ONE sweetly solemn thought Comes to me o’er and o’er— I’m nearer home today Than I have been before.
Nearer my Father’s house Where many mansions be, Nearer the great white throne, Nearer the crystal sea.
Nearer the bound of life, Where burdens are laid down, Where pilgrims end their road, And victors gain their crown.
But lying dark between, And winding through the night, Rolls deep that unknown stream That leads at last to light.
O, if my mortal feet Have almost gained the brink, If I am nearer home, Nearer than now I think . . .
Saviour, in Whom I trust, Perfect my feeble faith, That I may bravely cross That unknown stream of death!
Phoebe Cary, 1824-71