Remembering a song from my childhood

Cliff and I rode the motorcycle to Sedalia today; we left before 7 A.M., which is the time of day I shine. I was in an excellent mood. Our helmets are equipped with microphones, and often if there's a lapse in conversation, I sing. Cliff enjoys my singing, and I have fun doing it.

Today I was singing a song I haven't heard for many years, a hymn we used to sing in the Church of Christ when I was growing up.

You need to know that particular church doesn't have any instrumental music, but members learn early on to sing parts; in a decent-sized congregation you can hear some fantastic a capella singing. Once I learned to read the shaped notes and sing alto, I looked forward to songs that had lots of alto action. One of these was "Whispering Hope".

I'd sit up straight and concentrate extra hard for the special alto parts, singing at the top of my lungs. Oh, it was altogether lovely, and one of my favorite things to do.

Today, I realized I had never paid attention to the words; and as I sang them (the ones I could remember), I was almost in awe of how appropriate the verses were for hard times. One more family member (in St. Louis) is out of work, and maybe that's why the words struck me so.

WHISPERING HOPE
Septimus Winner

Soft as the voice of an angel,
Breathing a lesson unheard,
Hope with a gentle persuasion
Whispers her comforting word:
Wait till the darkness is over,
Wait till the tempest is done,
Hope for the sunshine tomorrow,
After the shower is gone.

Refrain

Whispering hope, oh how welcome thy voice,
Making my heart in its sorrow rejoice.

If, in the dusk of the twilight,
Dim be the region afar,
Will not the deepening darkness
Brighten the glimmering star?
Then when the night is upon us,
Why should the heart sink away?
When the dark midnight is over,
Watch for the breaking of day.

Refrain

Indeed, we'll all get through these hard times. Hope will take us through.