The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1881-07-08

nc lOliOWlnR lS the poem deliVere
at the commencement exercises of Mid
dlebury College, by Mr.. j. G. Harve
of the graduating class:
The down of thistles. swayng on the breeze;
An autumn leailet, falling from the trees;
A bit Of DRIFT wood, floating down the stream;
subtle fancy, passing in dream.
Thus pass our days and re we are aware,
Old time weaves threads OF silver In our hair;
We live and strive, and know not which is best.
The day of toll is nights unending rest;
Long vistas in our future we unfold,
And find at last-a di G I'm, that soon is told.
II is not mine to sing sad songs to day
And cast gloom DER hearts that would be gay
Nor is 1t mine your favorng smiles 10 win
With mirth and elee. when heartaches hid
II is not mine to shed regretful tears
Ger all the joys that throng six happy years,
And which to-day are numbered with the past,
Bright hopes and broken dreams-too sweet I
The years we spend in tracing wisdom's ways,
| Grid on the arInor for the coming days
| OF toll and strife, but when the race is run
| We sigh TO think that we have Just begun.
| Is mingled with its need of base alloy;
We meet TO part and life lives but to die,
And ring the changes on the words goodbye:
OF course there's glorious future in front,
A life work to be nobly planned;
| But with only an A. b., for winch no one cares
The prospect is not very grand.
There's never time in mans whole Lille
when sympathy finds filter place
Than when on the threshold, diploma in hand,
lie meets the whole world face TO face.
There's never moment more painful to HIM
Than when, the hot tears looking through,
lie sees his own future so distant an dim,
And murmurs, snow. what shall do!"
SO many fail where one attains success
We quite forget TO make our ideal less
And gain IN end. We fear that we may fall
And oilentimes neglect TO strive at all.
No life Is grand without its pure ideal,
And purpose strong to make the bright dream
But he is bold who chooses once for all,
And us for him among the first to fall
Far nobler he, and worthier of our praise,
Who climbs with steady tread the devious ways
That lie before; achieving one by one
Good deeds that win the crown when all is done.
An ancient legend tells us of a time
When spirits roamed the earth in every cline;
Good deeds and bad beyond the power OF men,
The legend tells us were accomplished then.
And one good spirit in a boastfnl mood
Assumed, since nothing had his power with.
stood,
That him alone all nature must obey.
And yield allegiance TO his sovereign sway,
An evil spirit hearing him proclaim
His deeds of power and his wondrous fame,
Agreed 10 Dcnu SuDSCrN1cnt TO his Will
Il he would prove three times his boasted skill:
But should he fail and leave task undone,
His life should forfeit TO the evil one.
The bargain made the evil spirit said:
"1lis river swiftly flowing in its bed
Turn back, and where TO day the waves are seen,
Tomorrow let there be u field of green"
The task was done. Again the spirit said
- Where yonder mountain rears its lofty head.
Tomorrow let three peaks instead Of one
Reflect the radiance OF the rising sum-"
This done, the evil spirit once more came
No. IL. f.a akxan a. al sl...G ...T..s III
Weave me a rope" he said, "no power can
break;
A rope as plant as your hands can make,
And only this give thee, nothing more,
The shifting sands along the ea-grt shore"
A lesson from this legend we may learn,
To our own lives its teachings we may turn;
For God hath given us hands to do with zeal
The biddngs of the heart for woe or veal.
Let US beware lestwc too may command
\ fruitless task in nearing ropes Of sand.
And let us aim, with purpose good and true,
lhe lesser tasks of our brief lives to do.
'or;greatness comes from conquering the less,
And naught succeeds like this same thing,
1--WE w0ild win we cannot choose our toil,
But sail the sea or till the fertile soi.
As seems most lit and nearest ~ our hand,
MI thus become more worthy to command.
10 man has ever yet in endless quest
ittaincd the height where all ambitions rest.
And seek no more. He gains the highest prize
Who leaves no task unfinished in his wise.
" hat one has lived. who, when his race was run
las said "The best in all things have doneY"
/ wonder if ever n song was sung
But the singers heart sang sweeter;
/ wonder if ever q rhyme was rung
lut the thought surpassed the meter.
| wonder If ever sculptor wrought
Till the cold stone echoed his ardent thought;
Or ifeyer a painter with light and shade
The dream of his inmost heart protrayde
/ wonder if ever a rose was found
And there might not be fairerl
Or if ever a glittering gem was ground
And we dreamed not of a rarer
Ali never on earth do we find the best,
But 1t waits for us in a land of rest,
And perfect thing we shall never behold
Till we pass the portals of shining gold.
July 9th, lsSl. :