Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1886-12-25
Me9a aaIliIas.
EiIll!T{l AfHhI1lRH RAlH1TTtt1h
ga|EjTfIsrs liif If; II |j',1 i Ist'11i H. ii { EIIl ST II

The play is done, the curtain drops,
Slow falling to the prompter's bell;
Amomant yet tn : actor stops.
And looks around to say farewell.
It is al ir.isome word and task;
And when he's laughed and said his say,
He hows, as he removes the mask,
face that's anything but gay.
One word ere yet the evcnin! ends,-
Let's close it with a partin; rhyme;
Ard pledge a hand to all young friendA,
AS cts the merry Christmas time:
On l;fc's wide scene you, too, have parts
That fate ere long shall bid you play;
Good ni:;ht!-.with hon st, gentle hearts
kindly greeting 60 Away.
Good night!-1'd say the griefs, the joys,
Just hi:,tcd in thi, mimic page
The t:iumphs and defeat Of boys
Are but repeated ii our age;
I'd say your woes were not less keen,
Your hopes more vain than those Of men;
Your pancs or pleasures Of fifteen
At forty-1ive played DER again.
I'd shy We suffer and We strive
Mt less nor more Us men than boys;
With grizzled b"nrds at fortv.flve,
AS erst ut twelve in %corduroys;
And it, in time of sacred youth,
We learned at ION, to love and pray,
Pray Heaven that early love and truth
May never wholly pass away.
And in the world, as in the school,
Id say how fate may change ard shift
The prize be sometimes with the fool,
The ace not always to the swift:
Tl,s strong may yield, tho good may fall,
'Th" great ma he q vulgar clown,
The knave be lifted over oil,
The kind cast pitilessly down.
Who knows the lnscrutable design?
Blessed be lie who took and gave!
Why should your mother, Charles, not mine,
Be weeping at her darllng's grave!
We bow to Heaven that willed it so,
That dari:ly rules tho fate of all,
That s"nds tho respite or tho blow,
That's free to give or to recall.
This crowns his feast with wine and wit
Who brought him to That nirth and s:atef
His b",tel:;, sec, below him sit,
Or hanger hopeless ut the gate.
Who bale the mud from Dives wheel
TO alnlrn the az Of Lazarus?
Corse, brother, in that dust we'll knsel,
Contrasting Heaven, that ruled it thus.
w S0Si ouui tuAIu III III . dIV6IlCts
Dear hopes, dear friends. unti,nely killed;
Shall grieve for many a forfeit chance
And longing passion unfulf.lled.
Amen!- whatever fate b. sent,
Fray God the heart may kindly glow,
Although the head with cares be h.nt
And whitehead with the winter SNOW.
Como wealth or want. cont good or IL,
lat old and young accept their part
And bow before the awful will,
And l#nr It with ar hnnest heart
Who misses, or who wins the prize,
Go, lose or conquer, az you can;
but if you fail. or ii you rise.
Be each, pray God. q gentleman.
Agentlemau. or old or young:
(Bear kindly with my humble lays)
The sacred chorus first was sung
Upon the first If Christmas days;
The shepherds II. ,rrl it overhead,
The joyful angels raised 1t then;
Glory to Heaven on high, it said.
And pace ON earth to gentle men.
Ny song, save this, Is little worth:
lay t:le weary pen aside,
And wish you health, and love and mirth,
AS fits the solemn Christmnstide,-
As fits the holy Christmas birth
Be this, good friends, our carol still
Be lace on earth. b. peace on earth,
70 ulen of gentle will.
WILLIAM MAEEpEAcE THAckERAY.