This ebook was created in honour of Distributed Proofreaders’ 25th Anniversary. Wings of Silver BY Evelyn Gage Browne [Illustration: Publisher’s Colophon] PUBLISHED BY THE ARPODENE STUDIO PITTSFIELD, MASS. COPYRIGHTED 1918, BY EVELYN GAGE BROWNE CONTENTS WINGS BIRDS OF PASSAGE OMNIPRESENCE FAITH THE SONG OF THE STARS LIFE AND I THE WEAVERS THE OPEN DOOR THE WEB OF DREAMS FLIGHT VICTORY INVOCATION TO THE SKY WINGS I live in every sentient thing. Aye, what am I?-- The force that stirs the bird to sing, And bids it fly; The urge within the grey cocoon To swell, and rend The prison-walls; the ceaseless croon,-- “Life hath no end!” The pulse within the seed that breaks The shrivelled shell; The thrill in bud, till bloom awakes; The clarion bell That calls the soul of Man to rise; The power that flings Off shackles of the flesh, and cries,-- “Behold thy wings!” BIRDS OF PASSAGE From the North where the snows come sweeping, To the South where poppies glow; Thy changeless course thou’rt keeping, Unswerved by winds that blow. From the South to the North aquiver With awakened life, thou dost wing Thy flight over plain and river,-- At the whispered call of Spring. With unwavering purpose thou hiest, Untiring, through leagues of air; Ne’er doubting thy wings, thou fliest, Content--for thou knowest where. Blest birds of passage, oh, teach me:-- Life’s soft inner call to obey, To turn where death’s blight cannot reach me, And keep to my course each day; To press on, nor faint--never drifting; Trusting my invincible soul,-- The wings that, unfailing, are lifting;-- At peace with Life--knowing my goal. OMNIPRESENCE Borne on the air by surging wings,-- Above, below, about, around,-- Up, up he soars and blithely sings; Nor fears the ground. Covered by waters, ’neath, above, He lives and knows the sea as all; Nor doubts he of the deeps of Love, Nor fears to fall. Compassed by Love, man lives and basks In sunshine blest; but sleeps a clod, And breathes Him, dwells in Him--yet asks:-- Where, where is God? FAITH Drop by drop that never ceasing falls, Water wears its way through granite walls; Thought by thought that, conscious of its power, Goes forth from the heart each day, each hour,-- Love shall conquer every hate-born breath, Life Eternal triumph over death. Step by step that ever tends to rise, Man shall scale the heights of Paradise; Prayer by prayer that knows all might is given, Man shall win through fleshly bars--to Heaven. THE SONG OF THE STARS