Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1874-11-06
Sslec4 Dastrp.
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THE HANGING OF THE CRANE.

This is the title OF LonS nSfello#'s new poern.
beauty and gertleness, Lopgfellow is the first
American poets, aid has few equals in zoe:
history. We annex this uew poem.
! Padre !c eStn;si9!Srt, to hang the crane, is t!
French expression for house-vnrming, or Il
hrst party given in rev hon...i
The lights are out, and gone are all the guests
| That throngng Came with merrimept and tests
To celebrate the banging o: The crane
In the new house-into the night are zone
But still the fire upon the hearth burns Oh,
And | alone remain.
o fortunate, o happy day!
When new household fndt It's place
Among the myriad homes Of earth,
Like new star just sprung to birth
And rolled on Its harmonious way
Into the houndless realms OF space!
Eo said the guests in speech and song,
As In the chimney, burning bright.
We hung she lion crane tonight,
And merry vas the fezs; and long.
And now sit and muse on what may be,
And IN my vision see, or seem to see,
Through floating vapors interfused with light
Shapes indeterminate, that CLEAN and fade,
| Sink and elude the sight.
| For two alone, there in the hall,
Ia spread the table round and small
| Upon the polished silver shine
| The evening lamps, but moro diTiua
| The light of love shines over all
! OF love that Gays not mine and thine
! But ours, for ours is thine and mine.
| Thsy want no guests to come bet-esE
! Their tender glances ike 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 hs
| Each Others own best company.
III.
| The picture fades as ;t q village fair
! A showman's views dissolve into the air,
! To ppear tTansfgured on the screen,
! So In my fancy this ard now once more
! 10 part .ransfgured, through the open toor
! Appears the self-sarne scsre.
| Seated sec the two again,
/ But not aloue; they entertain
/ A little angel unaware,
| With face as round as is the moon
4 royal guest with faIen hair,
| Who, throDed upon his lofty chair,
| Drums on the table with his spoon,
! Then Grops il careless on the 1oor,
| To grasp 1T things unknown before.
Are these celestial manners Those
| The WAYS tia, win. the arts that plesrr
! All, yes consider well the guest,
And whatsoe'er he does seems best
! He ruleth by the hight divine
OF helplcssprss, 60 lately born
| In purple chambers Of the norr,
As sovereign over thee aud thine.
He speaketh not, and yet there lies
A con versstion in his eyes;
The goldea silence OF the Greek,
The gravsst wisdom of the wise,
Not spoken in language but IN looks
More legible than printed books,
As IL be could but would no, SPEAK.
Ard now o monarch absolute,
Thy power 10 pu. to proof; for 10.
Restless, Nathomlcss and slow,
The nurse comes rustling. like the sea,
Aud pushes back thy chair aud thee,
And 20 good night 20 King Canuts.
".
As one Who walking in the forest sees
A lovely landscape through the parted trees,
Then sees 1t no, for bougho that intervene,
Or az We see the NEON soInetimes revealed
Through drifting c!oud-, aud then again COZ
c,aled-
ko beheld tie scene.
There are Two guests at table now;
The king, deposed, and older gro-n,
No longer occupies she thronc,-
The crown 10 en- his sisters brow;
princess from the Fairy Tales.
The very pattern girl Of girls,
All covered and ombo1rred IN curls,
Rose tinted from the Isle OF Flower,
And sailing with soft silsen sails
From far of DreaInlcnd into ours.
Above their bowls with rim. Of blue
Four azure eyes Of deeper hue
Are looking, dreamy with delight
Iimpid =. planets that emerge
Abov. the oceans rounded verge,
Soft shining through the summer night.
S,eadfast they gaze, yet nothing see
Rcyond the horizon OF their bowls;
Nor care they for the world that rolls
With all its freight Of troubled souls
Iuto she days that are 20 be.
Y.
Avsiu the tossing boughs shut out the scene,
Again the drifting vapors intervene,
And the moon. pal!i ditk is hidden quite
And nov see the table wider grown,
As round pebble into water thrown
D!,stcs ring Of light.
! see the table wider grown,
see il ggrlanded with guests.
As II fair Ariadne's crown
Out of the sky lad fallen down;
Maiden within whore tender breasts
A thousand restless hopes and fears,
Forth reaching to the coming yssrr,
FIutter awhile, then quite &c,
Like timid birds tha: fsiE would ny,
Eut DO not dare TO leave their meats -
And youths, who in their strength .ls;e
Challenge th. van and front Of late,
Eager ss champions to be
| In the divine knight-erTautry
OF youth, that travels sea and LAND
Seeking adventures, or purSuee
Through cities and through oolNudss
| Yrecusnted by the lyric Muse,
| The phantom with the beckoniaS ha2t,
! That still allurcs and sill eludes.
! 0 .we,, illusions of the brain
| O sudden thrill. OF fire and frost
! The world is bright while &c remain.
! And dark and dead when ye 9.e '"-t.
! II.
! Th. meadow brook, that seemeIk 20 stand still
| Ouic!lens its current ~ il nesrs the NIL! ;
! And so the stream OF Time, that lin@e-e'h
: In level places, and 30 dul! appeara,
! Runs with svifter curreat rs 1t resrS
! Tie gloomy mills Of Death.
| Aud now, like the rnagicisu's ecroM,
| That in the owners keeping shrinhs
! With every wish he speaks or thinks,
| Til the last wish consumes the Uho.s,
! The tables dUindle. and again
| I see the two alone remain.
| The crown of stars Ia broken III pSrts
| Its ieweIs brighter than tho day,
! Have one by one been stolen away
To shine IN other homes ana ErRtI-
Ore is 2 Wapdcrer nov a:3r
In Cey!or or In Zanzibar,
, Or sunny regions of Cathay;
! And one IL in the boirterous camp.
! Md clinL OF arms and hCrsc's tramp,
Arc bnttle's terrible array.
see the patient mother read,
| With aching hsarts, oi wrecks that ncst
Disabled on those nees remote,
Or of soIue great, heroic Cce3
On battle field, where thousands o'e"i
To lift one hero into fame.
| Anxious she bends hsE graceful aesd
Above those chronicles Of pain,
And treInbies with 4 secret CreaI,
Lest there AMONG the drowned Or s!s'"
Sh- ends the one beloved name.
VII.
letsrn day Of cloud and wind aud rain
Sometimes the setting sun breaks out ssalu
and touching Ill the darEsome Woods uii
light,
Sriles o. tie Zelda, until they laugh and sing,
Then ike i ruby from the horiZon's rirS
Drops down into the night.
What ste roS3 The night is fair,
The storm of grief, the coeds Of care,
The wind, the rain, have passed away;
The lamps are IL, III. fires burn bright,
The house is full of life and Light
| Il 10 the Golden Wedding day.
The gue.ts come thronging IN oncs more,
Quick footsteps sound along the door,
4 r..sv