[233]The Calls of the Bells.[Represent bell tones with the voice upon the italicized words.]“In union and in freedom dwell!”Peals forth a brave, time-honored bell.“To all proclaim sweet libertyThroughout the land—the land is free!”In the tower let it cheerily swing,And make the whole world hear it ring“The tyrants knell, the knell, the knell,”It is the Independence Bell.At dawn of day, to break the spellOf sleep, the watchman rings a bell.The rough bell in the dusky tower,With rude tongue calls the signal hour.Oh, how itrings, and swings and clangs,Shaking the old roof where it hangs!The soundforetells, foretells, foretellsThe toils that follow morning bells.In ringing notes that rise and swell,In startling sharpness sounds a bell.To boys and girls, it seems to speakOf German, Latin, French and Greek;The lads and lassies know it well,It is the famed Academy bell.Read well, think well, learn well, do well,In haste exclaims the scholars’ bell.In stout hands, jangling as it fell,Near a white apron rang a bell.Its tones are sounds that all may know,It gives the languid pulse a glow,Ittinkles,jingles,ringsandsings,And talks of sweet and savory things,The roast, the broil and on the shell,It is the dinner bell, “sweet-bell.”A great white sheet in silence fell,Followed by the tinkling of a bell.How wide and white the snow-lit scene!Wrapped in warm furs two lovers lean,Bringing their beating hearts so near,Responsive throbbings they might hear,And the fond story that love tells,But for thebells, sleigh bells, sleigh bells.Sweet music comes from hill and dell,A charm of sound from a sweet bell;In softest harmony the tonesRing in the sweetest honey-moons.May no harsh speech come from the lipsTo shade the fair moon with eclipse.Its melody in love-tones tellsOf bride and groom and wedding bells.From far and near, where virtue dwells,There comes the sound of sacred bells,Soft choral chimes, one day in seven:Voices of love from the vast heaven.Their varied tones in sweetness blend,And like a psalm of praise ascend,And each glad heart in rapture swells,Responsive to the Sabbath Bells.Flaming like lurid light of hell,Startled at midnight by the bell,Oh, merciless, disastrous fire,That spreads and rises, higher, higher, higher!Crackling in speech like flames in fir,That needs not the interpreter.The thrilling warningpeals and swells,It is the fire alarm of bells.There comes at last a saddening knell,Startling our sluggish souls. The bellReminds us of the close of time,And warns us with its solemn chime.E’en the sad bell seems short of breath,Whentollingin slow tones of death!Let’s hope thatall is well, is wellWhen tolls at last the funeral bell.—Geo.W. Bungay.[233]Published by special permission from the author.
[Represent bell tones with the voice upon the italicized words.]
“In union and in freedom dwell!”Peals forth a brave, time-honored bell.“To all proclaim sweet libertyThroughout the land—the land is free!”In the tower let it cheerily swing,And make the whole world hear it ring“The tyrants knell, the knell, the knell,”It is the Independence Bell.At dawn of day, to break the spellOf sleep, the watchman rings a bell.The rough bell in the dusky tower,With rude tongue calls the signal hour.Oh, how itrings, and swings and clangs,Shaking the old roof where it hangs!The soundforetells, foretells, foretellsThe toils that follow morning bells.In ringing notes that rise and swell,In startling sharpness sounds a bell.To boys and girls, it seems to speakOf German, Latin, French and Greek;The lads and lassies know it well,It is the famed Academy bell.Read well, think well, learn well, do well,In haste exclaims the scholars’ bell.In stout hands, jangling as it fell,Near a white apron rang a bell.Its tones are sounds that all may know,It gives the languid pulse a glow,Ittinkles,jingles,ringsandsings,And talks of sweet and savory things,The roast, the broil and on the shell,It is the dinner bell, “sweet-bell.”A great white sheet in silence fell,Followed by the tinkling of a bell.How wide and white the snow-lit scene!Wrapped in warm furs two lovers lean,Bringing their beating hearts so near,Responsive throbbings they might hear,And the fond story that love tells,But for thebells, sleigh bells, sleigh bells.Sweet music comes from hill and dell,A charm of sound from a sweet bell;In softest harmony the tonesRing in the sweetest honey-moons.May no harsh speech come from the lipsTo shade the fair moon with eclipse.Its melody in love-tones tellsOf bride and groom and wedding bells.From far and near, where virtue dwells,There comes the sound of sacred bells,Soft choral chimes, one day in seven:Voices of love from the vast heaven.Their varied tones in sweetness blend,And like a psalm of praise ascend,And each glad heart in rapture swells,Responsive to the Sabbath Bells.Flaming like lurid light of hell,Startled at midnight by the bell,Oh, merciless, disastrous fire,That spreads and rises, higher, higher, higher!Crackling in speech like flames in fir,That needs not the interpreter.The thrilling warningpeals and swells,It is the fire alarm of bells.There comes at last a saddening knell,Startling our sluggish souls. The bellReminds us of the close of time,And warns us with its solemn chime.E’en the sad bell seems short of breath,Whentollingin slow tones of death!Let’s hope thatall is well, is wellWhen tolls at last the funeral bell.—Geo.W. Bungay.
