“SOFTLY THE NIGHT FALLS”

Southland Times, Issue 20831, 20 July 1929, Page 22

“SOFTLY THE NIGHT FALLS”

THE MOON. —First Prize.—: Softly the night falls Over the sea; Gently the wavelets , Roll in to me; Quickly the shadows Darken the sky; Heavy the veil does O’er the sand lie. Gnome-like the shadows Dance round the trees; Playing and flirting With the shy breeze; Slowly the dim world Sails into night; Till through the heav’n comes The King of Light. Twinkling attendants Peep from the sky; Clouds pause to curtesy As they pass by; Merrily fairies With chariots fair, Grasp moonlight reins, to Drive through the air. * Out on the ocean Bridges are laid; Quickly by mermaids With moonlight made; Brighter the world grows As he sails by Monarch of night-time, King of the sky! -5/- and 4 marks to Cousin Annie Williamson (15), Lanark street, Mosgiel. TWILIGHT. —Second Prize.— Softly the night falls, Shadows of grey Tell us that daylight Is fading away. Sweetly the gentle wind Croons in my car Songs of the twilight When night-time is near. Slowly the little brook Flows to the sea, Murmuring softly Her songs unto me. Faintly the owl’s call Reaching my ear, Transformed by the darkness Sounds eerie and queer. Dimly a farm-house light Gleams through the mist, Frightening the quiet world Night-time has kis’t. Silent as cherry blooms Frtnt the tree fall, Night spreads her dusky veil Over us all. —2/G and 3 marks to Cousin Pearl Staito (12), Lumsden.

A SUMMER’S NIGHT. —Highly Commended. — Softly the night falls, The birds are asleep, Shadows are deep’ning. The stars will soon peep.

When owls start to call, Up sails the big moon, Over the treetops, A silver balloon.

Soft breezes murmur, Among the tall trees. Cattle are lowing, Away on the leas.

Then come the fairies With laughter and song In the bright moonlight They dance the night long. —2 marks to Cousin May Heath (13), Dunrobin (Via Heriot).

—Highly Commended. — Softly the night falls, Day has been vanquished, Out of the west she has flown and gone. There in the east is the silver crescent, Climbing the stars as they twinkle on.

Up in the heavens. Birds now are flying, Carolling sweetly their evening hymn, Ere like stray shadows they sink to slumber, In the grey trees on the mountains dim.

Softly the wind sighs, Over the ocean, Seeking to lull the blue waves to rest. Now like a galleon silvern and stately, Tosses the moon on the ocean’s breast. • —2 marks to Cousin Dorothy Maslem (16), 314 Taranaki Street, Wellington.

—Highly Commended. — Softly the night falls From the sky above, Loudly the night owl calls His melody of love

The little birds have gone to rest, And flowers fall asleep, The squirrel seeks his homely nest, As stars begin to peep.

The sun has set in the Western sky, While the bees their humming cease, The toiler shuts his weary eye, And the world is wrapped in peace.

Softly the night falls, As the moon peeps out, Loudly the night owl calls, And fairies skip about. —2 marks to Cousin May Harvey (13), 144 Lewis Street, Invercargill.

—Commended.—■ Softly the night falls, On lawn and lea, Gently the day fades On land and sea.

—Highly Commended.— SNOW FAIRIES. Softly the night falls, To my bed I go In the night a voice calls, “See the falling snow.”

Where have the birdies gone? To their nests on high, Listen! listen, to the trees, Is not that their sigh?

I rise up in the moonlight, To find it very cold, I saw, oh! such a gay sight Of which you shall be told.

Where do the children go? Tucked up tight in bed, Listen to the angels, Who hath done and said.

Outside the snows were falling, The Snow Queen at their head. Some fairy babies crawling Over a flower bed.

See the starry sky at night, High up in their home, Listen to yon forests, How they gently moan.

And on and on the fairies danced, They never could be tired, The snowflakes in the moonlight pranced. The gun was just then fired;

Why is all so quiet? Where is noise and life? Where the happy fisherman, With his cheerful wife?

For quick as lightning down the path, A troop of fairies ran. One caught hold of the Snow Queen’s scarf, And this fairy won a fan.

So calm, so still is everything Nothing now is strife, This my friends is calmness, With which we live our life.

Now don’t you think that moonlight sight Was worth my telling you. I think it was the lovelist sight That one could have, don’t you. —2 marks to Cousin Peggy Playfair. (11), “Bonniefield,” Gummies Bush.

—Highly Commended.— Softly the night falls: All hushed—‘tis close of day, Shadows long and mystical, Fall fantastic, grey. Clinging veils of silver mist Slip down, o’er land and sea, A strange, enshrouded, silent world Steeped deep in mystery. Some magic flickers through the mist, Elusive, hauning... .fate, Silence—shrouded—held just beyond My sight—behind the gate. Faintly, palely' in the amethyst, ‘Tis sadness gleaming whitely through the mist. —2 marks to Cousin Gwen Irwin (16), “Elderslie House,’” Lochiel. —Highly Commended.— Softly the night falls The birds have gone to rest Fairy clouds are floating In the golden west. Lightly blows the breeze Through all the fields of corn Little lambs are sleeping Till the rosy morn. Blue bells are closing Their sweet sleepy eyes Stars will soon be peeping Now the daylight dies. —2 marks to Cousin Rosemary Heath (9), Dunrobin (Via Heriot).

—Highly Commended.— NIGHT. Softly the night falls O’er the beautiful valley, And the morepork calls To his mates in the trees; And to his cosy nest Flies the little brown thrush, And home to rest The tired farmer goes. In the fields the cattle lie Under the shelter of the trees, For this is the end of the day Up from the glowing east Lady moon glides into the sky ‘And in the diamond studded sky The feathery clouds float by. The dainty moonbeams dance On the waters of the lake And softly the night falls Softer than a falling snowflake. Oh beautiful, wonderful night! —2 marks to Cousin Vita Nelson (13), Green Point, Ocean Beach.

Softly the night falls, On lawn and lea, Gently the day fades On land and sea. —1 mark to Cousin Arthur Strang, (11), Alma Street. Wyndham, Southland.