A little longer yet--a little longer,Shall violets bloom for thee,and sweet birds sing;And the lime branches where soft winds are blowing,Shall murmur the sweet promise of the Spring!

A little longer yet--a little longer,Thou shalt behold the quiet of the morn;While tender grasses and awakening flowers Send up a golden mist to greet the dawn!

A little longer yet--a little longer,The tenderness of twilight shall be thine,The rosy clouds that float o'er dying daylight,Nor fade till trembling stars begin to shine.

A little longer yet--a little longer,Shall starry night be beautiful for thee;And the cold moon shall look through the blue silence,Flooding her silver path upon the sea.

A little longer yet--a little longer,Life shall be thine;life with its power to will;Life with its strength to bear,to love,to conquer,Bringing its thousand joys thy heart to fill.

A little longer yet--a little longer,The voices thou hast loved shall charm thine ear;And thy true heart,that now beats quick to hear them,A little longer yet shall hold them dear.

A little longer yet--joy while thou mayest;Love and rejoice!for time has nought in store;And soon the darkness of the grave shall bid thee Love and rejoice and feel and know no more.

A little longer still--Patience,Beloved:A little longer still,ere Heaven unroll The Glory,and the Brightness,and the Wonder,Eternal,and divine,that waits thy Soul!

A little longer ere Life true,immortal,(Not this our shadowy Life,)will be thine own;And thou shalt stand where winged Archangels worship,And trembling bow before the Great White Throne.

A little longer still,and Heaven awaits thee,And fills thy spirit with a great delight;Then our pale joys will seem a dream forgotten,Our Sun a darkness,and our Day a Night.

A little longer,and thy Heart,Beloved,Shall beat for ever with a Love divine;And joy so pure,so mighty,so eternal,No creature knows and lives,will then be thine.

A little longer yet--and angel voices Shall ring in heavenly chant upon thine ear;Angels and Saints await thee,and God needs thee:Beloved,can we bid thee linger here!