“In union and in freedom dwell!”Peals forth a brave, time-honored bell.“To all proclaim sweet libertyThroughout the land—the land is free!”In the tower let it cheerily swing,And make the whole world hear it ring“The tyrants knell, the knell, the knell,”It is the Independence Bell.At dawn of day, to break the spellOf sleep, the watchman rings a bell.The rough bell in the dusky tower,With rude tongue calls the signal hour.Oh, how itrings, and swings and clangs,Shaking the old roof where it hangs!The soundforetells, foretells, foretellsThe toils that follow morning bells.In ringing notes that rise and swell,In startling sharpness sounds a bell.To boys and girls, it seems to speakOf German, Latin, French and Greek;The lads and lassies know it well,It is the famed Academy bell.Read well, think well, learn well, do well,In haste exclaims the scholars’ bell.In stout hands, jangling as it fell,Near a white apron rang a bell.Its tones are sounds that all may know,It gives the languid pulse a glow,Ittinkles,jingles,ringsandsings,And talks of sweet and savory things,The roast, the broil and on the shell,It is the dinner bell, “sweet-bell.”A great white sheet in silence fell,Followed by the tinkling of a bell.How wide and white the snow-lit scene!Wrapped in warm furs two lovers lean,Bringing their beating hearts so near,Responsive throbbings they might hear,And the fond story that love tells,But for thebells, sleigh bells, sleigh bells.Sweet music comes from hill and dell,A charm of sound from a sweet bell;In softest harmony the tonesRing in the sweetest honey-moons.May no harsh speech come from the lipsTo shade the fair moon with eclipse.Its melody in love-tones tellsOf bride and groom and wedding bells.From far and near, where virtue dwells,There comes the sound of sacred bells,Soft choral chimes, one day in seven:Voices of love from the vast heaven.Their varied tones in sweetness blend,And like a psalm of praise ascend,And each glad heart in rapture swells,Responsive to the Sabbath Bells.Flaming like lurid light of hell,Startled at midnight by the bell,Oh, merciless, disastrous fire,That spreads and rises, higher, higher, higher!Crackling in speech like flames in fir,That needs not the interpreter.The thrilling warningpeals and swells,It is the fire alarm of bells.There comes at last a saddening knell,Startling our sluggish souls. The bellReminds us of the close of time,And warns us with its solemn chime.E’en the sad bell seems short of breath,Whentollingin slow tones of death!Let’s hope thatall is well, is wellWhen tolls at last the funeral bell.—Geo.W. Bungay.
“In union and in freedom dwell!”
Peals forth a brave, time-honored bell.
“To all proclaim sweet liberty
Throughout the land—the land is free!”
In the tower let it cheerily swing,
And make the whole world hear it ring
“The tyrants knell, the knell, the knell,”
It is the Independence Bell.
At dawn of day, to break the spellOf sleep, the watchman rings a bell.The rough bell in the dusky tower,With rude tongue calls the signal hour.Oh, how itrings, and swings and clangs,Shaking the old roof where it hangs!The soundforetells, foretells, foretellsThe toils that follow morning bells.
At dawn of day, to break the spell
Of sleep, the watchman rings a bell.
The rough bell in the dusky tower,
With rude tongue calls the signal hour.
