Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1859-01-01
THE CIOsHa YEAR,
RY oEo. D. pnrSr,cu.

It's midDights holy hOur-and siIsnce now
Is broodiDg, like gentle spirit. DER
The sill and pulseless world. HaFkl on the wind,
The beilS deep tones are swelling; 'tis the knell
VI the departed yeaF. No funeral train
Is sweeping past; yet, on the stream and wood.
With n'slaDchOly light the m0Osboams MT,
Lake psIe, spOtlesS ohTOud the ar 10 OtiFT'd,
AZ BY mOuFher'S Sigh and on yOn cloud,
That ho.ts % SUI and plcidly through heaven,
YSsSp% YSs spTs z. sns ssss0s: sss" 70 stand
And White! With his aged locks, and breathe
20 mOurutnl caA4ncea, that come abroad
Lake the fag wind-haEp's Wild aud touching wall.
=. A.mslenchOly dirge O,sr the dead year,
Coos effOm the earth forever. 'fis time
For memory and 6ST tears. Within the deep.
SIlli Chambers Of the heart, spectre dim,
whose tones nre Ike the wizard voice of Time,
Heard from the tomb Of ages, points its cold
And solenn 9ugeF TO The Beautiful
And holy visions that have paSs'd away.
And left No shadow IT their lOVellness
On the dead waste Of life. That spectre lins
The oohiD.ld Of hope, and Joy, and love,
And, bending mOuFDfuly above the pale
that sumber theFe, ,scatters dead flowers
Der what has pass'd 70 n0thiDgness. The year
Hae gone, end; With u, many glorious thFOuR
" hnpPy dreAms. Its mark is on each brow,
It's shadow In each heart. In lie swift course
II waved Its sceptfe DER the beautiful,
And they are not. Il laid its paIlid band
Upon the strong man, and the haughty form
ls fallen. and the flashing eye is dim.
u trOd The hall ~ revelry, where tbrOngd
The bright cad B0y0ass aNd the teaFfai wall -
Of stricken Ones ID heard, where eFst the song
And reckless shout resOunded. II pAss'd Oe'r
Tho battle plain, where sword and spear and shield
flash'd In the light Of middAy-=aDd the strength
VI seTIted hosts 10 shive|d, and the grass,
Green from the sOil Of carnage, waves above
The cruSh'd and mOuldcring skeleton. II came
And trdcd like wreath Of mist at eve;
Yet, ere II melted In the viewless cir,
u heTuIded ite millions 10 their home
~ the dim land of dreams. ReuIOrseless Time
EieTcc spirit Of the glass and scythe-what power
Can stay him In his silent course, or melt
His iron heart 70 pityr On, still on
lie presses, and forever. The proud bird,
The condor Of the Andes, that can soar
Through heaven's unfathomable depths, Or brave
The fury Of the northern hurricane,
And balhe his Plumage IN tho thunder's home,
Eurls his br0ed'winRS ct nightfall and sinks down
To rest upon bic mountaineering but Time
Knows mot the weight Of sleep or weariueaa,
And nights deep darkness has no chain 70 bind
HIS rushing piniOn. Revolutions sweep
Ger earth. like troubled visions DER the breast
o. dreaming SoTrowj cities rise and sink,
Lake bubbles on the water; fiery isles
spring, blazing. from the ocean, aud 60 back
TO their mysterious caveTns; mountains rear
To heaven their bald aud blacken,d cliIa, and bow
Their tall heads TO the Pleini new empires rise,
Gathering the strength Of h0aTy centuries,
And rush down like the Alpine avalanch,
Startling tile nations; and the very stars,
EoW bright and bWFHiBE blA1oury If Goo, ,--
Glitter while 10 their eternal depths,
And, like the PlcIades, loveliest Of their train.
Shoot from their glorious spheeeN, and pass away,
To darkle In the trackless void:-yet Time
Time the tonb.buildeT. holds his nerce career.
Dark, stern. all-pitilesS, and pauses not
Amid the mighty wrecks that strew bis path,
To sit and muse, like other cOnquerors,
Upon the fearful ruin he has wrought.