Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1886-08-05
THE PoRrs DEArH.soNG.


The recent death Of Paul Hamilton
Hayne, the noblest poet that the South
has produced, lends peculiar interest to
his lofty strain OF. final triumph which
appeared in the May namber Of Hdr-
per's Magazine. Mr.. Hayne early de-
voted himself to literature. and his
name is associated with nearly all the
best American magazines, especially
the Southern ones, several of which,
though short-lived, rose to eminence
under his editorship. When the war
deprived him of his fortune he still con-
tinued true to his standard. His pic
turesque little home near Augusta,
furnished with what ancestral goods he
managed to save in the destruction of
Charleston, has been the scene of his
labors for twenty years. Having expe-
rienced all the phases of prosperity and
adversely, his lingering decline with
consumption made him a calm and
fearless student of the coming change.
The result is beautifully shown in this
poem, which, though written two years
ago, by q strange coincidence was pub
lished just before the writer was per-
mitted to verify its truth We repeat
~ IOT tlOSS WIN may uOt huNC own ~
in Hdrper's Magazine.
Face to FSce.
BY pAU1 II. HAYNE.
Sad mortall oouldst thou but know
What truly it means to die,
The wings fthy soul would glow, "
And the hopes Of thy heart beat high;
Thou wouldst turn from the Pyrrhonist schools
And laugh their jargon to scorn,
As the babble Of midnighl fools
Ere the morning of Truth be born:
But l, earth's madness above,
In kingdom Of stormess breath
gaze on the glory Of love t-. E.
In the unveiled face Of Death.
tell thee his face is fair
As the moon-bow's amber rings,
And the gleam 10 his unbound hair
Like the flush of q thousand Springs;
His smile Is the fathomess beam
OF the stAr-shine's sacred light,
When the Summers Of Southland dream
In the lap of the holy Night:
For I, earth's blindness above,
In kingdom of halcyon breath
gaze on the marvel oflove
In the unveiled face of Death.
In his eyes heaven there dwells- u ..t.
But they hold few mysteries now
And his pity for earth's farewels
Half furrows that shining brow;
Souls taken from Times cold tide
He folds to his fostering breast
And the tears Of their grief are dried
Ere they enter the courts of rest:
And stiIl, earth's madness above,
In a kingdon Of stormless breath, 6
gaze on alight that is love b Y
the unveiled face of Death.
Through the splender Of stars impearled
II In the glow Of their faron grace,
y He is soaring world by world. 81
With the souls in his strong embrace;
Lone ethers, unstirred by wind,
s. At the passage Of Death grow sweet, Nt
With the fragrance that floats behind
The fash Of his winged retrest: '.. '....
And I, earth e ma adness above, g. ..f....
Mid kingdom of tranquil breath,
lave gazed on the lustrc of love
nthe, unveiled face of Death. t 10.
Bnt beyond the stars and the sun
I can follow him still on his way,
Till the pearl-white gates are won D.,
f. In the calm of the central day. .. ...#
| For voices Of fond acclaim Z T. 4 81
Thrill down fromthe place of souls,
As Death, with q touch like fame,
Uncoses the goal of goals:
Andfrom heaven of heavens above
God speaketh with bateless breath
| Ny ange! Of perfect love y q la VII
rs the angel men call Death! - 3 -