Christmas-Tide.
'Twas the hallowed Christmas even—
Christmas of the olden time,
Earth in snowy robes lay sleeping,
But there came a ringing chime
From the forest
Deck'd with glittering frozen rime.
Bright the golden stars were gleaming
Through the cloudless frosty air,
Like the tapers softly beaming
Round some holy shrine of pray'r,
And the night wind
Chants an anthem faint and rare.
Cheer'ly shone the Yule-log, glowing
In an old baronial hall,
Ghost-like shadows rose and faded
On the ancient panelled wall:
O'er my spirit
Mournful fancies seemed to fall.
Happy hearts were gathered round me—
Laughing childhood, free from stain;
Maidens, in their girlish beauty;
Manhood's gaze, undimm'd by pain;
And the aged,
Who might never meet again.
Gathered on that Christmas even
In the old ancestral home,
Breathing words of hope and kindness,
'Neath that lofty arching dome,
Ere they parted
Through life's thorny paths to roam.
Two beside the hearthstone lingered—
Aged sire, and lady fair;
He of life's long journey weary;
But her softly waving hair
Graced a forehead
Yet unmarked by trace of care.
Spake then out that youthful mother
With her babe upon her knee
To the grandsire old and hoary,
Like a leafless forest tree:
“Tell me, father,
What thought Christmas brings to thee.”
Silently he gazed upon her,
On her brow so pure and white,
On her dark eyes, softly beaming
With affection's holy light;
But a shadow
Lay upon his soul like night.
“Daughter, in life's joyous morning
Christmas comes with merry cheer,
Fancy tints a glowing pathway
Bright'ning with each coming year:
On the picture
Falleth not a shade of fear.
“Childhood smileth in its gladness,
Archeth Hope her rainbow bright—
Ah! he strives to grasp the vision;
Fades it from his eager sight:
Soon around him
Closes Disappointment's night.
“In the noontide, manhood kneeleth
Low before Ambition's shrine,
Praying: 'Goddess, hear thy vot'ry,
I no altar seek but thine':
Fame's wan fingers
Withered chaplets for him twine.
“But when fall the length'ning shadows,
When life's even stealeth on,
Memory opes her golden casket,
Counts her jewels one by one—
Earth's dream fadeth;
Her bright smile remains alone.
“One by one my loved departed
To the far-off spirit-land—
One by one they crossed my threshold,
Till, the last of that bright band,
Sad and weary,
By a stranger hearth I stand.
“As the wand'rer homeward speeding
Marks the Southern Cross decline,
I am looking ever backward
To the stars that faintly shine;
But one beameth
With a radiance all divine.
“Star of Bethlehem! ere the sunlight
Of another Christmas blest
Rises in the glowing Orient,
Light, oh! light me to my rest!
I would slumber
Calmly in earth's quiet breast.”
Slowly, slowly crept a Shadow
Through that silent, dark'ning room—
Softly loosed the cord of silver,
Led that soul from Sorrow's gloom
To the valleys
Where the flowers immortal bloom.