I Shall Not Pass This Way Again
I SHALL not pass this way again!
The thought is full of sorrow;
The good I ought to do to-day
I may not do to-morrow.
If I this moment shall withhold
The help I might be giving,
Some soul may die, and I shall lose
The sweetest joy of living. Only the present hour is mine —
I may not have another
In which to speak a kindly word,
Or help a fallen brother.
The path of life leads straight ahead;
I can retrace it never;
The daily record which I make
Will stand unchanged forever. To cheer and comfort other souls,
And make their pathways brighter;
To lift the load from other hearts,
And make their burdens lighter,—
This is the work we have to do —
It must not be neglected.
That we improve each passing hour,
Is of us all expected. I shall not pass this way again!
O! then with high endeavor
May I my life and service give
To Him who reigns forever.
Then will the failures of the past
No longer bring me sadness,
And his approving smile will fill
My heart with joy and gladness. — Northwestern Christian Advocate.