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Classic and Contemporary Poetry


FOR ELIZABETH CLAY'S BIRTHDAY by FRANCES RIDLEY HAVERGAL

First Line: MY PRESENCE SHALL GO WITH THEE
Last Line: AND HE HATH GIVEN ME REST'?
Subject(s): BIRTHDAYS;

'MY presence shall go with thee
And I will give thee rest!'
A promise sweetly tender,
Soothing the anxious breast.

He knows the lonely spirit,
And all its hidden woe;
He knows the weary yearnings
No earthly friend can know.

His presence shall go with thee,
And His upholding hand
Thy orphaned footsteps guiding
All through the stranger's land.

Encompassed by that Presence
Thou wilt not be alone,
And thou may'st safely rest thee
'Neath the shadow of His throne.

When spring-time's emerald glory
Bids hill and valley smile,
And thou once more regainest
The white cliffs of our isle,

Shall I not hear thee whisper,
In accents calmly blest—
'His presence @3hath@1 been with me,
And He @3hath@1 given me rest'?



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