<html xmlns:tei="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><body><h1 align="" class="head">Is There No Hostel by the Way of Life?"</h1><div class="stanza"><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">IS there no hostel by the way of life,</p><p class="line">No place o'ershadowed from the sun and sin</p><p class="line">Of noisy noonday, sheltered from all strife,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">And dust, and din?</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Is there no place where men may, mesh by mesh,</p><p class="line">Sunder their carnate bonds and walk abroad</p><p class="line">Free souls,--no place where they may doff the flesh</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">And talk with God?</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Yea, there are holy hostels on our path,</p><p class="line">Where peace, and beauty, and refreshment are,</p><p class="line">Where God thrusts back the world, and cries in wrath,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">"Thus far, thus far."</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Go, watch the lily coming thro' the sod,</p><p class="line">And thou shalt be refreshed as if with wine,</p><p class="line">Supping, as in a hostel with thy God,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Of food divine.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Or gaze on Ocean when the twilight lingers</p><p class="line">Over its waves, as young as at their birth,</p><p class="line">When thunderous they trickled thro' God's fingers</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Upon the Earth.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Or climb a hill. The world is short of breath,</p><p class="line">Thou wilt not find her cloven footprints there,</p><p class="line">And thou wilt recognise as angels, Death,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">And Toil, and Care.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">There stand, a living and discarnate soul,</p><p class="line">Until the angels drop their dark disguise,</p><p class="line">And show thee, hidden under veil and stole,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Their wings and eyes.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Then thou shalt turn thee to thy task as one,</p><p class="line">Who cometh from a hostel fresh and strong,</p><p class="line">Meeting and greeting dust, and rain, and sun,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">With laugh and song.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Yea, there are hostels on the path of duty,</p><p class="line">Holy of Holies on the way of Life,</p><p class="line">Where men are comforted by Love and Beauty,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">After their strife.</p></div></body></html> · Great War