Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1839-03-14
slSIhlhoTlND P0NWDT0 o
Written on The departure Of the old year 1897
and the commencement of The nelU, 1888, by

Written on The departure Of the old year 1897
and The commencement Of The neiO, 1885, by
nARoAREr MILLER DAVIDSON.
LAT tho age Of fourteen years and ten months.l
Hsrk TO the house clocks measured chime,
As IL cries 10 the startled ear,
"a drge for the soul OF departing Time,
A requiem for the year ~
Thou art hasting away to the mighty past,
Where thy countless brethren sleep,
Till the great arch-angel's trumpet blast
Shall waken land aud deep.
Oh the lovely aud beautiful things that le
On thy col. and motonless breast -
Oh the tears, the reoicings, the smiles the s'gh'
Departing with thee 10 their rest
Thou vert ushered to life amid darkness and gloom
But the cold, Icy cloud past away,
And Spring In her verdure, aud freshness ana pioo"
Touched with glory thy mantle OF grey
The nowrets burst forth In their beauty-the trees
In their exquisite robes were arrayed,
But thou glidedst nloDe-ard the flower ana the iea
Al the sound of thy footsteps decayed
And fairer young blossoms were blooming alone,
And they died at the glance ofthne eyes
But life within which should rise oer ther owi
And a spirit thou coud'st not destroy.
Thon hast folded thy pinons thy race Is complete,
And fulfllcd the Creators behost.
Then, adeu 10 thee, year Of our sorrows and Joys!
And peaceful and long be their rest.
Farewell! for thy trnili-written record Is full,
And the page weeps for sorrow and crime,
Yarewell--ior the leaf hath shut down on the pasi
Ard concealed the dark annals Of Time
The bell Il hath ceased with its " iron tongue
TO ring on he startled ear.
The dirge DER the grave Of the lost ono is runs-
All hail TO tho new born Year -
All hail 10 the new born Year!
To the child OF hope and fear
lie comes on his car oi state,
And weayes our web Of fate
And he opens his rope to receive us oil,
And we live or die, and we rise or TALL
In the arms of the new born Year.
Hope spread thy soaring wings!
Look forth Oh the boundess sea
And trnce Thy bright aud beautiful things
On the veil Of the great To he.
BuiN palaces broad rs the sky,
And store them with treasures OF light.
Let exquisite visions bew ilder the eye,
And illumine the darkness Of night.
We are gliding fast from the buried year,
And the present - no more.
But Hope, we viii borrow thy sparkling gear,
And shroud the future DER.
Our tears and sighs shall sleep
In the grave of the silent past
We will raise up nowers-nor weep
That the air-hues may not last.
We will dream ont dreams ofJoy-
All fear WHY darken the scene #!
Why sprinkle that onDous tear
My beautiful visions between
Hath not sorrow swifi wings of her own,
That THOU must assist in her light
i not day light too rapidly gone,
That thou must urge onward the night
All! leave me 10 fancy, TO hope,
For grief will too quickly be here.
All leave me to shadow forth figures OF lghs
On the mystical robe OF the year.
'Tis trne, they may never assume
The substance Of peasurc--ihe real,
But believe me our purcst Of Joy
Consists in the vague-the ideal.
Then away 90 thy darksome cave
With thy sisters, the sigh and the tear,
We will drink in the crystal wave,
The health OF the new born year.
tBallston, Spa, 1855.