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THE
OLD TOWN CLOCK By
Josephine K. Henry There’s
a stately public building on
the main street of the town In
which every citizen owns a share
of stock And
in the tower of this “Temple of
Justice” Is
the permanent office of the old
town clock For
generations political wars have
raged around it Waged
by candidates active, smiling
and bland But
the old town clock never went
into politics And
is still doing business at the
same old stand It
never wore a political collar or
a union labor badge But
in the business and home life
of the town its a power It
has never asked for a raise of salary
for its services Though
it goes out on a strike every
hour For
generations its looked down on
court day crowds, It
has seen lusty youths change to
tottering old men It
has rung out the old and rung in
the new Officials
court and councils again
and again. It
has chimed the hour for weddings and
political harangues It
pealed a welcome home for our
soldiers boys who fought and
bled For
generations to public worship it
has solemnly called, And
tolled a requiem as we bore our
loved ones to the “City of the
Dead.” The
old town clock is a helpful friend
to all But
it never meddles with the public
or private affairs of the
people It
speaks eloquently to all in a language
all its own, And
attends strictly to its own business
up in the steeple. Oft
when sleepless and restless in
the silence of the night, As
thought wanders back o’er Life’s
tortuous track When
the old clock’s pensive strokes
float o’er the sleeping town Then
the mind is thronged with memories
and lost years come stealing
back, In
summer and in winter, by day
and by night Whether
our hearts are filled with
gladness or with sadness The
old clock never halts on its winding
way. Through
all the hours, weeks, months
and years, When
the old clock strikes the die
is cast. Into
the tideless everlasting hours
have flown Reminding
us life’s tide is ebbing out
so fast. Oh,
loyal public servant, sleep- Less
sentinel in the tower When
the treasure house of memory
I unlock My
heart wells up with gratitude and
veneration For
the every faithful Old Town Clock.
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