Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-03-11
For the Union and American.
THEFLIGHT OF THE RAVEN.
By GEO. T. sTANBURY.

)nce again. lone ana weary Sab ponueH- /
starting from the legends of the
long forgotten lore,
)nce again, as sat shielding from the |
light, my faint eyes, yielding
70 the power these ghosts were welding,
there was rapping at my door.
And Il broke upon the stiffness IKE that
rapping at my door
Which heard so long before
Once aeafu. Ihad half dreaming, in the
throng of fancies streaming
Through my mind, seen many vision OF
the happy days OF yore.
And the wintry storm that bound me In my
lonely chamber, found me
Seeing with the fancies round me, face and
form OF lost Lenore:
Face and and form of that rare maiden
had loved so long before,
And will love for evermore.
But Ter well remembered features. ming
ling only with the creatures
or my fancy, and the shadows that We're
NY caresses lord efuded: When I'd clasp
her, they iRtruded;
TIN my reason. oEt deluded, caught the rap
And with sudden terror linked itwith that
raDping at my door
he'd heard there long before.
Linked il with that night of sadness, when
the demon lord of madness
Took hisstation in my chamber, heralded
by tempest's roar,
At the shought my eyes lifted: To that
haunted spot they drffted
Fixed as though he ne'er had shifted, with
his shadow on the floor,
Sat the grim and CHASTITY raven who hao
perclled above my door,
There to sit forevermore.
And the ghostly, damn'd Internal fiend
had laid his grasp eternal
On my soul as he had laid his cursed shho-
ow on my floor, 49,, -,
When, in bowling storm benighted, ne
within my chamber lls me i,,o,,e,, an
my soul forever more.
There the sullen gloomy devil ever NUT
His Internal ''Never more"
On this second night of vision, whilst the
wind in wild derision
Hfdeous Knocked my growing terrorss cen
the raven at my door.
Grew I'm grim and gaunt proportions, ana
the freightful weird contOrt10ns
Seem'd CHASTITY deaths distortions, in the
shadow on the floor.
While uneasily he muttered mid the
nights tempestuous roar
His eternal Never more.
still the siekly light was fiaring; still had
not found the daring
To arise and seek in darkness what Ia
sought in vain before:
Still the rapping was repeated as II entrance
was entreated:
Stili my coward soul reLreateu from the
terrors of the door:
Still dreaded lest another like that one
'D Should pursue me ever more.
Wilder grew the storm-w1nd's shrielxing
and each rusty shutter creaklng
| Added new fastastic terrors to the goDnn'
there before.
and uneasier his fiutierlng.
AS if e'en he dreaded uttering, and IRON
| Uttering what his soul delighted till tn
| storms congenial roar
| Forced il from him-"NeVer more.
Fill'd with mad despair, yainly sprang t
clutch the black, ungainly,
Brooding haunting and tormentlhg Wanu
erer from the nightly shore.
Then, with frantic desperation, oVerconlh
hesitation,
Conouering my trepidation, open wide
aCoue;s shrieked. tCome all damnation
Join these shadows on my floor
Comeas shadows, birds or devils; come Will
tongues thousand more
Taunt me wild with Never more?
Then with very horror gasping, frenziet
mad, and wildly clasping
In my hands my thrObbing head, fell upo
my chamber floor:
/ Fell upon the velvet coating Wnere the
awful shade was floating
From the raven who sat gloating all IN
dreadful misery DER.
Then cried, "oh COD forgive me-: ~
Cried, SForgive, If nothing more!
Suddenly out fed the chillness, in til
chamber fell a stiffness;
Deep profoundest hush contrasting all tn
| riot there before.
In a lethargic amazement, 1 beheld froI
door and easement,
Ave. as il from very basement stealing VI
| ward through the moor,
An unearthly, heavenly radiance creepln
every object DER
While lay there on the floor.
, Instantly a sweet calm filled me; then
, longing wild hope thrilled me.
: For felt and knew the calmness had fe
but once before;
, Only once, when she was dying, and Of
farewell kiss was signing;
And in my chamber lying, felt the pre-
ence of LenOre.
Then the very air grew purer than it e.
And / thought twas for Lemon
But nv coming senses, freeing from tht
dimness found being
], Such as they had never met IN all the gol
ROBBED in brilliant shining tresses is t
angel form which presses
{ Lightly as the soft caresses of the lips
, loved Lehore,
D on the cushions violet lining she hi
pressed so oft before
Twas an angel; not Lenore.
Brilliant eyes were flashing, burning, as s.
to The raven turning,
y | Calmly pointed with majestic motion
Then abashed and cowed, he auttered fro
his perch, and nothing uttered,
: Not syllable he muttered as he passed
You'd the door.
4 the shadow left the floor,
To be gone forever more.
Then TO me she cried, 'sOh mortal, 1 q
4 sent from Heaven portal
/ To remind you, God is loving, has bee
And the words thy spirit broken by
: weight of woe has spoken, ,.,.,,
r "GOd forgive me-" are the token which
waited at the door.
n LII your voice in faith TO Heaven, and t
God whom you adore
q VIII sustain you ever more.
: "Angcl, )" said I, GLORIOUS being sent fro
E Heaven and foreseeing
. All that God in wOndrOus mercy for
mortalS has in store;
= Tell me truly, If in Heaven, can walk
N one forgiven,
Since I've long against IL StrlVen Llli Il
}, heart is rent and sore!
9 Can my God so sore offended now IorSlN
, Speak, l implOre "
= Jesus, lives, the Angel answered. ne c
: save from perils sore.
q In his love, rest ever more
+ Then knew the lesson taught me, and 1
8 new found faith now brought me
From the darkness of despair to see
brighter, happier shore.
7, Now my way grows ever clearer, and fl
l.. the presence nearer,
; In that sweet calm growing dearer, OF
= form of loved LenOre.
: For know I'll clasp the maiden whom
=, angel will restore
y In that sweet Forever more.
, When my day of life is ending, and 1
- spirits light is tending
u There to Join immortal beings throngl
l. on that other shore;
- Oh knew they will have told her that
Fastening to fold her
IL In my eager arms and hold her to the 81
l., She loved before.
y For know that God will give me back I
q loved and lost LenOre
b In that long Forever more.
D A REAuTIFuL THOUGHT-The s