Christmas Hymn.

Break over the waiting hill-tops,
    White dawn of the Christmas morn!
For the angels have sung through the midnight,
    That the wonderful Babe is born.

And still in the slumbering valleys,
    The night's black tents are up,
And the young moon stands on the mountains,
    Clear and fair as a silver cup.

Under the cottage rafters,
    Silent and soft and deep,
On the swart low brow of the toiler,
    Settles the dew of sleep.

And some that watch and waken,
    Are dreaming of eyes whose ray
Was long ago quenched and hidden
    Under the shroud away.

Oh, sing thy jubilant anthem
    Over the frozen mould,
And tell that wonderful story
    Again, that never grows old!

For under the year's broad shadow,
    Along the upward way,
Our footsteps often falter,
    And oftea wander astray.

Weary and weak and erring,
    In sorrow and doubt and tears,
Shine through the mist and the darkness
    Star of a thousand years!

Awhile from the dusty marches
    Of life let us find release,
And pitch our tents in the shadow
    Of the white-walled City of Peace,

Let us hear through the blessed starlight.
    The angels of Bethlehem,
Singing Glory to God in the highest,
    On earth good will to men.

White dawn of the Christmas morning,
    Through the snow-wreaths shining pale.
Let the joy-bells ring through the valleys,
    Hail to thy coming--hail!