Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1880-12-28

THE CLOSE OF THE YEAR.
BY GEORGE ID. PRENTICE.


Gone, Gone forever Like rushing wave
Another year has burst upon the shore
+, OF earthly being-and its last low tones,
Wandering in broken accents on the air.
Arc dying TO an echo.
The gay spring
With its young charms has gone, gone with It
leaves,
Its atmosphere of roses, its white clouds
slumbering like seraphs in the air-its birds
Telling their loves in music. and its streams
Leaping and shouting, from the up-piled rock
To make earth echo with the JOY OF waves.
And summer with its dews ana showers ha
gone.
Its rainbows glowing on the distant clouds
Like spirits OF the storm-its peaceful lakes
smiling in the sweet sleep, as II their dream
Were of the opening flowers and budding tree
And ovcrhanging sky-and its bright mists
Resting upon the mountain-tops rs crowns
Upon the heads of giants. Autumn. too.
Has gonel with all it, deeper glorics gone.
With green hill. like aliars OF the world
Lining their rich fruit offering TO their God.
Its cool winds strsying mid the forest aisles
To wake the thousand wind harps; its seren
And holy sunsets hanging DER the West,
Like banners from the battlements OF heaven
And its still evenings when the moonlit sea
Was even throbbing like the living heart
OF the great Universe. All, these are now
But sounds and visions OF the past-thcir deel
Wild beauty has departed from the earth
And they are gathered 10 the embrace OF death
Their solemn herald 10 eternity.
Nor have they gone alone High human hcart
OF passion have gone with them. The frcsl
dust
Is chill on many breas, that burned ercwhil'
With nres that seemed immortal. Joys tina
leaped
Like angels from the heart, and wandered FREE
Ia this young morn. TO look upon the flowers
The poetry OF nature, and 10 list
The woven sounds OF breeze and bird anS
stream
Upon the night air. have been stricken down
In silence 10 the dust Exultant Hope,
That royed forever on the buoyant winds
Like the bright, starry bird OF Paradise,
And chanied TO the everlasting heart
In the Wild music OF a thousand tongues,
Or SCARED into the open sky until
brow.
gas shut her dropping wings. and made hcI
house
Within the voiceless scpulcher. And Love.
That knelt at Passions holiest shrine ant
gazcd
On his hearts idol as on some sweet star
Whose purity and distance made II dear,
And dreamed OF ecs,asies, until his soul
seemed but a Tyre. that wakened In the glance
OF the beloved one, he too has gone
To his eternal resting place And where
Is stern Ambition lie who madly grasped
Al Glory's fceting phantom: he who sought
His fame upon the battle field. and longed
To make his throne n pyramid OF bones
Amid n sea OF blood He, too. has gone
His stormy voice is mute-his mighty arm
Is nervelcss on its clod. his very name
Is but meteor OF the night OF years
Whose gleam flashed out a moment DER the
earth
And faded into nothingness. The dream
or high devotion. Brauty's bright array.
And life's deep Idol memories. all have passed
Like the cloud. shadows on starlit stream
or stream of son music. when the winds
Are siumbering on the billow.
Yet why muse
Upon the past with sorrow? Though the year
Has gone TO blend with the mysterious tide
or old Eternity. and borne along
Upon Its heaving breast a thousand wrecks
OF glory and OF beauty. Yet. why mourn
That such is destiny! Another year
succeeded 10 the past. In their bright round
The seasons come and go; the same blue arch
That hung DER us viii hang DER US yet.
The same pure stars that we have loved 4
watch
VIII blossom still at twilights gentle hour
Like lilies on the tomb OF day-and still
Man will remain 10 dream as he hath dreamed
And mark the earth with passion. Love viii
spring
From the lone tomb OF old affections Hope
And Joy, and great Ambition will rise mp
AS they have risen. and their deeds will be
Brighter than those engraven on the scroll
OF pas, centuries. Even now the sea
OF coming years, beneath whose mighty wave
LIES great events are hesving into birth.
Is tossing TO and fro. as II the winds
ofheaven were prisoned in It's soundless depth
And struggling 10 be free.
Weep not that time
Is pressing on. ii will ere long reveal
4 brighter era &c the nations. Hars!
Along the wales and mountains OF the earth
There is n deep, portentous murmuring,
Like the swift rush OF subterranean streams,
Or like the mingled sounds OF earth and air.
When the aerce tempest with sonorous wing
Heaves his deep folds upon the rushing wind
And hurries onward. with his might of cloud
Against the eternal mountains. ,Tis the voic
OF infant Freedom. and her stirring call
Is heard and answered in thousand tones.
From every hilltop of her Western home.
And lott breaks across old oceans nood,
And "Freedomi Freedom" is the answerin
shout
OF nations starting from the spell years.
The dayspring- see it's Frightening IN tn
heavens
The watchman OF the night have caught thei
sign;
From tower TO tower the signal fires fash free
And the deep watchwork. like the rush OF sea-
That her,,lds the volcanoes bursting flame.
Is sounding DER the earth. Bright years c
Hope
And Life is on the wing Yon glorious bow
or Freedom. Blended by the hand OF God,
Is spanning Times dark surges. Its high arc
A type of Love and Mercy-on the clouds
! Tells that the many storms of human life
VIII pass in silerce; and the sinking waves,
Gathering the forms of glory and OF peace.
Reflect the und immed brightness Of the hea'
ems.
Coop ADvIcE.-Marry the girl yo
love: but don't marry her until you ca
give her bread and butter. You have n
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