Scripture Verse

Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler rover many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. Matthew 25:21

Introduction

Words: Mrs. A. M. Adams, in the Af­ri­can Me­tho­dist Epis­co­pal Hymn and Tune Book (Phi­la­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia: Af­ri­can Me­tho­dist Epis­co­pal Book Con­cern, 1898), num­ber 730.

Music: Lee Charles A. White, of the Wil­ber­force Concert Com­pa­ny, 1898 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know Ad­ams’ full name, or where to get a good pho­to of her or White (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

Softly sing our part­ing lay,
Volume four we close to­day;
Aspiration, cour­age, cheer,
All are found re­cord­ed here.
Lay this trea­sured book aside,
Other vol­umes op­en wide,
Rend we must our mu­tu­al bond,
Grasp alone the more be­yond!

Grasping things to us now sealed,
Hidden truths will be re­veal­ed,
Myriad won­ders meet our eyes,
Minds to high­er le­vels rise.
We would light­en oth­ers’ cares,
Lift them heav’n­ward un­awares;
Not for self alone would live,
Much re­ceived, would free­ly give.

Comrades, faint not, do not tire,
After nob­ler things as­pire;
Ever on­ward, ne’er de­spond,
This our sig­nal, More be­yond.
Glorious race may each one run,
Priceless plau­dits hear—Well done,
Lay then ev­ery bur­den down;
Welcome, vic­tor, wear thy crown.