SELECT POETRY.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 118, 12 May 1870, Page 7

SELECT POETRY.

NO SECT IN HEAVEN. Talking of sects till late one ere, Of the various doctrines the saints believe, That night 1 stood in a troubled dream, By the side of a darkly flowing stream. And a " Churchman " down to the river came ; When I heard a strange voice call his name — " Good father, stop ; when you cross this tide, You must leave your robes on the other side." But the asced father did not mind, And his long gown floated out behind. As down to the stream his way he took, His pale hands clasping a gilt-edged book. " I'm bound for Heaven, aud when I'm there, I shall want my Book of Common Prayer ; And though I put on a starry crown, I should feel quite lost without my gown." Then he fixed his eyes on the shining track, But his gown was heavy, and held him back, And the poor old father tried in vain, A single step in the flood to gain. I saw him again on the other side, But hia silk gown floated upon the tide ; And no one asked, in that blissful spot, If he belonged to " the Church" or not. Then down to the river a Quaker strayed, His dress of a sober hue was made ! " My coat and hat must be all of grey, I cannot go any other way." Then he buttoned his coat straight up to his chin, And staidly, solemnly, waded in, And his broad-brimmed hat he pulled down tight, Over his forehead, so cold and white. But a strong wind carried away his hat ; j A moment he silently sighed over that. j And then, as he fizzed to the farther shore, I The coat slipped off, and he was seen no more, j As he entered Heaven, his suit of grey J "Went quietly sailing away— away — j And none of the angels questioned him j About the width of his beaver's brim. j Next came Dr. JFatts with a bundle of Psalms Tied nicely up in his aged arms, And Hymns as many — a very wise thing — That the people in Heaven, " all round " might sing. But I thought that he heaved an anxious sigh, As he saw that the river ran broad and high, And he looked rather surprised as, one by one, The Psalms and Hymns in the wave went down. ! Aud after him, #th his MSS. Came Wesley, the pattern of godliness, ' | But he cried, " Dear me, what shall I do ? | The water has soaked them through and through !" j And there on the river, far and wide, Away they went down the swollen tide, And the saint astonished passed through alone. Without his manuscripts up to the tin one. Then gravely walking, two saints by name, Down to the stream together came, But as they stopped at the river's brink, I saw one saint from the other shrink. "Sprinkled or plunged, may I ask you, friend, How you attained to life's great end ?" | " Thus with a few drops on my brow." " But I have been dipped, as you'll see me now; And I really think it will hardly do, I As I'm ' close communion,' to cross with you. i You're bound, I know, to the realms of bliss ; | But you must go that way, and I'll go this." Then straightway plunging with all his might, Away to the left— his friend to the right, Apart they went from this world of sin, But at last together they entered in. And now, when the river was rolling on, A Presbyterian church went down : Of women there seemed a wondrous throng, But the men I could count as I passed along. Audconcerningthe road, they couldnever agree — The Old or the New way, which it should be, Nor ever for a moment paused to think That both would lead to the river's brink. And a sound of murmuring, long aud loud Came ever up from the moving crowd : "You're in the Old way, and I'm in the New, That is the false, and this is the true." Or, " I'm in the Old way, and you're in the New, That is the fake, and this is the true." But the bretheren only seemed to speak ; Modest the sisters walked, and meek, And if ever one of them chance to say What troubles she met with on the way — How she longed to pass to the other side, Nor feared to cross over the swelling tide — A voice arose from the brethren then : " Let no one speak but the ' holy men ;' For have ye not heard the words of Paul, ' O, let the women keep silence all ?' ' I watched them long in my curious dream, Till they stood by the borders of the stream, Then, just as I thought, the two ways met, But all the brethren were talking yet ; And would talk on, till the heaving tide Carried them over, side by side. Side by side, for the way was one, The toilsome journey of life was done, And Priest and Quaker, and all who died, Came out alike on the other side. No forms, nor crosses, nor books had they, No gowns of silk, nor suits of grey ; No creeds to guide them, nor MSS., For all had put on Christ's righteousness. " Leader,"