The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-12-30
The Close of the Year.
BY KATHARINE H. GREENE

Christmas, with its associating memoir
les has come and gone! How the very
name carries me back to days of my
childhood-over years and years each
with golden circles.of love, hopes memoir
les, Joys and sorrows, linked with other
golden circles of that ever-lengthen1ng
chain Of time and eternity-and the
strange inexplicable feeling that stirred
my heart then sways my spirit now with
its sweet. indescribable charm. In fancy
do still listen to the sweet confusion Of
the bells-the star-bells, the sphere-bells,
the wonderful Christmas bells-clangine.
changing, tangling their mystical tones
together-liquid, gushing, sun-like mu-
sic, whose magical vibrations thrill the
human heart to its very centre. Oh!
those precious by-gone days, long since
crumbled to ashes and to dust! How
unutterably beautiful they appear
through the delicate rose-mist of memory.
How tenaciously they cling to us in their
rare, peerless beauty and softly whisper
Forget me not
The old days are best!
And the dear familiar faces vanished
from the household, seem to shine again
upon us in their old accustomed places. as
the dear home-folk gather around glow
ing hearthstone of the present mem orable
day, and s;Christmas past'' seems to
abide IN our midst once again in all its
peculiar y glory:
Another year, with itsioys and sorrows
its losses and gains, its sweet and bitter
memories, has passed away! How silent.
~, yet how rapidly has the last year gone
by, with all its scenes and changes. I
seems but yesterday since we hailed it!
| birth, as it came into life crowned will
the SORROWS Of winter, and now it is laic
in its grave and numbered with the agel
of the past. Another year gone, and 1
new Que welcomed with all its light an,
joy and hopes. I would not cast q shad
ow over one heart today. nor seek t
throw a single cloud over its golden tu
ture. Yet remember amid all the JOY
and happiness which fills the soul, tina
it Is not all of life to live, and that there
there are nobler and higher joys than thi
world can give to which one should as
pire. How full life is of unwritten TRACE
dies There are sad histories beneath
this gay world-lives owe; which dotl
brood the very shadow Of death! TIL
day is short for Us all; but for some i
! will be pleasant thought when we come
| to lay down our heads at last, that W.
have eased few aching hearts. hav
brought peace and new hope to many
darkened lite, ana raised the soup Of COLI
water" to lips athirst. .0-
The years, which in our childhoo
seemed to DRIFT so slowly along the rive
Of time, in our later life fit all too rapid
~ by; and we involuntarily stretch OF
our hands as it to stay them in thei
fight, lest they slip away and leave un
fulfilled the plans we are daily, hourly
unfolding.
i Stay, o Time in, your onward fight!
Stay, We Years, for awhile, oh! stay!
Soon,too soon will descend the dark nigh
And undone be the work OF life's day.
We would clasp you close in Our outstretche
We would hold you back from eternity
| shore
Too rapidly slip Life's golden sands
Into the Nevermore!
So much OF life behind us lies
80 little lies before!
Stay, 0 Time, speed thou not so fast
Too swiftly our precious days glide on;
So many years lie 10 the past
So few are to be won.
Linger, Oh, finger awhile, we pray;
Till our work is finished, approved OF an
blest- IS
We care not then how soon the day ...
May close and bring US rest
Bring sweetest peace to tired eyes
To heart and brain oppressed!
ST. LOUIS, Mo, Jan. l. 1879.