New Year's Eve

<SPAN name="startofbook"></SPAN> <h3 id="id00510" style="margin-top: 3em"> NEW-YEAR'S EVE</h3> <p id="id00511">Good old days—dear old days<br/> When my heart beat high and bold—<br/> When the things of earth seemed full of life,<br/> And the future a haze of gold!<br/> Oh, merry was I that winter night,<br/> And gleeful our little one's din,<br/> And tender the grace of my darling's face<br/> As we watched the new year in.<br/> But a voice—a spectre's, that mocked at love—<br/> Came out of the yonder hall;<br/> "Tick-tock, tick-tock!" 't was the solemn clock<br/> That ruefully croaked to all.<br/> Yet what knew we of the griefs to be<br/> In the year we longed to greet?<br/> Love—love was the theme of the sweet, sweet dream<br/> I fancied might never fleet!<br/></p> <p id="id00512">But the spectre stood in that yonder gloom,<br/> And these were the words it spake,<br/> "Tick-tock, tick-tock"—and they seemed to mock<br/> A heart about to break.<br/></p> <p id="id00513">'T is new-year's eve, and again I watch<br/> In the old familiar place,<br/> And I'm thinking again of that old time when<br/> I looked on a dear one's face.<br/> Never a little one hugs my knee<br/> And I hear no gleeful shout—<br/> I am sitting alone by the old hearthstone,<br/> Watching the old year out.<br/> But I welcome the voice in yonder gloom<br/> That solemnly calls to me:<br/> "Tick-tock, tick-tock!"—for so the clock<br/> Tells of a life to be;<br/> "Tick-tock, tick-tock!"-'tis so the clock<br/> Tells of eternity.<br/></p> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />