The School of the Heart Author:Henry Alford Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: VI. WRITTEN JANUARY 1, 1832. The year is born to-day—methinks it hath A chilly time of it; for down the sky The flaky frost-cloud stretches, and the sun Li... more »fted his large light from the Eastern plains, With gloomy mist-enfolded countenance, And garments rolled in blood. Under the haze Along the face of the waters, gather fast Sharp spikes of the fresh ice—as if the year That died last night, had dropt down suddenly In his full strength of genial government, Prisoning the sharp breath of the Northern winds; Who now burst forth and revel unrestrained Over the new king's months of infancy. The bells rung merrily when the old year died ; He past away in music; his death-sleep Closed on him like the slumber of a child When a sweet hymn in a sweet voice above him Takes up into its sound his gentle being. And we will raise to him two monuments ; One where he died, and one where he lies buried; One in the pealing of those midnight bells, Their swell and fall, and varied interchange, The tones that come again upon the spirit In years far off, mid unshaped accidents;— And one in the deep quiet of the soul, The mingled memories of a thousand moods Of joy and sorrow;—and his epitaph Shall be upon him—" Hera lie the remains Of one, who was less valued while he lived, Than thought on, when he died." LAST WORDS. Refresh me with the bright blue violet, And put the pale faint-scented primrose near. For I am breathing yet: Shed not one silly tear, But when mine eyes are set Scatter the fresh flowers thick upon my bier, And let my early grave with morning dew be wet. I have passed swiftly o'er the pleasant earth, My life hath been the shadow of a dream; The joyousness of birth Did ever with me seem: My spirit had no dearth, But dwelt for ever by a full swift stream,...« less