The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1858-01-07
VOL. IX-NO. 40.
THE CLOSING YEAR.

Tis mdnight's holy hour. and silence now
l. brooding like gentle spirit, Ger
The still and pu!seless world. Hark on the
winds,
The bells deep tones are swelling It's the kneu
OF the departed year. No fnneral train
]. sweeping past yet, on the stream and wood,
With me elanchoy light the moon beams rest
Like pale, spotless -hroud. The air is stirred.
As by mOurner's sigh: and on yon clond.
That floats so still and placidly through heaven,
The spirits Of the Season TO stand
Young Spring, bright Summer Autumn's sol.
emn form,
And Winter, with his aged locks. ..-and breathe
In m0uruful cadences, that come abroad
Like the far wind harp's Wild touching wall.
melancholy dirge o'er the past year,
Gone from the earth forever.
'Tis time
For memory and for tears. Within the damp,
still chambers OF the heart, specter dim,
Whose tones are like the wizard voice OF Time,
Heard from the tomb of ages, points its cold
And solemn finger to the beautiful
And holy visions, that have passed away,
And left no shadow Of their lOyeliness
On the dead waste of life. That spec,er lifts
The coffin lid OF Hope, JOY, and Love,
And bending mournfully above the pale.
sweet forms that slumber there, scatter dead
flowers
Der what has passed to nothingne.s
The year
Has gone, and with it, many glorious throng
Di happy dreams. Its mark il on each brow
Its shadows. in each heart. In lis swift course,
1t waved its specter 'er the beautiful:
And they are not. II laid its pallid hand
lpon the strong man and the naughty form
Is fallen, and the flashing eye il dim
u uod the hall Of revelry, where thronged
The bright and Joyous and the fearful wall
OF stricken ones ia heard, where erst and song
And reckless show resoundsd. II passed DER
The battle plain. where sword. and spear and
shield,
Flashed in the ligh. of mid day; and the strength
~ serried hosts is shvered and the grass,
Green from the soil of carnage, waves above
The mouldering skeleton. 1t came.
And faded Ike wreath of mist at eve;
Yet ere il melted in the viswless air,
Y heraldedi its millions 10 their home.
In the dim land Of dreams
Remorseless lime
Fierce spirit OF the glass and scythe what
power
an stay him in his silent course, or melt
HIS iron heart to pity On, still on.
lie presses, and forever. The proud bird,
The condor Of the Andes, that can soar
Through Heavens unfathom BILE depths. and
brave
The fury of the northern hurricane.
And battle his plumage in the thunderer home
turls his broad wing at nght.fall. and sinks
down
10 rest upon his mountain crag: but Time
hnows not the weight of sleep or WEAKNESS.
And Nigh, deep arkness has no cham to bind
His rushing pinion.
EsyouticB. sweep
Yer earth. Ike troubled visions oer the breast
uf dreaming sorrow cities rise and sink
Like bubbles ON the water: fiery ISLES
~pring blazing from the ocean, and 70 back
10 their mysterious csyerns; mountains rear
To heaven their bold ami b!ackened cliffs, and
bow
Their tall heads to The plain; and empire. rise,
Iathering the strength Of hoary centuries,
Md rush down, like the Alpine avalanche
startling the nations; ard the very stars,
Ion bright and glorion- bazonry of God,
Glitter awhile IA their eternal depth.
And. like the Pieiad, loyelie-t o. their train.
shoot from their glorious spheres, and pass
away
To darkie IN the trackleSs void. vet Time.
Time, the tomb builder, holds h. fierce career,
PARK. stern, al.pites-. and pauses not
Amid the mighty wrecks that .trew h- path.
10 1T and muse. Ike other cOnquerOf,.
Ipon tie fearful wonder. be hath wrought.