Leaping higher! higher! higher! Now, now to sit or never, Oh, the bells, bells, bells! What a tale their terror tells How they clang, and clash, and roar ! On the bosom of the palpitating air!- By the twanging And the clanging, How the danger ebbs and flows; Yet the ear distinctly tells, In the jangling And the wrangling, How the danger sinks and swells, By the sinking or the swelling in the anger of the bells Of the bells Of the bells, bells, bells, bells, In the clamour and the clangour of the bells! IV. Hear the tolling of the bells Iron bells! What a world of solemn thought their monody compels ! In the silence of the night, At the melancholy menace of their tone! From the rust within their throats And the people-ah, the people- And who tolling, tolling, tolling,— Feel a glory in so rolling On the human heart a stone, They are neither man nor woman— And their king it is who tolls; And he rolls, rolls, rolls, Rolls A pæan from the bells; With the pean of the bells; Keeping time, time, time, In a sort of Runic rhyme, To the throbbing of the bells Of the bells, bells, bells To the sobbing of the bells; As he knells, knells, knells, To the rolling of the bells— To the tolling of the bells— Of the bells, bells, bells, bells— To the moaning and the groaning of the bells. EDGAR ALLAN POE. "SPEAK GENTLY." SPEAK gently! it is better far To rule by love than fear; Speak gently! love doth whisper low. Speak gently to the little child! Teach it in accents soft and mild; Speak gently to the young, for they Will have enough to bear; Pass through this life as best they may, 'Tis full of anxious care. Speak gently to the aged one,- Speak gently, kindly to the poor, Speak gently to the erring-know They must have toiled in vain ; Perchance unkindness made them so: Oh, win them back again! Speak gently! He who gave his life Said to them, "Peace! be still.” Speak gently! 'tis a little thing, ANONYMOUS. TRUST IN GOD AND DO THE RIGHT. COURAGE, brother, do not stumble, Let the road be rough and dreary, Perish "policy" and cunning! Perish all that fears the light! Trust no party, sect, or faction; Trust no "leaders in the fight; But in every word and action "Trust in God, and do the right! |