NEW YEAR'S EVE.
Oid Year, thou hnst but an hour t« stay, Another hour Old Year ; Shall we give that hour to feast and play, And then lay thee on tliy bier, Or watch thy ending with holy fear 1
Thou »it hurrying mvray at thy wonted pace; Wilt tliou not stop to die 1 Oh stop, while we gaze upon thy face, And catch thy parting »)fih, And whisper » last mi <» sad good-bye.
Wilt thou talk with me, Old Yeai, apart ; lam giowmg old, like lliee; I will ihow thee all my secret heart, And thou, lny friend, viidlt be free , To rail as thou wilt at mankind and me.
We have walli'd toeethei three hunched days And si-vty-five — no more : Tliou art leaving the eaith and its miry wayi Foi tlic sea without a shore : Speak out, for our journey is well nigh o'ei.
Thy sou, is coming, grey sire, full toon, With his budget of weal and woe ; Now honest Old Year let me beg a boon : Instinct me, foi tlion dost know, What can nuke men happy and keep them so.
Not a word I — Look back from thy funeral car? Tlieic ii 1 ami no iv thy rear, And the sound ot slaughter it heard from far And lliy son is at hand, Old Ye.»r, With no healing balm for a lick woild's care.
He ii gone— the crazy Old Yeai is gone? In silence he has died In silence the jocund young Ycai is born ; He is floating on Turn-'* tide * Let us speak fin a inoiueut, New Year aside.
He will not stay.— He has woik for liis hand ; He must build and ,he must till, He must scurry about thiough sen and land, He must »eai and -he must kill, And bright the e^rth with bis restless will.
They aie not yet piophets, Old Year or New ! Great Spirit of the I'ait, Teacher of Nations, let me view Tliy iccords dim and vast, By God's pure light) anil hold thy lessons fast.
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New Zealander, Volume 7, Issue 596, 31 December 1851, Page 3
Word count
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340NEW YEAR'S EVE. New Zealander, Volume 7, Issue 596, 31 December 1851, Page 3
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