2 o B U r z .

The Old Clock on the Stairs.
{"newspaper_name": "The Southern journal.", "edition": "01", "page": "p1", "byline": ""}
{"character_count": 2001, "word_count": 319, "ccnet_language_score": [0.9106000065803528], "ccnet_perplexity": [1637.4000244140625], "fasttext_language": ["en"]}
BY HENRY W. LONGFELLOW.
Somewhat back from the village street
Stands the old>fashioned country seat,
Across its antique fortico
Tall poplar trees their shadows throw;
And from its station IN the hall
An ancient time piece says to all


"Forever--never!


Nevcr--forever!"
Half way up the stairs il stands,
And points and beckons with its hands
From IFS case of massive oak,
Like monk, who under his cloak
Crosses himself, and sgbs, alas!
With sorrowlul voice to all who pass


"Forever--never!


Neyer--forevegw
By day IFS voice is low and light,
Butln the silent dead ofnight,
Distinct as passing footsteps fall,
1t echoes along the vacant hall,
Along the ceiling, along the floor,
And seems to say, at each chamber door,


"Forever--never!


Never--forever!'
In that mansion used to be
Free-heartcd hospitality,
His great fires up the chimney roared,
The stranger feasted at his hoard;
But like the skeleton at the feast,
That warning time. piece never ceased


"Ferever--never!


Never--foreverm
There groups Of merry children played,
There youths and maidens dreaming strayed
Oh, precious hours! o, golden prime
And affluence of love and time!
Even as miser counts his gold,
Those hours the ancient time piece told


"Forever--never!


Never--forever!'
From that chamber clothed in white,
The bride came forth on her wedding night,
There, in that silent room below, a.
The dead lay in his shroud of snow; o.
And in the hush that followed the PRAYER
Was heard the old clock, on the stairs


"Forever--never! -..I


Never--forever!"
All are scattered now and fled,
Some are married, some are dead;
And when ask, with throbs of pain,
"Ah, when shall they all meet again?
AS in the days, long since gone BY"
Ahe ancient time.piece makes reply


"Forever--never!


Never--forever!'
Never here, forever there,
Where all parting, pain and care,
And death, and time shall disappear.
Forever there, but never here!
The horOlogue of Eternity
Sayeth this necessarily,
I< "Foreyer--never!


Never foreverr' "t