Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1868-11-27
The Closing sccnc.
M T. \. nsAp.

e M r, n. RsAD.
lThe following ia pronounced by the westmin-
ster Review TO be unqucstionably the finest Amer.
lean poem ever written:I y@ -
Within the eober reslms OF lcafiess trees
IN The nssei year inhales the dreamy AIR;
When all The fields are lying brown and bare.
The gray barns, looking from their haxy hills,
Ger the dun waters widening In the wales,
Sent down the air u greeting to the mills,
On the dun thunder of alternate fails M3
Al sights were mellowed, and all sounds subdued.
The hills seemed further aud the streams sang
As in dream the distant woodman hewed -
Hir ~intereiog, with many amafhed blow.
The embattlcd forests, erewhile armed with gold.
:, Their banners bright with every martial hue,
Now stood like some sap, beaten host of old, 81
Withdrawn atar in Times rcmo,est bnc.
On sombrc wings the vulture tried his fight: |"
The dove scarce heard his singing mates com.
And, IKE star slow drowning In the Light.
The village church vane seemed TO pale and
faint. WH#E# y
The sentinel cock upon the hillside crew
Crew thrice--and all was slillcr than before;
silent, till some reply INK wardcr blew
His alien horn, and then was heard no more.
Where erst tho Jay W thin the elms tall crest,
Made garraious trouble round her unncdgcd
And where the orioe hung her swaying nest,
by every light wind like u censer swung;
Where sang the noisy martins OF the caves,
The busy swallows circling ever near b
Foreboding, ne the rustic mind believes,
And early harvest and q plenteous year;
Where every bird that walked the vcrnal feast,
shook the sweet slnmber from its wings at
To warn the reaper OF the rosy east
All now Was sanless, empty and forlorfi.
Alone, from out the stubble, piped the quail;
And eroaked the crow through all the drcary
Alone, the pheasant, drumming IN the vale, Id
Made echo In the distant cottage loom. /.
There was no bud, no bloom upon the bowers:
The spiders moved their thin shrouds night by
The thistlc-down, the only ghost Of flowers,
sailed Slowly by passed noiscless out Of sight.
Amid all this In this most dreary air.
Its I ases ave Ss ySsr soa spe%a iRe aSeIps porch
Firing the floor with its inverted torch;
Amid all thls--the center of the scene, 81. .
The white-haired nlatron. with monotonous
- sread; ..-..-..s.-V| !
Piled the swit wheel, and with her joyless mein,
Sat ike Fate aud watched the flying thread.
She had known sorrow--hc had walked with her
on surped, and broke with h, = the ashen crust,
And In the dead leaves still she hear the stir
of his thick mantle trailing In the dust.
While yet hei cheek was bright with summer
bloom. ## E###### ######.gH
Her country summoned and she gave her all
And twice war bowed TO her his sable plum
Re-garc the sword to rnst upon the wall,
Re-gave the sword, but not ths hand that drew,
And struck for liberty the ~ ing blow
Nor him who, to his sire and country true,
Fell mid the ranks of the invading foe.
Long, hut not loud. the dropping wheel went ON,
Ike tie ow mlrmur OF hive al noon;
Ling, hut moi oud the memory OF the gore
bIeaIned terough lips sad aud trcmuious
tone.
At la,t the thread was snapped-hcr head was
Life dropped the distaf through her hands
serene, Ia # H
And loving neighbors smoothed her careful shroud
While death and winter close the autumn scene