The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1879-07-05
The Dying Pastor.


at the exhibition of the Philomathean Societ,
Mississippi College, Clinton. June oath, 1871
Comrade, raise the curtain higher, lot the sunset
II radiant glow,
v Fall upon my burning forehead with its golden el
a and flow;
" Let the cool wind-tide of even move upon m
parched face,
For the fever blight enthrals me- and his workin
can trace.
Swift feel the end approaching, Death has elaine
q me for his own;
Soon from earthly scenes and sorrows my free
spirit will be gone.
I can hear the flowing river, / can see the snow
sail;
Soon I'll cross the darking waters with the boat
cold and pale.
Weep not for me, my conrade, for to die is but t
live;
I shall gain beyond the waters what this world cal
never give,
Peace and rest and sweet contentnent tits happy
gladsome goal,
For the crushed and pain-swept heart, and for tn,
weary burdened soul
And tits better thus-I feel itbetter thus to seek
| grave,
less slave.
What are mortals that their wishes should extend
to lengthy life2
What's existence but the moaning OF never-endng
| strife?
What are honor, fame and glory. all that this world
euer gave,
But a fral and trembling bubble drifting on the
| ocean wave?
Yours to-day, they can and may be, but to-mor-
| row will them fnd
| Flown, and flown forever from you, leaving dark
ness to the mind
Here we count the hours by heart-throbs, and our
builded hopes once grand,
Are the ruins OF II palace shattered on the white
sand.
Here each day severed heart-ties here each day
are partings sore,
Here each day are loved ones hurried to the tomb
forevermore.
VA "A' ci'bho may -h"J Vi NHttl Duu-
ding heart is young
And the songs of expectation are around MS sveetly
sung
When the years spread before us in a scene of
rich delight,
And the sun of hope and promise gleamp about us
ever bright.
How we long to leave the present. grasp the future
and be gay,
And to pinnacles of greatness hew and carve an
upward way
Knowing not that darkness ever follows in the way
of light,
Knowing not that Ger sunshine there shall fall
wthering blight;
Knowing not that when lifes current shall have
almost ceased to glide
We shall backward cast our eyes and count the
wrecks along the tide
Then our hearts shall sicken, weary looking on the
wreck-strewn years,
And our souls shall sadden darky through the fall
of binding tears.
We shall count each dreary failure with longing
for the days,
Lost and lost forever to u.s. lost in Times unyiedng
maze.
Only he is truly happy who, with humble heart
and head,
Walks through life the lowly pathway that the
Master loved to tread.
Who to gain and mad ambition lends no weak obedi-
ent ear,
Who is blind and dead to passion, walking on in
holy fear.
III too late we feel and know this, full too late we
know the right,
or the daytime fadeth swiftly and there cometh
soon the night.
hen our souls shall grope in darkness, held by sin
In slavish thrall,
nd in reaching out for sweetness we shall only
grasp the gall.
ut mine eyes are growing DINNER, and my mo-
ments are but few,
Or the dark death-tide is swelling all my being a
through and through;
asten, now. and sit beside me, sit beside me as s
speak,
lick this blindness ovorcomes me, and my voice A
is growing weak
l how swift my memory wsnders DER the lapse of
buried years,
edward to the scenes Of childhood with its little
hopes and fears
edward to the little cottage resting on the river u
side,
i'd the gently soping meadows stretching outward A
far and wide;
the dark and gloomy forests with its sunny Y
pathways bright
readed often by my footsteps when my heart was Y
young and light;
ID my father, can see him, as he stood so tall "
and grand;
ming like a carven statute formed by mortal N
mind and hand
d his glance and word were to me- and my little IL
childish feet,
en- turned and hurried from him when mine Al
eyes his eyes would meet.
IN and strict was he in living, serving GOd in la
word and deed;
Of truth and calm uprghtness in his bosom IA
was no need.
my mother-heaven bless her-I can see her j La
gentle face,
,et and handsome, glowing over with the light ! i
Of Christian grace:
her now as then saw her, when played about Be
her knee.
king soft my wavy ringlets, whispering often Fs
unto me,
les Of tho blessed Jesus, Who his home iOrseOk
above, e.,
ed by pity and COMPASSION iOr the objects Of m
His love. -
me often Ger and over. the old story Of the .,da
- - AZ