POETRY.
TO 1890.
DEATH and disease, Old Year, thou earnest bearing : Sorrow and want attend upon thee yet : Into the gathering shadows disappearing, Vanish ! without one tribute of regret.
Fair spread to heaven the tree of our contentment : Lovely its blossoms—thou hest stripped it bare! Shall we fawn on thee, stifling just resentment, Tyrant I who stabbed our peace with sharpest care ?
Spring smiled to meet thee—but thy cold glance killed her ; Summer stood shiv'ring, wet with many a tear : Autumn laughed out—with joy her presence filled her ;— Winter, she knew, would lay thee on thy bier.
Hopes turned to ashes—these shall be thy token : Let their ghosts haunt thee on thy dying bed! Hearts thou found'st happy lightly thou haat broken ; Shall we lament, Old Year, that thou art dead P Welcome, 0 New Year !—still our sad souls' fretting : Lift up our hearts, and gird us for the fight ; Scatter the mists of faithless fear's begetting ; God sent the darkness—God will send the light.
R. K. H.
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