Till at length the portly abbot Then in vain o'er tower and turret, From the walls and woodland nests, When the minster bell rang noontide, Gathered the unwelcome guests. Then in vain, with cries discordant, Time has long effaced the inscriptions And tradition only tells us Where repose the poet's bones. But around the vast cathedral, THE OLD CLOCK ON THE STAIRS. L'éternité est une pendule, dont le balancier dit et redit sans cesse ces deux mots seulement, dans le silence des tombeaux: "Toujours! jamais! Jamais toujours !"-JACQUES BRIDAINE. SOMEWHAT back from the village street Tall poplar trees their shadows throw; Never-forever!" Half-way up the stairs it stands, Like a monk, who, under his cloak, With sorrowful voice to all who pass,- Never Forever! By day its voice is low and light; Along the ceiling, along the floor, And seems to say at each chamber door, "Forever-never! Never-forever!" Through days of sorrow and of mirth, Of changeful time, unchanged it has stood It calmly repeats those words of awe,— "Forever-never! Never-forever!" In that mansion used to be His great fires up the chimney roared ; There groups of merry children played, And affluence of love and time! Those hours the ancient timepiece told,— "Forever-never! Never-forever!" From that chamber, clothed in white, The dead lay in his shroud of snow; "Forever-never! Never-forever!" All are scattered now and fled, Never-forever!" Never here, forever there, Where all parting, pain, and care, And death, and time shall disappear,― Never-forever!" FROM "THE SEASIDE AND THE FIRESIDE." THE BUILDING OF THE SHIP. DAY by day the vessel grew, With timbers fashioned strong and true,— A skeleton ship rose up to view! And around the bows, and along the side, And around it columns of smoke, upwreathing, |