Pippa Passes

Robert Browning once wrote a poem entitled “Pippa Passes” about an Italian
girl. Because of her poverty and destitute family, she was forced to work every day
during the entire year in the silk mills, but on New Year’s Day she was given the
day off. In sheer joy, she walked through the streets of her town in northeast Italy,
singing a song of faith with words that said:

The year’s at the spnng,
And day’s at the morn;
Momiing’’s at seven;
The hill-side’s dew-pearled;
The lark’s on the wing;
The snail’s on the thorn;
All’s right with the world!

As she walked down the narrow streets, her thankfiil heart free and overflowing,
her song reached people just at a crucial moment in their lives. An unwed couple
were moved to make some changes in their lives. An artist on the verge of losing
his temper was calmed. An anarchist intent on assassinating the Austrian emperor
was halted. A churchman planning to murder a child for money was smitten with
remorse.

Pippa returned home from her walk later in the day, unaware of the unseen effects of her attitude and song.