Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1835-11-26
POETRY.
FIR N the Columbian ientneI.
THE FALL OF THE LEAF AND THE FATE
OF MAN.

The blossoms bidded; they are dead;
The roses boomed; lh- ir bloom II fled;
The more enduring haves, 80 green,
Are flded, withered, scattered seen.
Spring, summer, autumn, each Is gone
Quick as the purple Of The morn.
Nor blossom blooms, nor leaf remains,
To tend iusre to the plains:
Silent, and sure, and swi in they sped,
As mortais To the myriad de I'd.
The dead. ah! stern, sad, solemn train,
why, why intrude y- on The strain!
The dark degrees of silent fate
Wake unaccOrdant sounds of late.
Oh! ye whose art IL II to save,
Go snatch young - from the grave
or rather, Thou on whom we lean
" hen human art ioo weak is seen,
Hear and in tend mercy spare,
Aud yield him longer to our rrsyer.
Once, tw e-, and thrice the shaft has sped,
O number brothers with the dead.
Bid, Thou supreme, the spOiIer stay
Ere stern destruction speed Its way.
Thou thoughtIess, giddy, You hfn train,
Seorn not, nor slight, the seri, us strain.
Sport not with strength and youthful glow;
In one shcrt hour the deahfn snow
OF dire disease yonr bloom may blight,
And shroud the shrine IN endless night
Hark! music wakes. Oh! cease that 81. ain
u echm from the lonib again
Where those oi late most los ed row lay,
Where branty muulders IN decay,
Where laiirst forms now fall Ia dust,
While tannting time I, lis youth To trust
In vestuTe such as his 10 charm
iiis ceaseie : " ing, his Ouistreiched arm,
His ainless scythe, where equal fall
Tie strong and weak, the great ard small;
Where youth, nor sex nor beauty know
Exemption from the hlghtlng blow,
The srnss Is bearded in lis hcw
BEFORE the scy the shall lay It low.
The fields of wheat are wreathtd in white
Before the shining sickles sm'ie.
The corn It's GO den sceptre rears
B fore the husbandman appears.
The orchard diadem behold,
OF red, and purple, green, and gold,
In reg II gran deur be nding low
Ere forced for festive feast To flow.
The vines with gay fest, ons infold
Their clusters blue, black, green, or COLL.
And IN their velvet vestute vie;
While all but they disnianlled lie.
spring blooms, aud summer hath its glow,
And antumD fruit, ere, bended low,
And faded all, aud scattered fnr,
The bIghting frost their features mar.
Vet man is gathered To the tomb
In prime # life, in Youthful bloom;
Ere yet his beauty is IN flower,
Ere ct his soul had fled the flame
Whose fires irwrealh the feldol lsioe.
The tomb! dark bridal ed Of death
Where hut corruption hath ITS breath
There sl' ep the eyes which once 10 me
Spoke love with winning wichery.
There mute are tongues whose ents broke
The potent spell tho L eyes had wore.
Those tongues alone had puwer L break
i he spell those eyes alone could wake.
II was n day-nav, Iess-a ram;
And all those gladstone Things that seem,
! he blooming cheek, the flowing haif,
The igh' some step, The graceful air,
The spark ing eye, the neasIng breast,
The mirth al heart, the soul all blest,
The smiles, he hopes, the joys, he bliss,
The ta-e Of future worlds III tiis,
All gay, alurng, hopeful. bright,
All instant pung ged In endless n. ght.
Go, youth, and treat here he his troll
Who weaveS this chapet for the sod,
Where grass and whd flowers W itbeied lie
usl beauty caught 81