Seen haply from afar, Above the horizon's hoop, A moment, by the railway troop, As o'er some bolder height they speed, — By circumspect ambition, By errant gain, By feasters and the frivolous, Recallest us, And makest sane. Mute orator! well skilled to plead, And send conviction without phrase, The shortness of our days, And promise, on thy Founder's truth, TERMINUS IT is time to be old, To take in sail: The god of bounds, Who sets to seas a shore, Came to me in his fatal rounds, And said: "No more! No farther shoot Thy broad ambitious branches, and thy root. Fancy departs: no more invent; Contract thy firmament To compass of a tent. There's not enough for this and that, Make thy option which of two; Economize the failing river, Not the less revere the Giver, A little while Still plan and smile, And, - fault of novel germs, Mature the unfallen fruit. Curse, if thou wilt, thy sires, The needful sinew stark as once, As the bird trims her to the gale, I trim myself to the storm of time, Obey the voice at eve obeyed at prime: Right onward drive unharmed; The port, well worth the cruise, is near, And every wave is charmed." BOSTON HYMN THE word of the Lord by night And filled their hearts with flame. God said, I am tired of kings, Up to my ear the morning brings Think ye I made this ball A field of havoc and war, Where tyrants great and tyrants small Might harry the weak and poor? My angel, his name is Freedom, Choose him to be your king; |