Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-12-28

lis midnight's molly hour, and silence now
Is brooding like gentle spirit Ger
The still and pulseless world Hank. on
the winds
The bells deep tones are swelling: It's the
kneu
OF the departed year.
No funeral train
Is sweeping past yet Oh the stream and
wood.
With melancholy light. the moonbeams
rest
Like pale, spotless shroud; the air is
stirrd
That floats SO still and placidly through
heaven.
The spirits of the season seem to stand
Young Spring. bright Summer. Autumn's
solemn form
And Winter. with his aged locks-and
bI eathe
Like the far wind harp's wild and touch
ing wall,
A melancholy dirge DER the dead year,
Gone from the earth forever.
lis time
For memory and for tears. Within the
deep.
Still chambers of the heart specter
Whose tones are like the wizard voice OF
Time a@
Heard from the tomb of ages. points its
cold
And solemn finger to the beautiful
And holy visions that have passed away
And left no shadow of their loneliness
On the dead waste of life. That specter
lifts
The coffin lid Of hope and JOY and love
And. bending mournfully above the pale,
Sweet forms that slumber there, scatters
dead flowers
Ger what has pass'd to nothingness.
Has gone and with it many glorious
throng
OF happy dreams. It's mark Is on each
brow,
its shadow In each heart In its swift
course
1t waved Its scepter Ger the beautiful.
Upon the strong man. and the naughty
Is fallen. and the flashing eye is dim.
1t trod the hall of revelry. where
throng'd
The bright and joyous. and the fearful
wall
OF stricken ones is heard where erst the
And reckless shout resounded.
It pass'd Ger
Fhe battle plain, where sword and spear
and shield
FYash'd in the light of midday. and the
OF SERTED hosts is shiver'd. and the
grass
Green from the soil of carnage, waves
above
The crush'd and moldering skeleton. II
came
And faded like wreath of mist at eve
Yet ere 1t melted in the viewless air
It heralded its millions to their home
In the dim land of dreams.
Remorseless Time
Fierce spirit of the glass and scythe-
what power
Can stay him in his silent course or melt
His iron heart to pity? On, still on
He presses and forever. The proud bird,
The condor of the Andes that can soar
Through heavens unfathomable depths or
brave
The fury of the northern hurricane
And battle his piumage in the thunder's
home,
Furs his broad wings at nightfal and
To rest upon his mountain crag. but
Tine
Knows not the weight Of sleep or weari-
ness, #eEa
And nights deep darkness has no chain
to bind
His rushing pinions.
Revolutions sweep
Ger earth, like troubled visions Ger the
breast
OF dreaming sorrow; cities rise and sink,
Like bubbles on the water; fiery isles
Spring, blazing. from the ocean and go
back
To their mysterious caverns: mountains
rear
To heaven their bald and blacken'd cliffs
and bow
Their tall heads to the plain: new en-
pires rise,
Gathering the strength of hoary centuries
And rush down like the Alpine avalanche
Startling the nations, and the very stars.
Yon bright and burning blazonry of God.
Glitter awhile in their eternal Depths
And Ike the Plead. loyeliest Of their
train,
shoot from their glorious spheres and
pass away eSHg r
Time, the tomb builder-holds his fierce
career
Dark stern all pitiless, and pauses not,
Amid the mighty wrecks that strew his
To sit and muse, like other conQuerors,
Upon the fearful ruin he has wrought
i + I. - = :s-.sss.-s .ss.+s.s+s.
+ A Song For the New Year. +