THE OLD CLOCK ON THE STAIRS. 123 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; In that mansion used to be His great fires up the chimney roared; But, like the skeleton at the feast, That warning timepiece never ceased,— "Forever-never! Never-forever!" There groups of merry children played, And affluence of love and time! Even as a miser counts his gold, Those hours the ancient timepiece told, "Forever-never! Never-forever!" From that chamber, clothed in white, The dead lay in his shroud of snow; And, in the hush that followed the prayer, All are scattered now and fled: Never-forever!" Never here, forever there, Where all parting, pain, and care, Forever there, but never here! The horologe of Eternity Sayeth this incessantly, "Forever-never! Never-forever!" LONGFELLOW. FOREST SCENES. 127 FOREST SCENES. THY dells, by wintry currents worn, Their honour'd leaves the green oaks rear'd Hail! greenwood shades, that, stretching far, Withholds the cloud, withholds the shower. (The herd's rude tracks, from rill to rill), Shaking his matted mane on high, |