Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society
History Quarterly Digital Archives

Source: November 1953 Volume 8 Number 1, Pages 21–22

Time

Enoch Wells

Page 21

Note the wheels of yonder clock
Marking time.
Sec how lazily they turn,
With that fearful unconcern,
From the font e'en to the urn
Do they measure out to man
His fitful painted span
Of Life.

How unceasingly they roll
Night and day,
Making music soft and slow.
How the measures flow and flow,
Like some spirit's voice so low,
Measuring time, telling time,
Welling forth the solemn rhyme
Of time.

With the heavy wheels of time
Keeping pace.
Aye, the iron wheel of time
In a hollow knell-like chime,
Hear them echo "Time, time, time."
Ah, how swiftly do they roll,
Bearing onward to its goal
My soul.

Art thou ready, soul Prepared
Trim thy lamp.
Earth to earth, and dust to dust,
In thy Saviour's merit trust,
Plead his blood. Thou must, thou must.
Great physician, make me whole;
For thine own sake, save my soul,
Amen.

The above poem was copied from the historical records of the late Franklin L. Burnss in which he states,

"I have a manuscript poem composed by Enoch Wells, written in his own hand; as far as I know it has never been published."

Mr. Burns gives a sketch of the poet, from which the following is digested.

Page 22

Enoch Wells was born September 5, 1831, and died May 17, 1920. He lived in the single stone house belonging to his father-in-law, Thomas Aiken, Sr. Though a little visionary, he was mentally far above the average. Tall and spare, with long face, hair and beard, he much resembled caricatures of "Uncle Sam", whom he was sometimes prevailed upon to impersonate. He had been a farmer, clerk, and Methodist minister, but for many years was a school teacher. A lover of good literature, he could quote long passages from Shakespeare. In 1846 he took one lesson in shorthand or "phonography" as it was then called, then, purchasing all the books available, on the subject, he taught himself and thereafter gave private lessons in stenography as well as elocution.