Stay, O Spirit!

FATHER, my earthly father, stay, oh stay!
\ know thou wert a man as others be;
Sore were thy feet upon the World's cold clay,
And thou didst stumble oft, and on thy knee
Knelt little; but thy gentle heart gleamed free
In cloud and shadow, giving its best cheer;
Thou had'st an open hand, and laugh'd for glee
When happy men or creatures dumb played near.
But in thy latter years God's scourge was sore
Upon thee — weary were thy wrongs and dire, —
Yet blessings on thee — until all was o'er,
Cheery thou wert beside a cheerless fire —
Till one red dawn the mark was on the door,
And thou wert dead to all the world's desire.