A Tale of Two Sisters

or

The Tragedy of Ecumenical

Unfaithfulness

With heart so kind and gentle,

And sympathetic eye;

With touching, deep affection,

And loyal, tender tie—

Was LOVE betrothed to DOCTRINE

To hold him all her days:

And walk the path of gladness

United in His ways.

Her younger sister also

Had qualities as fair,

Of caring, selfless, kindness,

And warmth without compare;

Thus UNITY was drawn to

The husband of her youth:

And pledged herself for ever

To be the bride of TRUTH.

But TIME, with bitter envy,

Across the testing years,

Pursued the slow erosion

Of happiness to tears;

Till LOVE began to weary

Of DOCTRINE’S pleasant voice,

And UNITY grew cold to

The partner of her choice.

Then LOVE began to notice

The charms of HERESY,

And awed by his opinions,

She wanted to be free;

And UNITY perceived that

Her virtues were desired

By many, many others

Whose ways she so admired.

At length, two precious unions,

So promising, so blest,

Were darkened by delusion,

Disloyalty, unrest;

Till came the day of sorrows,

And rending vows of youth,

When LOVE divorced her DOCTRINE

And UNITY her TRUTH.

—Author unknown