The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1886-12-16
A BALLAD FOR CHRISTMAS.

The bells are loud. the bells are sweet along
the winter land;
The trees are bright with frosted sleet, and
- like mailed warriors stand;
The wind sings down the southern slope of
Where, like . line Of Silver scope. the narrow
The sea,birds cry with bodIns call across the
shining sand,
And on the cape the lighthouse tall a sentinel
And fierce and high the north-wind roars
down from the forests drear,
And bears far on the distant shores the leaves
made brown and sere.
Far out it meets a ship that sails from distant
Her masts have braved the stormiest gales,
and wooed the softest breeze;
Around the of Cape Horn her out.
And met the radiant light Of morn on Cal.
ifornia's shore.
Across the wide Pacihc's waves she sailed to
far Cathay.
Below her course the coral caves stretched
She heard the tiger growl his love on distant
Borneo,
And swift before the tempest drove, where
swirled Antarctic snow.
Now with her weather-braces taut, and
She comes with orient fragrance fraught up
from the underworld;
The sunrays on her canvas CLEAN, the seas
She sees the light of welcome stream from
out her waiting mart.
The cold wind shouts, and in the North q
Tn trumpets of the storm blaze forth, and
And down the gray and cloudy ives. the red
While weirdiy Ger the oceans breast loud
ring the sea-gulls' calls.
Below the dark slope of the hills the sunlight
And sad the sobbing tone that nlls nights
deep and sombre shades;
The stars pale from the cloudy sky, the
storm-roar weights the gloom,
The cyclone notes are wild and high, and sing
song OF doom.
Tomorrow brings the Christmas tide, the
welcome and the cheer
That in each loving home doth bide, grown
dearer every year;
The hearth-dre now is bright and warm, and
glad with cracking song,
While out at sea the windy storm grows jubi-
liant and strong.
tn brave ship breasts the sturdy blast, and
nears the echoing cape;
gloom the low rocks drape.
Why shines no beacon from the height,
where, like q giant ghost,
The lighthouse through the eobbing night
frowns on the dreary coast?
No voice can pierce the sullen roar that flls
Where stern waves hurl their icy store along
the sodden beach;
The helmsman watches for the star that from
Should show the harbor's frothing bar. and
light the painless deep.
Two points away h heads the ship, straight
for the reef he steers,
The f1efce waves by the dark sides slip, the
wind Is loud with cheers;
Death waits amid the yeastv wrath that lies
the reefs along,
His hony dngers point the path where dan
gers thickest throng.
But love has seer the gloomy tower and love.
is deaths strong foe;
And where the shadows deepest lower, and
winds the loudest blow,
With brave heart speeds a winsome maid, she
An Fs aims the am hSs1 ,hn %ind sta s5,.de o,+.sh,ne,
golden glare.
The weary helmsman sees the sign, her own
He filings aside the singing brine, and bears
the helm alec.
And clearing through the driving foam the
ship ooeys her wheel,
While on the reef the breaker comb ten
fathoms from her keel.
RING loud, O, Christmas bells, ring loudi the
morning eplendor wakes,
And through the rifted mass Of cloud the
The sunlight ripples through the town, the
sea-bfrds wing their way
Where, with sails furled, and anchor down, q
ship rides in the bay.
oh, love is stronger far than death. the soul
of men are his;
Gloom fades before his fragrant breath, grief
dies beneath his kiss;
Who dares for him will deeply drain the wine
within his wells.
The maiden's heart has lost its pain, ring
loud, o Christmas bells!
Thomas F. Coulter, IN Youths Companion.