Through the Church Porch. By E. Warden. Edited by the
Rev. W. Andrew, M.A. (William Poole.)—It is unusual to meet with a volume of sacred poetry not largely dogmatic ; and women, though less prone to dogmatism than men, are by no means free from it. In this little volume we find scarcely a trace of it. It is religions, not theological, and deals with the thought natural to the anniver- saries of the Christian year, and to the varied events, sad and happy, of human life. There is often a vagueness of meaning, as, for in- stance, in the lines on the clematis ; and a probably unconscious indolence in frequently resting content with blank verse—quite in- appropriate to modest poems like these—and with two rhymes instead of four in ordinary four-line verse, as in those entitled "The Paschal Lamb," " Moonlight at Marren," &c. The feeling, however, is always tender, the thought simple and true, and the style refined and restful. Here is a little specimen of the poems, peculiarly appropriate to the present season :-
"pastas Evart Os A Lava Brame). Still are the woods and mute,
Save some low twitter for a moment heard; Life seems suspended in each vernal shoot, By breeze or beam unstirred !
Where are the flowers we sought?
Folded ? or rifled from their mossy bed ?—
(Fair woodland gifts, that gentle hands had brought For Easter, garlanded:—)
Yet may we rest between The leafless branches that shall wear their crown Of living gladness when the woods are green ; How barren yet and brown ! And words of sacred cheer Shall break the stillness ; hymn and holy psalm, (Dear words of memory, to hope as dear !) Shall consecrate the calm.
Does not to-morrow bring
Joy, that the woods shall sing of and the maul;— The Light that changed our winter into spring Is HE not risen indeed ?"
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