Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1862-05-08
SeIefted gnetrg.
From the Charleston Mercury.
pHE soLDIERs' DREAM
ssrx a1s BLANKET ON THE GROUND"

Weary, weary lies the soldier
In his blanket on the ground,
Win no sweet ssgood night' to cheer him,
And no tender voices sound
Making music In the darkness,
Making light his toilsome hours,
Like sunbeam In the forest,
or tomb wreathed o'er with flowers.
Thoughtful, hnshed he hes, and fearful,
As bis memories sadly roam
To the ncozy little parlorn
And the loved ones of bis home,-
And his waking and his dreaming
Softly braid themselves in one,
AZ the twilight Is the rningling
OF the starlight and the sun.
And when sleep deseends upon him,
StiH his thought within his dream
In of home, and friends, and loved ones,
And his busy fancies seem
TO be real as they wander
To mothers cherished form,
Az she gently said in parting
t9Thfne In sunshine and In storm,
Thine In helpless chlidhood's morning,
And In boyhood's joyous time,
Thou must leave me now-God watch thee "
In thy msnhood's npened prime"
Or, mayhap amid the phantoms
Teeming thick within his brain,
His dear father's locks o'er silvered
Come to greet his view again.
And ne hears his trembling accents
Like clarion singing high,
ss5ince not mine are youth and strengh, Doy
IEou must victor prove, or die."
Or perehance ne hears whisper
or the falntest, faintest Sigh,
Something deeper than word spoken,
Something breathing Of tie
Near his soul Us bounding heart-biood,
1t Is hers, that patient wife,
And again that parting seemeth
Like taking leave of life:
And her last kiss he remembers,
And the agonizing thrill,
And the "M,st you 90 2" and answer
81 but know Nv CountTy's wiA."
Or the little children gather, ~.
Half In wonder, round his knees,
And tho faithful dos, mute, watchful,
In the mystic glass he sees;
And the voice of song, and pictures,
And the simplest homestead flowers
Unforgotten crowd before him
In the solemn, midnight hours.
Then his thoughts In Dreamland wander
To sisters sweet caress,
And he feels her dear lips quiveT
As his own they fondly press;
And he hears her proudly saying,
CThough sad tears are In her eyes,,
"Braye men fall, but live In Glory,
For the Hero nsuer dies "
Or perhaps his brown cheek fushes
And his heart beats quicker now,
As be thinks Of one who gave him
Him, the loved one, loves sweet VOW;
And, ah, fondly he remembers
He Is stiR her dearest care,-
E,en In his star watched slumber
Thai she pleads for him in prayer.
Oh, the soldier viH be dreaming,
Dreaming often Of US all,
(When the damp earth is his pillow, o
And the snow and cold sleet falD,
OF the dear familiar faces,
or The cosy, curtained room,
Of the fitting of the shadows
In the twilight's pensive gloom.
Or when summer suns burn o'er him,
Bringing drought and dread disease,
And the throes of wasting fever
Come his weary frame 70 seize,-
In the restless sleep OF sickness
Doomed, peTchance, to martyr-death,
Hear him whisper "Home''-sweet cadence,
With his Qptckened, labored breath.
Then God bless him, bless the soldier,
And God nerve him for the fight,
May he lend his arm new prowess
To dc battle for the right:
Let him feel thai while he's dreaming
In his ftfiO slunber bound,
That we're prayins-God vGteh DER him
IN his Nonket on the ground.
rleston, 8. G. =. d. y