Golden Stars, and Other Verses Following "The Red Flower" — Story, Setting & Ideas

E-text prepared by Juliet Sutherland, Labyrinths, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net/)

The Valley of Vision Fighting for Peace The Unknown Quantity The Ruling Passion The Blue Flower

Out-of-Doors in the Holy Land Days Off Little Rivers Fisherman's Luck

Poems, Collection in one volume

Golden Stars The Red Flower The Grand Canyon, and Other Poems The White Bees, and Other Poems The Builders, and Other Poems Music, and Other Poems The Toiling of Felix, and Other Poems The House of Rimmon

CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS

And Other Verses Following "The Red Flower"

New York Charles Scribner's Sons 1919 Copyright, 1918, 1919, by Charles Scribner's Sons Published February, 1919 Copyright, 1918, By the Outlook Company Copyright, 1918, By the New York Herald Co. Copyright, 1917, By New York Times Co. Copyright, 1918, By New York Tribune, Inc. Copyright, 1917, By Land & Water Pub. Co. Copyright, 1918, By the Public Ledger Copyright, 1918, By the Press Publishing Co.

The only reason for printing this little book is that many people have expressed a desire to have the memorial poem, "Golden Stars," in a permanent form.

The other verses are included simply because they are a wayside record of some of the varied feelings of an old lover of peace who was willing to fight for it,--feelings which may find a response in other American hearts.

Henry van Dyke. Avalon, January 6, 1919.

PAGE The Peaceful Warrior 3 The Winds of War-News 4 Righteous Wrath 5 Facta non Verba 6 From Glory unto Glory 7 Signs of the Zodiac 10 Britain, France, America 13 The Red Cross 14 Easter Road, 1918 15 America's Welcome Home 17 The Surrender of the German Fleet 19 Golden Stars 21

I have no joy in strife, Peace is my great desire; Yet God forbid I lose my life Through fear to face the fire.

A peaceful man must fight For that which peace demands,-- Freedom and faith, honor and right, Defend with heart and hands.

Farewell, my friendly books; Farewell, ye woods and streams; The fate that calls me forward looks To a duty beyond dreams.

Oh, better to be dead With a face turned to the sky, Than live beneath a slavish dread And serve a giant lie.

Stand up, my heart, and strive For the things most dear to thee! Why should we care to be alive Unless the world is free?

THE WINDS OF WAR-NEWS

The winds of war-news change and veer Now westerly and full of cheer, Now easterly, depressing, sour With tidings of the Teutons' power.

But thou, America, whose heart With brave Allies has taken part, Be not a weathercock to change With these wild winds that shift and range.

Be thou a compass ever true, Through sullen clouds or skies of blue, To that great star which rules the night,-- The star of Liberty and Right.

Lover of peace, oh set thy soul, Thy strength, thy wealth, thy conscience whole, To win the peace thine eyes foresee,-- The triumph of Democracy.

There are many kinds of hatred, as many kinds of fire; And some are fierce and fatal with murderous desire; And some are mean and craven, revengeful, sullen, slow, They hurt the man that holds them more than they hurt his foe.

And yet there is a hatred that purifies the heart: The anger of the better against the baser part, Against the false and wicked, against the tyrant's sword, Against the enemies of love, and all that hate the Lord.

O cleansing indignation, O flame of righteous wrath, Give me a soul to feel thee and follow in thy path! Save me from selfish virtue, arm me for fearless fight, And give me strength to carry on, a soldier of the Right!

_Deeds not Words_: I say so too! And yet I find it somehow true, A word may help a man in need, To nobler act and braver deed.

FROM GLORY UNTO GLORY

O dark the night and dim the day When first our flag arose; It fluttered bravely in the fray To meet o'erwhelming foes. Our fathers saw the splendor shine, They dared and suffered all; They won our freedom by the sign-- The holy sign, the radiant sign-- Of the stars that never fall.

All hail to thee, Young Glory! Among the flags of earth We'll ne'er forget the story Of thy heroic birth.

O wild the later storm that shook The pillars of the State, When brother against brother took The final arms of fate. But union lived and peace divine Enfolded brothers all; The flag floats o'er them with the sign-- The loyal sign, the equal sign-- Of the stars that never fall.

All hail to thee, Old Glory! Of thee our heart's desire Foretells a golden story, For thou hast come through fire.