Oh, how itrings, and swings and clangs,
Shaking the old roof where it hangs!
The soundforetells, foretells, foretells
The toils that follow morning bells.
In ringing notes that rise and swell,In startling sharpness sounds a bell.To boys and girls, it seems to speakOf German, Latin, French and Greek;The lads and lassies know it well,It is the famed Academy bell.Read well, think well, learn well, do well,In haste exclaims the scholars’ bell.
In ringing notes that rise and swell,
In startling sharpness sounds a bell.
To boys and girls, it seems to speak
Of German, Latin, French and Greek;
The lads and lassies know it well,
It is the famed Academy bell.
Read well, think well, learn well, do well,
In haste exclaims the scholars’ bell.
In stout hands, jangling as it fell,Near a white apron rang a bell.Its tones are sounds that all may know,It gives the languid pulse a glow,Ittinkles,jingles,ringsandsings,And talks of sweet and savory things,The roast, the broil and on the shell,It is the dinner bell, “sweet-bell.”
In stout hands, jangling as it fell,
Near a white apron rang a bell.
Its tones are sounds that all may know,
It gives the languid pulse a glow,
Ittinkles,jingles,ringsandsings,
And talks of sweet and savory things,
The roast, the broil and on the shell,
It is the dinner bell, “sweet-bell.”
A great white sheet in silence fell,Followed by the tinkling of a bell.How wide and white the snow-lit scene!Wrapped in warm furs two lovers lean,Bringing their beating hearts so near,Responsive throbbings they might hear,And the fond story that love tells,But for thebells, sleigh bells, sleigh bells.
A great white sheet in silence fell,
Followed by the tinkling of a bell.
How wide and white the snow-lit scene!
Wrapped in warm furs two lovers lean,
Bringing their beating hearts so near,
Responsive throbbings they might hear,
And the fond story that love tells,
But for thebells, sleigh bells, sleigh bells.
Sweet music comes from hill and dell,A charm of sound from a sweet bell;In softest harmony the tonesRing in the sweetest honey-moons.May no harsh speech come from the lipsTo shade the fair moon with eclipse.Its melody in love-tones tellsOf bride and groom and wedding bells.
Sweet music comes from hill and dell,
A charm of sound from a sweet bell;
In softest harmony the tones
Ring in the sweetest honey-moons.
May no harsh speech come from the lips
To shade the fair moon with eclipse.
Its melody in love-tones tells
Of bride and groom and wedding bells.
From far and near, where virtue dwells,There comes the sound of sacred bells,Soft choral chimes, one day in seven:Voices of love from the vast heaven.Their varied tones in sweetness blend,And like a psalm of praise ascend,And each glad heart in rapture swells,Responsive to the Sabbath Bells.
From far and near, where virtue dwells,
There comes the sound of sacred bells,
Soft choral chimes, one day in seven:
Voices of love from the vast heaven.
Their varied tones in sweetness blend,
And like a psalm of praise ascend,
And each glad heart in rapture swells,
Responsive to the Sabbath Bells.
Flaming like lurid light of hell,Startled at midnight by the bell,Oh, merciless, disastrous fire,That spreads and rises, higher, higher, higher!Crackling in speech like flames in fir,That needs not the interpreter.The thrilling warningpeals and swells,It is the fire alarm of bells.
Flaming like lurid light of hell,
Startled at midnight by the bell,
Oh, merciless, disastrous fire,
That spreads and rises, higher, higher, higher!
Crackling in speech like flames in fir,
That needs not the interpreter.
The thrilling warningpeals and swells,
It is the fire alarm of bells.
There comes at last a saddening knell,Startling our sluggish souls. The bellReminds us of the close of time,And warns us with its solemn chime.E’en the sad bell seems short of breath,Whentollingin slow tones of death!Let’s hope thatall is well, is wellWhen tolls at last the funeral bell.—Geo.W. Bungay.
There comes at last a saddening knell,
Startling our sluggish souls. The bell
Reminds us of the close of time,
And warns us with its solemn chime.
E’en the sad bell seems short of breath,
Whentollingin slow tones of death!
Let’s hope thatall is well, is well
When tolls at last the funeral bell.
—Geo.W. Bungay.