A Legend of Service

It pleased the Lord of Angels (praise His name!)To hear, one day, report from those who cameWith pitying sorrow, or exultant joy,To tell of earthly tasks in His employ.For some were grieved because they saw how slowThe stream of heavenly love on earth must flow;And some were glad because their eyes had seen,Along its banks, fresh flowers and living green.At last, before the whiteness of the throneThe youngest angel, Asmiel, stood alone;Nor glad, nor sad, but full of earnest thought,And thus his tidings to the Master brought"Lord, in the city Lupon I have foundThree servants of thy holy name, renownedAbove their fellows. One is very wise,With thoughts that ever range beyond the skies;And one is gifted with the golden speechThat makes men gladly hear when he will teach;And one, with no rare gift or grace endued,Has won the people's love by doing good.With three such saints Lupon is trebly blest;But, Lord, I fain would know, which loves Thee best?"Then spake the Lord of Angels, to whose lookThe hearts of all are like an open book:"In every soul the secret thought I read,And well I know who loves me best indeed.But every life has pages vacant still,Whereon a man may write the thing he will;Therefore I read the record, day by day,And wait for hearts untaught to learn my way.But thou shalt go to Lupon, to the threeWho serve me there, and take this word from me:Tell each of them his Master bids him goAlone to Spiran's huts, across the snow;There he shall find a certain task for me:But what, I do not tell to them nor thee.Give thou the message, make my word the test,And crown for me the one who loves me best."Silent the angel stood, with folded hands,To take the imprint of his Lord's commands;Then drew one breath, obedient and elate,And passed the self-same hour, through Lupon's gate.

First to the Temple door he made his way;And there, because it was a holy-day,He saw the folk in thousands thronging, stirredBy ardent thirst to hear the preacher's word.Then, while the people whispered Bernol's name,Through aisles that hushed behind him Bernol came;Strung to the keenest pitch of conscious might,With lips prepared and firm, and eyes alight.One moment at the pulpit step he kneltIn silent prayer, and on his shoulder feltThe angel's hand:--"The Master bids thee goAlone to Spiran's huts, across the snow,To serve Him there." Then Bernol's hidden faceWent white as death, and for about the spaceOf ten slow heart-beats there was no reply;Till Bernol looked around and whispered, "Why?"But answer to his question came there none;The angel sighed, and with a sigh was gone.

Within the humble house where Malvin spentHis studious years, on holy things intent,Sweet stillness reigned; and there the angel foundThe saintly sage immersed in thought profound,Weaving with patient toil and willing careA web of wisdom, wonderful and fair:A seamless robe for Truth's great bridal meet,And needing but one thread to be complete.Then Asmiel touched his hand, and broke the threadOf fine-spun thought, and very gently said,"The One of whom thou thinkest bids thee goAlone to Spiran's huts, across the snow,To serve Him there." With sorrow and surpriseMalvin looked up, reluctance in his eyes.The broken thought, the strangeness of the call,The perilous passage of the mountain-wall,The solitary journey, and the lengthOf ways unknown, too great for his frail strength,Appalled him. With a doubtful browHe scanned the doubtful task, and muttered "How?"But Asmiel answered, as he turned to go,With cold, disheartened voice, "I do not know."

Now as he went, with fading hope, to seekThe third and last to whom God bade him speak,Scarce twenty steps away whom should he meetBut Fermor, hurrying cheerful down the street,With ready heart that faced his work like play,And joyed to find it greater every day!The angel stopped him with uplifted hand,And gave without delay his Lord's command:"He whom thou servest here would have thee goAlone to Spiran's huts, across the snow,To serve Him there." Ere Asmiel breathed againThe eager answer leaped to meet him, "When?"

The angel's face with inward joy grew bright,And all his figure glowed with heavenly light;He took the golden circlet from his browAnd gave the crown to Fermor, answering, "Now!For thou hast met the Master's hidden test,And I have found the man who loves Him best.Not thine, nor mine, to question or replyWhen He commands us, asking 'how?' or 'why?'He knows the cause; His ways are wise and just;Who serves the King must serve with perfect trust."