The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1866-01-16
THE CLOSING SCENE.
BY Y. BUCHANAN READ.

T..
! The following is pronounced by the "Westminster
Review" to be unquestonaby the finest American
poem ever written
Within tie sober realms ofleafess trees,
The russet year inhaled the dreamy air.
Like some tanned reaper in his hour of else
When all the fields are lying brown and bare
The gray barns looking from their hazy lills.
O'er the dun waters winding in the yalesi
Sent down the air greeting to the mills,
On the dull thunder Of alternate nals.
! All sights were mellowed, ard aIl sounds subdued,
The hills seemed fu ther aud the streams sang ~ w,
As in a dream the dista. I woodmah heHed
| His wintry log, with many a mufiied lI'w
The embattled fore-ts erewhile armed with gold
Their banners bright with every martial Lue,
/ Now stood hAe some sad, beaten hos, OF Old,
Withdrawn afar in Times remotest blue
On scmhre wings the vuture tried hi@ fight:
TIE dove scarce heard si4hirg gmate's complaint
! And, like a star slow drow Iilg in tie Ght,
lLe village church yane seemed to pale ana 1Alht
! The sentinel cock upon the hillside crew
Grew tnrce-and All WAS stlI.er than before
! Sout; tIIl some reil yiug warder Bile"
| His alien horE, and theu wah hearl no more
Where eret the jag, within the em's tall crest
! Made garrulous trouble .ouud her unf"dged young
And where tie orio.e huag her swayng nest,
BY every i. hit wind like a otLrer swung
Where ,aag the no sy martins of the caves
The busy swallows circiing ever near
FureJo ling, the rustic mind believes,
An early harvest and "A pien!eous year.
Where eve Y bird that walked ths yerpal feast,
Shook the sweet slu'nber from its wings at morn
To warn the real er OF the rosy lu,t
All now wac sunie-s empty aud fOrorn
Alone, from out the stubble piped the quail;
And cToakrd the crow through all the dIeary gloom
/ ne III
Made IL the distant cottage loom.
Their, was r 0 bud, bloom uYoa the bowers,
The i'd r novel III II tin shrou - night by night
The this.le-Gown, the ouly ghost OF flowers,
| Sailed slowly by-pass7u noiSeIess out OF siSnt.
And all this-n this most dresry air,
And where the WOO .bne shed upon the porch
It's crins, IL leaves, as II the year stood thtre,
Firing tho door with lts inverted torcn.
Amid all this, the centre OF the scene,
Tie white -haire.l maitoa with monotonous tread
Pied the swift wheel, and with her joylrss mein
Sat ike = fate, aud watched She flying thread.
She had known sorrow. He had walked with her,
Oft supprd, and broke W tn her the ashen crust,
And ia lie dead leaves stIi she heard the stir,
or ms tuick mantle uaiiiug IL the dust.
While vet her cheek was bright with GUNNER bl DOM,
| Her country summon. q ana 5.e gave her all
! And twice war bowed 10 her in sable ptume--
Re- gave the sword 10 rust upon The wall.
! gave the sword, but n t the h.ud that drew
/ And struck FIR /. berry the dying blows
Nor him WHO, TO sire and c uHIy true,
FeI mid the of t ie invading foe
Lo q butnot loud the dropping wheel went on,
Like the low iuurmur OF "A hive at noon;
Ionx out Lot loud, the memory of the gone
Breatbed through her lips sad aud tremu'ous lone
AT last the thread wss .napped-her head was bowed
Life dropped tie SAT- through her Lands -e. ere
And loving neiyhG"rs sIno"thed her cafeIHi ThroHi
While death ard wi.ier closed the autumn zeene.