THE OLD YEAR AND THE NEW

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1447, 4 January 1887, Page 3

THE OLD YEAR AND THE NEW

Toll out the bell 1 Soon the hoar shall have sped That lays the Old Year to bis rest with the dead ; Toll ! (or tho joys that he crushed m their bloom, Toll I for the hopes that he laid m the tomb. Toll 1 for tho noble thoughts strangled at birth, Toll ! for ambitions crushed down to tho earth ; Toll 1 for the stillborn, the great " might-have-been," Toll I for the Borrow and sin he hath seen Toll ! for the hearts that m anguish were broken, Toll ! for the 'words that m arger were Bpoken, Toll 1 for the vows that were all unfulfilled, Toll ! for the loves that were slighted and killed. Toll 1 for the blossoms his winter hath slain Toll ! for the tithing of life he hath ta'en, Toll ! for the peasant, toll I for the earl, Toll i for the monarch, toll 1 for the churl. Toll ! for the bridegroom, toll ! for the bride For brother and sister m death side by side Toll! for life's sands that sp Bwiftly have ran For mother and babe, for sire and for son. Toll 1 for the battlefields reddened with blood, Toll ! for the famine, the fire, and the flood ; Toll ye at midnight, solemn, and slow, Telling the story of pain and of woe, Toll 1 till the Old Year's last moment has fled, Then— Let the dead past bury its dead. Change now the measure I Bing out a peal ! For health and for wealth, for blessing and weal, Hope looks on the future with bright beaming eyes, And Faith rolls triumphant the oloud from the skies. King out the bells cheerily, loudly and clear, Ring out to welcome the happy New Year, Bins 1 for the joys that its moments shall bring To peer and to peasant, to subject and king. Bing 1 for the babes that to love Bhall bt given, And bring down to earth half the blessing of heaven, Bing ! for the bridegroom and ring for th? bride, For the love that nor sorrow nor death shall divide. Bing ! for the triumphs the New Tear shall w;n O'er darkness and ignoranoe, sorrow and sin, Bing 1 for the glories of mountain and plain, The buds and the flowers, the fruit and the grain. Bing ! for tho forests and ring for the brakei, Ring ! for the oceans, the rivers, and lakes, Bing I till the voice of the bells fills the air, Chiming for gladness that life is so fair. And, as their music is borne on the wind, Leave we all fears and all sorrows behind, Saying to ev'ry heart " Be of good cheer," Wishing for all men A Hapft New Year.