Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1855-03-24
POETRY.


Death comes alike to ALL The old, the young,
The middle aged the man Of many cares,
The listless idler in the busy mart,
The lover standing on the verge Of bliss,
The blooming maiden, with the flush Of hope
Deep'ning the rose-tint on her fair young check.
The bride, whose VOWS Of love are fresh upon
Her lips, and fresher still within her heart
The child, in innocence, and purity,
The rich, Che poor, the foolish, and the wise
An,-all must meet the last, and dreadful foel
speak not what know not; but my eyes
Have looked upon the scenes, now describe.
trod again the nowery fields, that
Ranged around my country home. Two years.
Two swiftly gliding years had sped away
Since had bade the spot adeu, to seek
Amid oft heard Of scenes, for aught to quench
The thirst Of vision had ever felt
For natures wonders, and the works Of art.
The place was little changed since behold
II last. Two towering elins still hung their
Branches o'er the messy roof, and still the
Trailing woodbine sent its verdant shoots far
Up the cottages darkened front, as IL, to
Hide the quaint old workmanship, upon It.
Adown the slope, the rippling brook sent forth
The self-same murmur, and upon its banks,
traced the winding path, my feet were won't
To tread in other days, that led me to
The village church-yard. As of before,
Raised the latch and entered. My eye soon mark d
The change. Yesl ohange,-sad change indeed,
was here.
Four new-made graves, upon whose mounds, the
grass
Had never learned to raise its tiny blade,
Lay closely side by side. Upon the smooth,
Pale marble, by the fading twilight ray,
| read the names Of the departed ones
The first, was Of an aged man. His head,
When last stood beneath his roof, was white
With age, and care had deeply mark'd his brow;
But still his dark eye beamed with youthful fire,
His firm tul l.sfs,r a.,I
And prospects ora good old age were bright
But death had come, and placed her icy hand
Upon him;-he had fallen and beneath
The valleys clod he lay.
The next, was of fair young girl,-the old
Mans daughter. As l stood, and gazed upon
Her lowly resting place, ,-her lovely form,
The fairest that all Everdale could boast,
Rose on my mental vision, and her face,
Whose gentle sweetness oft had lent charm
10 mitigate the heart-aches Of my youth,
Seemed beaming on me, beautiful as then
When last stood within the village church,
Twas Elias wedding day. Yes, Ella Linn
Had learned to love the noble youth, upon
Whose arm she now so fondly rested, and
This day had seen the crowning Of her hopes.
Since then, naught had heard Of her; but when
On hncy's canvass glowed the images
My mind had formed, | saw for her portrayal,
life of long, and blssful happiness,
As e'er to mortals is vouchsafed by God.
But now,--the words upon the marble traced,
Told me, she too had died, and rested there
little grave,.that Of 1 her mfr tirst-beEp sbildr
Had bloomed for two short months, the only Tie
That bound the husbands spirit to the world,
Then withered, and the cold earth was its bed
The last contained a manly form. Twas here
Beside his gep,le wife, and lovely child,
One v-seK before l look'd upon the scene,
me sad, heart-broken husband sought his rest.
He aha1 no that bq 81 m die
For much he longed to tread the path of light,
And mingle, with his cherished ones, the voice
Of praise among the cherubm of heaven
Reader, the picture is not overdrawn.
Heed thou the waruian T. si-y eiA1t S-'afsu
a refiecf, Tor sometime thou must die