows me best should choose for me ;
And so whate ' er His love sees good to send ,
I'll trust is best—because He knows the end !
The Changed Cross. 185
THE CHANGED CROSS . 185
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Citation
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English Woman’s Journal (1858-1864), May 1, 1858, page 185, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/ewj/issues/ewj_01051858/page/41/
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