I know thou'rt skilled in mason's work;

Thine is the power to frame Rome's Coliseum vast and wide, And honor to thy name.

"Over seven acres spread thy work,
And by the gods of Rome,
Thou shalt hereafter by my side
Have thy resplendent home.
A citizen of Roman rights,

Silver and golden store,

These shall be thine; let Christian blood

But stain the marble floor."

So rose the Amphitheater,

Tower and arch and tier;

There dawned a day when martyrs stood Within that ring of fear.

But strong their quenchless trust in God, And strong their human love;

Their eyes of faith, undimmed, were fixed On temples far above.

And thousands gazed, in brutal joy,

To watch those Christians die; But one beside Vespasian leaned, With a strange light in his eye. What thoughts welled up within his breast As on that group he gazed!

What gleams of holy light from heaven Upon his dark soul blazed!

Had he by password gained access
To the dark Catacomb,

And learned the hope of Christ's beloved,
Beyond the rack, the tomb?

The proud Vespasian o'er him bends--
"My priceless architect,
Today I will announce to all
Thy privilege elect-

A free-made citizen of Rome."
Calmly, Gaudentis rose,

And folding, o'er his breast, his arms,
Turned to the Savior's foes;

And in a strength not all his own,
With life and death in view,
The fearless architect exclaimed,
"I am a Christian too.”

Only a few brief moments passed,
And brave Gaudentis lay
Within the Amphitheater,
A lifeless mass of clay.

Vespasian promised him the rights
Of proud Imperial Rome,

But Christ with martyrs crowned him king,

Beneath heaven's cloudless dome.

-"Harriet Annie"

strong!

Be Strong

BEwe are not here to play, to dream, to drift;

We have hard work to do, and loads to lift;
Shun not the struggle-face it; 'tis God's gift.

Be strong!

Say not, "The days are evil. Who's to blame?" And fold the hands and acquiesce—oh shame! Stand up, speak out, and bravely, in God's name.

Be strong!

It matters not how deep intrenched the wrong,
How hard the battle goes, the day how long;
Faint not-fight on! To-morrow comes the song.
-Maltbie Davenport Babcock

Slaves

HEY are slaves who fear to speak,

THEY

For the fallen and the weak;

They are slaves who will not choose,

Hatred, scoffing and abuse;

Rather than in silence shrink,

From the truth they needs must think;

They are slaves who dare not be,

In the right with two or three.

-James Russell Lowell

CRITICISM

People Will Talk

OU may get through the world, but 'twill be very slow,

YOU

If you listen to all that is said as you go;

You'll be worried and fretted and kept in a stew,

For meddlesome tongues will have something to do;
For people will talk.

If quiet and modest, you'll have it presumed
That your humble position is only assumed;
You're a wolf in sheep's clothing, or else you're a fool,
But don't get excited, keep perfectly cool;

For people will talk.

If generous and noble, they'll vent out their spleen.
You'll hear some loud hints that you're selfish and mean;
If upright and honest and fair as the day,
They'll call you a rogue in a sly, sneaking way!
For people will talk.

And then if you show any boldness of heart,
Or a slight inclination to take your own part,
They will call you an upstart, conceited and vain;
But keep straight ahead, don't stop and explain;
For people will talk.

If threadbare your dress, or old-fashioned your hat,
Some one will surely take notice of that,

And hint rather strong that you can't pay your way;
But don't get excited whatever they say,

For people will talk.

If you dress in the fashion, don't think to escape,
For they criticize then in a different shape;

You're ahead of your means, or your tailor's unpaid
But mind your own business, don't mind what is said;
For people will talk.

Now, the best way to do is to do as you please,
For your mind, if you have one, will then be at ease.
Of course you will meet with all sorts of abuse,
But don't think to stop it, it is of no use,

For people will talk.

-Samuel Dodge

"They Say" 1

HAVE you heard of the terrible family They,
And the dreadful venomous things They say?

Why, half the gossip under the sun,

If you trace it back, you will find begun
In that wretched House of They.

A numerous family, so I am told,
And its genealogical tree is old;
For ever since Adam and Eve began.
To build up the curious race of man,
Has existed the House of They.

Gossip-mongers and spreaders of lies,
Horrid people whom all despise!
And yet the best of us now and then,

1 Used by permission of the W. B. Conkey Co., Hammond, Ind