Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-02-01
THE DYING YEAR.

Eli MISS MARY GARDINER.
With dirge-like music low
Sounds forth again the solemn harp of Time;
Mass for the buried hours, funeral chime
Ger human Joy and wo.
The sere leaves wall around thy passing bier;
Speed 10 thy dreamless rest departing year
Yet ere Thy wing has swept
Ger the wide threshold OF the shadowy past,
Give back the treasures 10 thy bosom cast,
The harvest earth has wept
Give back the lily's bloom and violet's breath,
The summer leaves that bowed before The reaper
Death.
Give back the dreams Of fame,
The aspirations strong for glory won;
Hopes that went out perchance when set thy sun,
Nor left nor trace nor name:
Give back the wasted hours. halt-uttered prayer,
The high resolves forgot tla, stamp thy annals
fair.
Give back the flow OF thought
Tha, woke within the pocts ycarning breast,
flushing its wild and passionate unrest;
Loves rainbow visions wrought
OF Youths deep fearless trus;, that light the scroll
With an intenser glow; records OF heart and soul!
Give back-for ;hon hast more
Give back the kindly words We loved 50 well;
Voices whose music on the spirit fell
But tenderness 10 pour
The steps that never now around us tread
Faces that haun, our sleep; give back, give back
The dead
Give back,-who shall explore
Creations boundess realms 10 mark Thy prey?
Who mount where man has never dreamed ~
SWAY,
Or Science dared 10 soar?
OH who shall tell what suns have set for ave,
What worlds gone our, what systems passed
away?
Not till the stars shall fall
And earth aud sky before Cons presence flee,
Shall human vision look or spirit see
Beneath lhy mystic pail
But bark with accent clear and nue-like swell
Floats up The New Years voice. Departed one,
farewell!
AS the bright )wers wake from their wintry tomb,
I've sprung from The depths Of iuturi,y's gloom;
With the glory of Hope on my rnwritten brow,
Bu; a fear al my heart, earth welcomes me now.
| come aud bear with me The fet,erless flow
OF infinite JOY and OF infinite wo:
The banquels light jest, and the penitent prayer,
The sweet laugh Of gadncsS, the wall OF despair;
Tie warm words of welcome and broken farewell,
The strains Of rich music and funeral knell;
The fair bridal wreath and the robe for the dead,
On now Will lHty iilcet III lHS pau SHdi tiSou
Oh! how willthey mingle where e'er pass by,
AS sunshine and storm in The rainbow on high
Yet start not, nor shrink from the race must run,
I've peace and Tepuse forthe heartsircken one
And strength for the weary who fail in the strife
And falter before the great warfare Of life.
I've love for the friendless; morrow of light
For him who is wrapped in advcrsity's night;
With trus, for the doubling: a field for the soul,
That has dared from its lofier purpose TO stroll,
To haste 10 the conflict and blot out the shame
With the deeds OF repentance and resoutc aim;
To seek mid the struggle with tcmpters and sin,
The high need Of virtue triumphant TO win.
Unsullied and pure sthe futures broad scroll,
And as leaf after leaf from its folds shall unroll
Tile rarp and The ,coof Meyare worsa By me,
But The stad0,rs and coLOnring rest MORTAL ruth McC
'Tis thine to cast over,heir brightness and bloom
The sunlight of morning or ues of the tomb.
The past will give back from isfathomless sea
The hues Of Thy spirit unaltered to thee;
AS the clear lake reflects in its silvery breast
The dyes OF the sun as he sinks 10 his rest
Though darkness and sorrow TO all must be given
There's vista of lightthat leadsup TO Heaven;
Nor utterly s,arless the path thon hast trod,
Till thy heart prove traitor TO thee or 10 GoD.
Shelter Island. ~ Y KnickcrbOckcr.