The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1859-03-22
For the Western Democrat.
ADDRESS TO THE NEW YEAR.
BY N. EUGENIA RANKINs, OF KY.

N. EUGENIA RANKINs, OF KY.
High in the clouds from Mattress requiem bell,
When breath the sleeper's spirit stirred
Mournfully, slowly, toll the Years deep knell,
And through the voicelesS night the nations heard.
By the lone Nile, Judeas sacred stream,
The gloomy Ganges, the romantic Rhine,
The Granddaughter gliding like dream,
The classic Tiber signing Rome's Decline
And where Columbia's torrents thunder free;-
Ger all this wide expanse of EARTH that sound
Swelled soemnly: the departing Year.
With brow discrownd, thro' his dim funeral hours,
Pale in his regal robes the dead year lay,
And mourners came with blighted passon-fowers
And flung them on his bier and turned away
And silently along the lonely gloom
Where hang the ancient banners of the night,
Aerial steeds with dropping sable plumes
Drew the black that bore him from sight;
In Times vast battle-ground of twilight shade,
Where dust and darkness hide the ages he laid.
Now sweetly from the futures fairy bowers
There comes lovely shape all pure and warm,
Fair as a bride with wreath of orange flowers,
And misty veil seems that approaching form.
Perchance some dark, resistless, deadly fold
Will blight those how'rs and stain the snowy vei
Perchance-but no-such thought is dark and cold
This is no time to dread serpent's trail !!
Come, wreath the lip with smiles, we'll have fear
Pour the red wine-here's health to the young year
health, a welcome-who starts at the word?
Whence rise those mournful murmers on the air?
Who spoke of WEAKNESS? Have not heard
sound of sorrow round us everywhere?
We know that visions, glorious as heaven,
We know high hearts with tender strings all rven,
Beneath griefs sullen surges moulder fast;
We know we've worshipped dreams-and where
they?
All gone but yet, ye thoughts of these, away
away
Again, again Times silent bark floats by,
And drifts from earth dead years mans dead dreams
But freedoms splendid stars still light sky
And, from his eyre, freedoms eagle screams
song of deep defiance to the world,
Which blends with that sweep the forest shade
Where he is resting with his bright wings furlled
Above that Flag that will not droop fade;
Our very winds and birds sing Liberty:
Then let years come go-they find l. leave us free |!
We've said that dreams that seemed like heaven
ly things,
And lured with wild worship from the heart and
brain,
Yelled their bright beauty with their angel wings,
And followed slowly in the dead years train;
We've felt fate tear them from the clingng heart,
We knew the silent aching of void,
With fearful eyes we've them all depart
And leap into the past, and were destroyed;
Down in a dark, unfathomable deep,
They sank where bright things ofvdnishd ages Sleep
Yet from the old years burial, and the dreams
That lie around him beautiful and cold
1t may be that some tender rising beams,
With hucs far richer than those we knew of CID
Will paint us fairy pictures for the heart,
Or warm to breathing life the idol forms
OF our old loves, that stand like things of art
In stony silence while the morning storms;
AS though they knew to pity our distress,
Go weeping chilly tears above our loneliness.
Then, for the future, still the lip, and smile,
Drive back the shadows rising DER the brow,
Relight the fires that lit the eye erewhile,
And nerve the form and sinking spirit now
Once more arise and at the Banquet stand,
Pour the rich beauty of the glowing wine,
Raise high tenchanted cup in every hand
And see how bright its crimson currents shine!
Oh have trusting bosom !-Scorn all fear
With manly voice proclaim: A health to the Young
Year.