The Project Gutenberg EBook of When Day is Done, by Edgar A. Guest

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Title: When Day is Done

Author: Edgar A. Guest

Release Date: December 14, 2003 [EBook #10460]

Language: English

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WHEN DAY IS DONE ***

Produced by Ted Garvin, Ginny Brewer and PG Distributed Proofreaders

WHEN DAY IS DONE

by

EDGAR A. GUEST

1921

To
S.H.D.
A real friend who never knows when day is done

INDEX

Age of Ink, The
All for the Best
Always Saying "Don't!"
Autumn Evenings
Aw Gee Whiz!

Bedtime
Better Job, The
Bob White
Book of Memory. The
Boy and His Dad, A
Boy and His Dog, A
Boy and His Stomach, A
Boy and the Flag, The
Boy O'Mine
Brothers All

Call of the Woods, The
"Carry On"
Castor Oil
Chip on Your Shoulder, The
Christmas Carol, A
Christmas Gift for Mother, The
Cleaning the Furnace
Committee Meetings
Contradictin' Joe
Cookie Jar, The
Couldn't Live Without You
Cure for Weariness, The

Dan McGann Declares Himself
Deeds of Anger, The

Family Row, A
Father's Wish, A
Feller's Hat, A
Fellowship of Books, The
Forgotten Boyhood

God Made This Day for Me
Golf Luck
Good Little Boy, The
Grate Fire, The
Green Apple Time

Happy Man, The
He's Taken Out His Papers
Home and the Office
Homely Man, The
How Do You Buy Your Money?

I Ain't Dead Yet
I'd Rather Be a Failure
If I Had Youth
If This Were All

Joys of Home, The
Joys We Miss, The
Just a Boy

Kick Under the Table, The

Leader of the Gang
Learn to Smile
Life Is What We Make It
Life's Single Standard
Little Girls Are Best
Little Wrangles
Lonely
Looking Back
Loss Is Not So Great, The
Lucky Man, The

Ma and the Ouija Board
Making of Friends, The
Memorial Day
Mother's Day
My Religion

No Better Land Than This
No Children!
No Room for Hate
Nothing to Laugh At
No Use Sighin'

Old Mister Laughter
Old Years and New

Pa and the Monthly Bills
Peaks of Valor, The
Practicing Time
Pretending Not to See

Safe at Home
Satisfied With Life
She Mothered Five
She Powders Her Nose
Simple' Things, The
Sittin' on the Porch
Song of the Builder, The
Spoiler, The
Summer Dreams

Things You Can't Forget, The
Three Me's, The
To a Little Girl
To an Old Friend
Too Big a Price
Trouble Brings Friends
True Man, The

Vanished Joy, A

"Wait Till Your Pa Comes Home"
We're Dreamers All
What Home's Intended For
What I Call Living
What Is Success?
What Makes an Artist
What We Need
When Day Is Done
When Friends Drop In
When Ma Wants Something New
When Mother's Sewing Buttons On
When Sorrow Comes
When The Minister Calls
When We Play the Fool
When We're All Alike
When We Understand the Plan
Where Children Play
"Where's Mamma?"
Wide Outdoors, The
Willing Horse, The
With Dog and Gun
World and Bud, The

When Day Is Done

When day is done and the night slips down,
And I've turned my back on the busy town,
And come once more to the welcome gate
Where the roses nod and the children wait,
I tell myself as I see them smile
That life is good and its tasks worth while.

When day is done and I've come once more
To my quiet street and the friendly door,
Where the Mother reigns and the children play
And the kettle sings in the old-time way,
I throw my coat on a near-by chair
And say farewell to my pack of care.

When day is done, all the hurt and strife
And the selfishness and the greed of life,
Are left behind in the busy town;
I've ceased to worry about renown
Or gold or fame, and I'm just a dad,
Content to be with his girl and lad.

Whatever the day has brought of care,
Here love and laughter are mine to share,
Here I can claim what the rich desire—
Rest and peace by a ruddy fire,
The welcome words which the loved ones speak
And the soft caress of a baby's cheek.

When day is done and I reach my gate,
I come to a realm where there is no hate,
For here, whatever my worth may be,
Are those who cling to their faith in me;
And with love on guard at my humble door,
I have all that the world has struggled for.

The Simple Things

I would not be too wise—so very wise
  That I must sneer at simple songs and creeds,
And let the glare of wisdom blind my eyes
  To humble people and their humble needs.

I would not care to climb so high that I
  Could never hear the children at their play,
Could only see the people passing by,
  And never hear the cheering words they say.

I would not know too much—too much to smile
  At trivial errors of the heart and hand,
Nor be too proud to play the friend the while,
  Nor cease to help and know and understand.

I would not care to sit upon a throne,
  Or build my house upon a mountain-top,
Where I must dwell in glory all alone
  And never friend come in or poor man stop.

God grant that I may live upon this earth
  And face the tasks which every morning brings
And never lose the glory and the worth
  Of humble service and the simple things.

Life Is What We Make It

Life is a jest;
  Take the delight of it.
Laughter is best;
  Sing through the night of it.
Swiftly the tear
  And the hurt and the ache of it
Find us down here;
  Life must be what we make of it.

Life is a song;
  Dance to the thrill of it.
Grief's hours are long,
  And cold is the chill of it.
Joy is man's need;
  Let us smile for the sake of it.
This be our creed:
  Life must be what we make of it.

Life is a soul;
  The virtue and vice of it,
Strife for a goal,
  And man's strength is the price of it.
Your life and mine,
  The bare bread and the cake of it
End in this line:
  Life must be what we make of it.