69. The Guardian Angel

Dear Angel! ever at my side,
How loving must thou be,
To leave thy home in heaven to guard
A guilty wretch like me.

Thy beautiful and shining face
I see not, though so near;
The sweetness of thy soft low voice
I am too deaf to hear.
I

I cannot feel thee touch my hand
With pressure light and mild,
To check me, as my mother did
When I was but a child.

But I have felt thee in my thoughts
Fightiug with sin for me;
And when my heart loves God, 1 know
The sweetness is from thee.

And when, dear Spirit! I kneel down
Morning and night to prayer,
Something there is within my heart
Which tells me thuo art there.

Yes! when I pray thou prayest too,
Thy prayer is all for me;
But when I sleep, thou sleepest not,
But watchest patiently.

But most of all I feel thee near,
When, from the good priest's feet,
1 go absolved, in fearless love.
Fresh toils and cares to meet.

o
And thou in life's last hour wilt brin^
A fresh supply of grace.
And afterwards wilt let me kiss
Thv beautiful bright face.

Ah me! how lovely they must be
Whom God has glorified;
Yet one of them, O sweetest thought!
Is ever at my side.

Then, for thy sake, dear Angel! now
More humble will I be:
But I am weak, and when I fall,
Oh weary not of me:

O weary not, but love me still,
For Mary's sake, thy Queen;
She never tired of me, though I
Her worst of sons have been,

She will reward thee with a smile;
Thou know'st what it is worth!
For Mary's smiles each day convert
The hardest hearts on earth.

Then love me, love me, Angel dear!•
And I will love thee more;
And help me when my soul is cast
Upon the eternal shore.