"The children of the valley To this day faithful keep The custom of their hardy sires Who in the churchyard sleep. "For when hot summer's waning, They to the lake repair To pull the reeds and lilies white That grow in plenty there. "With these, and ferns and mosses, And flowers of varied dye, They hasten home, and all day long Their busy fingers ply. "Then in the quiet evening, Ere dew begins to fall, They range their floral trophies on The churchyard's low-topped wall. "There crosses without number, Of every shape and size, And wreaths, triangles, crowns, and shields Appear in flowery guise. "And verses, too, and mottoes, Words ta'en from Holy Writ, And some designs which mock the pen, We'll call them nondescript. "But all are glad and happy Who in the pageant share, And the urchins with the nondescripts Are proud as any there. "And proudly struts each youngster, When, devices gay in hand, They round about the village march To the music of the band. "Like to a string of rainbows Appears that cortege bright, Winding 'mong the crooked lanes In the golden evening light! "And coming to the church again They bear their garlands in, They fix them round the time-stained fane While the bells make merry din. "But hark! before departing From that house of prayer, The incense of a grateful hymn Floats on the quiet air." The older hymn of St. Oswald-- "They won us peace, Thy saints, O Lord, Even though, like royal David, they Smiting and smitten with the sword Toiled through their mortal day"-- is now followed by a hymn from the pen of Canon Rawnsley, whose genial notice, as he passed this August along the churchyard wall of bearings, brought a happy flush to one child-face after another: "The Rotha streams, the roses blow, Though generations pass away, And still our old traditions flow From pagan past and Roman day. "Beside the church our poets sleep, Their spirits mingle with our throng; They smile to see the children keep Our ancient feast with prayer and song. * * * * * "We too have foes in war to face, Not yet our land from sin is free. Lord, give us of St. Oswald's grace To make us kings and saints to Thee."