Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1843-03-31
THE COMETS FLIGHT.

Written in the spring of 1882, by Miss MAITr
DAY, and read at an Examination of the Young l.
dies Institute, New Haven, Conn.
II happened once that struggling ray
From the Solar System lost its way,
And it came 10 Comets den
And it reused him up, from his long long sleep,
And he sprung from his cavern in Chaos deep,
To visit the sun again.
So long he had lain in his dungeon cold,
His Joints felt exceedingly stiff and old,
And he scarce could move limb
But in spite Of his sharp, rheumatic pain,
He shook his limbs and he combed his name,
And put himself soon in tim.
Then, forth he sprung on the realm Of Night,
All Chaos stared at his crazy fight,
And terrible tumult made-
And torrent. of cloud, and flood, and flame,
Up from her dark abysses came .
But nothing the monster stayed.
On, on he went, ms the lightning fast
Till the realm Of obstruction and darkness past
Glad was the Comet then,
For behind lay the kingdom of night and death,
And he saw the light, and he breathed the breat
OF the starry world again.
That lovely world with its bounds of blue,
Lay far and wldo.l the Comets view,
As he stayed his course 10 gaze
And he hung like one in Joyful trance,
Watching the stars, in their mystic dance,
Ahrough ihaHy BntterlnS maze
BY millions and millions, the orbs of ligh.
Solemly moved, in their courses bright,
And, from far, to his ravished ears
Seemed, like a breeze TO swell and die,
A clear AMI awful harmony
Twas the music Of the spheres!
And gentle gales came floating there
Gales OF the soft ethereal air,
And, at their revivng breath,
Down, down he plunged on his needless way,
And woe 10 all in his path that lay,
In his fiery path Of death.
BY many n rolling star he flew.
With her gltiering seas, and her lands ofblue,
But in lone mess h Jared
For, with palId beams, they shrunk away,
And hid themselves from his deadly ray,
As he wildly on them glared
But once, too near to his fearful blaze,
One tiny pannet came forth TO gaze,
From her path of light afar-
And the comet w hered the waving trees.
And bllghted the lands, and dried the seas
Ofthe ventorous little star.
Swifter and swfter the Comet flew,
Brighter and brighter, his radiance grew,
When the glorious Sun near
But, the PLANETS wished him back again,
And fast asleep in his midnight den,
For their orbs were thrilled with fear.
Saturn called loudly each frightened moon,
AND they gathered, Tor safety, behind him, soon,
Aud peeped through his ring of gold;
Jove drew his grdle around him tight,
And callcd on Mars to prepare for fight
But the courage Of Mars was cold.
Soon he came near to the beautiful Earth
flushed were her murmurs of Joy and mirth,
When she saw tina, dlreful ray
And the pallid moon behind her fled,
And covered with clouds her faintng head
And concealed in darkness lay
Venus in eplendor he could not dim
Her eye of glory beamcd on him,
And where was his savage heart?
One glance OF love he backward cast,
And trimmed his beams, as he onward passed,
And in sadness did he depart.
Mercury fed in dismay n the sight.
The Comet laughed TO behold his fright,
And erected his name Of flame
But now, his fiery course was done,
His long and trackless race was run,
For unto the sun he came.
But should l tell you the conference dire,
That was held between those orbs Of FIRE,
Your every hair would rise!
So now, descend 10 earth again,
Ere the height has turned my gddy brain,
Or the glory dmmed my eyes.