When first we screeched in the sudden blaze Of the daylight's blinding and blasting rays, And gulped at the gaseous, groggy air, This old, old friend stood waiting there. And when, with a kind of mortal strife, We had gasped and choked into breathing life, He watched by the cradle, day and night, And held our hands till we stood upright. From gristle and pulp our frames have grown To stringy muscle and solid bone; While we were changing, he altered not; We might forget, but he never forgot. He came with us to the college class,-- Little cared he for the steward's pass! All the rest must pay their fee, But the grim old dead-head entered free. He stayed with us while we counted o'er Four times each of the seasons four; And with every season, from year to year, The dear name Classmate he made more dear. He never leaves us,--he never will, Till our hands are cold and our hearts are still; On birthdays, and Christmas, and New-Year's too, He always remembers both me and you. Every year this faithful friend His little present is sure to send; Every year, wheresoe'er we be, He wants a keepsake from you and me. How he loves us! he pats our heads, And, lo! they are gleaming with silver threads; And he's always begging one lock of hair, Till our shining crowns have nothing to wear. At length he will tell us, one by one, "My child, your labor on earth is done; And now you must journey afar to see My elder brother,--Eternity!" And so, when long, long years have passed, Some dear old fellow will be the last,-- Never a boy alive but he Of all our goodly company! When he lies down, but not till then, Our kind Class-Angel will drop the pen That writes in the day-book kept above Our lifelong record of faith and love. So here's a health in homely rhyme To our oldest classmate, Father Time! May our last survivor live to be As bald, but as wise and tough as he! EDWARD EVERETT. At the funeral of Mr. Everett, on the 19th of January, the persons who acted as pall-bearers, and accompanied the body to the grave, had been appointed to that service by the government of the city of Boston. They represented respectively the Commonwealth, the City, the Supreme Bench, the University, the American Academy, the Historical Society, the Public Library, the Union Club, and the United States Army and Navy. The officers of the Army and Navy highest in rank on this station represented these services; the other organizations were represented, in each case, by their highest officers. The Governor received at the same time the following despatch:-- "It is impracticable for the President and the Cabinet to leave the capital to attend the funeral.