Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-10-03
LOSGFELLOE.
Bcs;on's Great Literary Event Of the
season.
a New Poem by Americas Poet.

1DLton. EtFe NtL- a large anu lutcll gent au-
dience assembled, and rrtyious e the reading
q the poem Rev. Dir. Murray delivered his new
ICCtuTe on Poverty" Then Mr.. Violet va
introduced snd went on with Mr.. LOngfsllow'i
poem, IS follows.
The Hanging Of the Crane.
lIerfTs "a cTsldlHsTF, 20 hang the crane, i
The French expression for bOuse-w arIning, Of
the fret party gwen in q Lew house,
TIE lights are cut, and ECne are al the guest
That tbTOrging came with merriment and Jest
To celebrate the hanging Of the crane
In the new uCCse-intO the nj ght are gone:
But still the FIRE upon The hearth burns on.
And alone remain.
o fortunate, O happy dav!
When new household finds IFS Place
Among ii C. myriad homes Of earth
Like new star Just sprung 20 birth
And rolled on its harmonious way
Into the b1undless realms Of spaced
80 said the guests in speech and song
As IN the chimney, burning bright,
We hung the iron crane tonight,
And merry was the feast and long.
And now SIT and muse on what may be,
And in my vision see, or seem 70 see,
Through floating vapors interfused with ight
Shapes indeterminste. that CLEAN and fade,
As shadows passing into deeper shade
Sink and elude the sight.
For two alone, there in the hall,
IL spread the table round and small;
Upon the polished silver shine
The evening lamps, but more divine
Tke light Of love shines overall:
OF love that SAYS not mine and thine
But ours, for ours IL thine and mine
They want no guests % come between
Their tender glances like a screen,
And tell them tales Of land and sea,
And whatsoever may betide
The great forgotten world outside;
They want no guests; they needs must be
Zach others Own best company.
III.
TIE picture fades; a. At vilisgs fair
shOwmsn's views dissolve INTO the air,
To reappsar transit CURED on the screen.
so In my fancy this; and now once more
In part trsnsfgured through the open door
Appears the sef-ssme scene.
Seated i see the two again,
But not alone; they entertain
A little angel unaware,
With face as round "a is the moon;
A royal guest with fiaXen hair,
Who, thrCned upon his lofty chair,
Drums on the table with his spoon,
Then crops 10 careless on the ffOor,
To grasp ut things unseen before.
Are these celestial manners? These
The ways that win, the arts that please?
All, YES; consider well the guest.
And WhatsOe' er he does seems best:
he ruleth by the right divine
81 heeplessness, 90 lately born
In purple chambers Of the morn,
severe On over thee and thine.
A conversation in his eyes;
The golden silence OF the Greek.
The gravest wisdom Of the wise,
Not spoken in language, but in looks
More legible than printed books,
As II he could but would not speak.
And now, o monarch absolute,
Thy power Is put 70 proof; for To-
Restless, fathOmless and slow,
The nurse comes rustllng like the ses,
And pushes back thy chair and thee,
And so good night TO King Canute.
".
AS one who walking In the forest sees
lovely landscape through the parted trees,
Then sees il not tor bOUghs that intervene,
OF as we see the moon sometimes revealed
Through drifting clouds, and then again con-
So beheld the scene.
There are two guests at table now;
HE king, depOssd, and older grown,
No longer occupies the THRONE
The Crowd Is on bis sisters brow;
A princess from the FAIRY Tales;
The very pattern girl Of girls,
AL covered and embOweTed in Curl5,
Rose tinted from the Isle of Flowers
And sailing with soft silken sails
From far of Dreamlsud into ours.
Above their bowls with rims OF blue
I FoHr azure eyes OF deeper hue
Are looking, dreamy with delight;
Ilmpid az planets that emerge
Above the oceans rounded verge,
SOFT shining through the summer night,
Steadfast they gaze, yet nothing see
Beyond the horizon or their bowls:
Non care they for the world that rolls
With ali it, freight Of troubled souls
Int the Gays that are 10 be.
again the -rSsing bOugEs shut ont the scene.
A gain The drifting vspOrs intervene,
And the moons pallid disk i hidden quite:
And now 1 zee the table wider grown,
IS round Pebble into water thrown
Dlates ring OF light.
see the table wider Grown.
see u g2rigLded with guests
a. n far ATiaOue's crown
out Of the skv had fallen down;
MalCens within whose tender breasts
thousand restless hopes and fears,
Forth reaching 70 the coming years
ElutteT awhile, fhCu quiet lie
Like umid birds that fain wOuIddy
But do o. dare 10 leave their nests;
And youths, who in their strength eIste
Challenge the van and front of fate,
Eager a. champions 20 be
In the divine knight errantry
OF youth, that travels sea and land
Seeklng adventures, or pursues
Through cities and through sOlitudes
fTeQuented by the lyric Muse,
Ihe phantom with the reckoning hand,
That SUI sllures ard still eludeS,
- sweet illusions Of the brain!
~ sudden thrills of IRE and frOstl
The world Is bright while sc remain,
AEd dark and dead when ye are lost
VI.
A ne meadow bFOOk, that seeroeth TO stand still
Quickens lts current rs 10 nears the mill;
And 90 the stream OF Time, that Hngereth
IN level y aces, and so dull appears,
Runs IN sWlfter current as IL nears
1he gloomy mills Of Death.
ara now, like the mAgician's scroll
mat IN the owners keeping shriuks
WIN every wish he speaks or thinks
u III the last wish consumes the whole
TIE tatle dvindles, and again
see the two alone remain.
Jhe crown Of stars L. broken in parfs-
It's jewels, Brighter than the day,
Rave one by one been stolen away
10 shine IN other homes and hearts
one IL W8nderer row afar
In Cey!On or in Zanzibar,
or sunny regions OF Csthay;
And one = IN the bOisterOus camp,
Did ci1nE OF arms and horses tramp
And battles terrible array.
see the patient mother read.
Win aching heart, Of wrecks that float
Disabled on those seas remote,
OR Of some great, heroic deed
On battle neld. where thousands bleed
To lit one hero into fame
Anxious she bends her graceful head
Above those chronicles OF pain
And ITEM bles with a secret dread,
Lest there among the drowned or slain
She md the one beloved name.
VII.
AFTER day Of cIovd and wind and rain
Sometimes the setting sun breaks out again
ArFA % -. Ill -.