St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-02-25
Our Old and New Mother.

At the farewell meeting at the North
Church vestry Wednesday evening, the
following lines, contributed by lady
of the church, were read:
Our mother is growing old, they say
Our mother has passed her prime
Our mother is not so fresh and gay
As she was in the early time.
But long has she carried her children
Till many of them are gray,
'Tis only common thing among men
For mother to pass away.
And then the husband mourns awhile,
When shortly is seen by his side
A fair young thing with happy smile,
And they say, he has bride"
She is kind and wise with winsome way,
And her garments are fresh and new,
And shortly the coy little children say,
"Oh! she is our mother true"
But the older ones look with faces away,
The wound in their hearts they can sec
And they say with sigh-"We'll call her ma
But our mother she TeUer can be-"
But what am l thinking and what do l saw
For my subject I'll speedily search,
For as l sat down on this wintry day,
1 thought of the Old North Church"
The old North Church a Church;
1t was built in that good old day
When nonsense and fun at home were done,
And men went to church to pray.
But come with me over the way
Were ever such wonders seen
The water-wOrks with their curious quirks,
The kitchen with walters dumb;
The great machine in the cellar seen
To make the music hum.
There's a buttress that flies
And that doesn't fly. l presume,
And cOlOred glass of the hue of the skies
To shut out the light of the
The fence on the pews is so anciently lowered
That you lift your eyes for grand surprise,
For there is no sounding board.
There's place with name that puzzles the
tongue,
And some folks, pressed for time,
Call 1t transit for short not long
Oh! it wasn't so in my prime.
The singers were once so good
You could trust them anywhere;
Up stairs or down stairs in varying mood
Or perhaps on the gallery stairs.
But now tbs matter well understood
They must be in the minister's care.
And he, good man, was precious once,
And was carefully hedged about,
But soon he will be poorly enscOnced
really fear he Il fall out
But it's time to leave this foolish talk
For l think till I'm almost lost
How great is the beauty round which walk,
And the exquisite pains it has cost.
But the dear old church and its altar fair
Where We brought our sins to the wicket gate
Where We offered our prayer and our vows Wer,
sealed
And We hope heaven heard and forgave as w
kneeled;
No other though rich from basement to tower
Has clustering memories for every hour.
AS the years went by with their ceaseless tread
And the children came to our knee,
Twas the same dear place where sweet voice.
said
Let the little ones come unto me-"
And here we have brought our honored dead,
Thrice blest be their memory,
And two sainted souls were in marriage sealed
Ere they sailed away DER the sea.
All! dear old place we love thee true,
Thy praises please to tell,
IL it strange that we choke, some tears seen
AS we try to say FAREWELL"
Dear lambs of the flock, we bid you rejoice
As go to the beautiful fold,
But you must keep nearer the shepherds voice
Than did We, in those days of old.
Oh! spirit Of God, breathe down we pray,
And grant Us the fire by night
And the constant cloudy pillar BY day
Only then shall our church be a church of light
Feb -.