Words: , in the child­ren’s ma­ga­zine The Lit­tle Cor­por­al (Chi­ca­go, Il­li­nois: 1868). Cre­at­ed at the end of the Amer­i­can ci­vil war, this ma­ga­zine used a mil­i­ta­ry me­ta­phor, en­cour­ag­ing child­ren to fight against wrong, and for the good, the true, and the beau­ti­ful.

Music: .

Sun­day schools wish­ing to teach this song with more mo­dern word­ing might try a first line of “Je­sus says to shine…”

Jesus bids us shine
With a pure, clear light,
Like a little candle
Burning in the night.
In this world of darkness
So let us shine—
You in your small corner,
And I in mine.

Jesus bids us shine,
First of all for Him;
Well He sees and knows it,
If our light grows dim.
He looks down from Heaven
To see us shine—
You in your small corner,
And I in mine.

Jesus bids us shine,
Then, for all around;
Many kinds of darkness
In the world are found—
Sin and want and sorrow;
So we must shine—
You in your small corner,
And I in mine.