News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-12-23
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A Ballad for Christmas Time.

The bells are loud, the bells are svsset along tn,
winter land:
The trees are bright with frosted sleet and like
mailed warriors stand;
The wind sings down the southern slope OF
valleys lying wide.
Where like line of silver scope. the narrow
rivers glide.
The sea-birds cry with boding call sercss the
shining sand.
And on tie cape the lighthouse tail sentinel
And fierce and high the north wind roars
down from sh5 forest drear,
ana pears far On to distant shores the leaves
made brSwn and sere.
Far out II meets ship that sails from distant
tFtrpic seas
her snasts have braved the stormiest gales, and
wooed the softest breeze.
Around the blackness of Cape Horn her out
ward way she bore,
And met the Tadient light of morn on Cali
fornia's shore.
Across the wide Paeifc's waves she sailed 70
fsG Cathay
Selow her course the coral caves stretched far
She heard the tiger growl his love on distant
BQrneo,
And swift before the tempest drove, where
sRiTicd Antarctic snow.
Now with her weather braces taut. t.and ROYALS
snugly furled
She comes with orient fragrance fraught up
from the under world;
The sun-rays on her canvas CLEAN, the seas be-
fore her part,
She sees the light of welcome stream from
out her waiting mart,
The cold wind shouts, and in the North
black line rises allow
The trumpets of the storm blaze forth, and
high the white caps grow,
ana down tine gray and cloudy West the red
sun lingering falls.
While welrdly Der the oceans breast loud ring
the seaGu ulls' calls.
Below the dark slope of the hills the sunlight
slowly fades,
And sad the sobbing tone that fills nights deep
and sombre shades;
The stars pale from the clouded sky, the
storm-roar weights tn, gloom,
The cyclone notes are wild and high, and sing
song of doom.
Tomorrow brings the Christmas tide, the well
come and the cheer
That in each loving home doth bide, grown
dearer every year;
The heaTth-tiTe now is bright and warm, and
glad with cracking song,
While out at sea the windy storm grows jubi-
liant and strong.
The brave ship breasts the sturdy blast, and
nears the echOing cape;
Fierce breakers on the roof are cast, deep
gloom the low rocks drape,
Why shines no beacon from the height. where
like giant ghost,
Ihe lighthouse through the sobbing night
frowns on the dreary coast.
No voice can pierce tie sullen roar that fills the
fo&ming reach
Where stern waves hurl their icy store along
the sodden beach;
Ihe heImsInau watches for the star that from
Should show the harbors frothing bar, and
light the painless deep.
Two points away he heads the ship, straight for
the reef he steers,
The fierce waves by the dark sides slip. the
wind Is loud with cheers;
Death waits amid the yeasty wrath that lies
the reefs along,
His bony fingers point the path where dangers
thlckest tlirong
But love has seen the gloomy tower and love
Is deaths strong foe;
And where the shadows deepest lower, and
winds the loudest blow
With brave heart speeds winsome maid she
gains the lighthouse stair,
a1TTes tho windy shade, out-shines I
golden glare.
The weary helmsman sees the sign, her own
betrothed Is he;
He filings aside the stinging brine, and bears
the helm alec,
And clearing through the driving foam the
ship obeys her wheel
While on the reef the breakers comb ten fathoms
from her keel.
Ring loud, o Christmas bells, ring loud. the
morning splendor wakes,
And through the rifted mass of cloud, the am
Der glory breaks:
The sunlight ripples through the town, the
sea-hirds wing their way
Where, with sails furled, and anchor down,
ship rides in the bay.
Oh, love is stronger far than death, the souls
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
y Christmas bells,
THOMAS S. COLLIER.