Blair Collection > Celtic magazine > Volume 5

198 THE CELTIC MAGAZINE.
of this policy soon became apparent, and the whole country side hac I
reason to bless the benign influence exerted by the wise laird of Culloden.' I
M. A. ROSE.
[We quote the following Dedication to her father from " Bide a Wee' I
and other Poems," recently published by Mary J. MacColl, daughter oiji
the well-known " Bard of Lochfyne "] : — j
TOMYFATHER. ;
Dear, honored Father, who in childhood's years
Did'st fill to nje the place of parents both '
So faithful that scarce I felt that loss | '
Which naught of earth can fully compensate —
A mother's love and guidance— glad I tune
My harp to sound thy praise, nor could I choose
A nobler, titter theme. An honest man,
God's noblest work, thou art. For Truth and Right
A champion undismayed, who ne'er at wrong
Or aught unjust hath winked, because, forsooth
The doers sat enthroned in places high.
One who disdained to cringe to any man
Although thereby he might have gotten gain
And won position, ease, and all the good
That baser minds would prize as far above
A conscience clean and void of all offence.
E'en in the vilest thy broad charity
Could clear discern the good — the spark divine —
Though latent, waiting but the quickening breath
Of noble influence, example pure,
To fan it into never-dying flame.
The lowest outcast was thy brother man ;
No Levite thou, to take the other side ;
A kindly, helping hand was ever stretched
To all in need, and from thy hard-won store
Thou gavest bountifully. None unoheered,
Unaided, left thy ever-open door.
No test of worthiness did'st thou require —
That miserable excuse for heartlessness ;
The greater to be pitied, in thine eyes,
That wretch who knew that he himself had wrecked
His own and worse, it might be, other lives ;
And bowed beneath the burden of Too Late.
A man thou art of simple, child-like faith,
Enduring patience, and undying hope.
In one grand word, thou art a Christ-like man.
I think with sad regret of all the years
Passed far from thee, for Providence decreed
That my life-path, when thy protecting love
I needed most, should far diverge from thine ;
And I have missed thse sore a thousand times,
But ever by my side thy spirit seemed
To stand and counsel me to choose the good ;
And sweeter praise on me was ne'er bestowed
Than this, " Thou'rt very like thy father, child."
Had I not lacked so oft thy sympathy,
Thy tender guidance, ever wise reproof,
My muse had taken loftier flights and thou
Had'st seen thy youth again renewed in me J
But having to forego so much, my strains,
E'en when I sing of thee, are faltering j
And yet a deep, unfathomable flood
Of fond affection surges in my soul.
In vain I strive to give it overflow
In voiceless music, and within my heart
It must remain a sweet, impriBoned seng.