Charles Dickens

The pure, the bright, the
That stirred our hearts in youth,
The impulses to wordless prayer,
The streams of love and truth,

O God
who by Thy prophet's hand Didst smite the rocky brake, Whence water came, at Thy command, Thy people's thirst to slake; Strike, now, upon this granite wall, Stern, obdurate, and high; And let some drops of pity fall For us who starve an...

The wind blew high, the waters raved, A ship drove on the land, A hundred human creatures saved Kneel'd down upon the sand
Threescore were drown'd, threescore were thrown Upon the black rocks wild, And thus among them, left alone, They found ...

Brave lodgings for one, brave lodgings for one,
A few feet of cold earth, when life is done;
A stone at the head, a stone at the feet;
A rich, juicy meal for the worms to eat;

And now the bell, — the bell She had so often heard by night and day And listened to with solemn pleasure, E'en as a living voice, — Rung its remorseless toll for her, So young, so beautiful, so good
Decrepit age, and vigorous life,
And ...

Hear my prayer,
O heavenly Father, Ere I lay me down to sleep; Bid Thy angels, pure and holy, Round my bed their vigil keep
My sins are heavy, but Thy mercy Far outweighs them, every one; Down before Thy cross I cast them, Trusting in Th...

Oh, a dainty plant is the Ivy green, That creepeth o'er ruins old
Of right choice food are his meals,
I ween, In his cell so lone and cold
The wall must be crumbled, the stone decayed, To pleasure his dainty whim: And the mouldering...

The child and the old man sat alone In the quiet, peaceful shade Of the old green boughs, that had richly grown In the deep, thick forest glade
It was a soft and pleasant sound, That rustling of the oak; And the gentle breeze played lightly r...

How beautiful at eventide To see the twilight shadows pale, Steal o'er the landscape, far and wide, O'er stream and meadow, mound and dale
How soft is Nature's calm repose When ev'ning skies their cool dews weep: The gentlest wind more gently...

Autumn leaves, autumn leaves, lie strewn around he here; Autumn leaves, autumn leaves, how sad, how cold, how drear
How like the hopes of childhood's day, Thick clust'ring on the bough
How like those hopes in their decay— How faded are t...