“ETERNITY.”
This is the title and refrain of both Mrs. Ellen M.H. Gates' impressive poem and its tune.
O the clanging bells of Time!
Night and day they never cease;
We are weaned with their chime,
For they do not bring us peace.
And we hush our hearts to hear,
And we strain our eyes to see
If thy shores are drawing near
Eternity! Eternity!
Skill was needed to vocalize this great word, but the ear of Mr. Bliss for musical prosody did not fail to make it effective. After the beautiful harmony through the seven lines, the choral reverently softens under the rallentando of the closing bars, and dwelling on the awe-inspiring syllables, solemnly dies away.