, 1866-12-28
Rebel War Poetry.

Rebel War Poetry.
Most Of our readers are eoubtess familiar
with Maryland, my Maryland" in many re.
spects the best song to which the events Of thi.
war gave rise. But little inferior to that il
There's Life in the Old Land Yet" by the sam.
author:
"By blue Patapscos billowy dash
The tyrants' war-shout comes,
Along with the cymbals' itful clash
And the growl of bis sullen drums !; 4.
We hear it, we heed it, with veageful thrills
And we shall not forgive nor forget
There's faith in the streams, there's hope In the
hills, t'. seli -fG-
There's life in the old land yet
"MniOns, we sleep, but we are not dead
We are crushed, we are scourged, we are scar.
red
We crouch-'tis to welcome the triumph tread
Of the peerless Beausegard.
Our women have hung their harps away
And they scowl on your brutal bands,
While the nmble poinard dares the day
In their dear defiant hand; lad.
They will strip their tresses to string our bows
Ere the Northern sun is set
There's faith in their unreentiug woes
There's life in the old land yet" ...-.r
We find some songs aud ballads by Paul H
Hayne which are of considerable merit. "vicks.
burg is fine but probably fanciful description
of that city during the sege, when
"For sixty days and upwards
A storm of shell and shot
Rained round US in flashing shower
But still we faltered not.
And even throughout Gods holy morn,
O'er Christmas prayer and hymn,
Arose Kissing tumuit,
AS if the hends of air
Strove to ngulf the voice of faith
In the shrieks of their despair.
There was wailiug in the houses,
There was trembling in the marts,
While the tempest ragged and Numbered
Mid the silent thrill of hearts;
But the Lord, our shield, was with u.s.
| And ere a month had sped
Our very women walked the streets
With scarce one throb of dread
And the little children gamboled-
Their faces purely raised,
Just for wondering moment,
As the huge bomb whired and blazed.
For the unseen hands of angels
Those death shafts turned aside,
And the dove of heavenly mercy
Ruled o oer the battle tide
| In the houses ceased the wailing,
And through the war-scarred narts
The people trod with the steps Of hope.
To the music in their hearts.
The following from sonnet BY South Carroll.
nan is true pOetry-a fine thought beautifully
expressed
"All working that's done worthily is prayer
| And honest thought is prayer-the wish, the
will
To mend our ways, maintain our virtues still,
And, losing life, still Keep our bosoms fair
| In sight of God-witb whom humility
And patient working can alone make Free"
"The Two Armies" by Henry Timrod, is a
beautiful conception, which has often been ex-
pressed in prose:
"Two armies stand enrolled beneath
The banner with the starry wreath
One, facing battle, blight and blast,
Through twicea hundred fields has passed.
"The other with a narrower scope,
Yet led by not less grand hope,
Hath won perhaps as proud place;
And wears its fame with meeker grace,
! N#
No breeze of battle ever famed
The coors Of that tender band:
Its office is beside the bed
Where throbs some sick or wounded head.
1t does not court the soldiers tomb,
But plies the needle and the loom
And by thousand peaceful deeds
Supplies struggling nations needs.
"When Heaven shall blow the trump of peace
And bid this weary warfare cease,
Their several missions nobly done,
The triumphed grasped and freedom won,
| Both armies, from their tolls at rest
Alike may claim the victors crest;
But each shall see its dearest prize
CLEAN softly from the others eyes"
"Tell the Boys the War is Ended" by Emily
]. Moore, is a touching poem, founded on touch.
ing incident. These we're the words of a young
soldier dying in hospital from wounds received
in battle:
"Tell the boys the war is ended"
These were all the words he said;
"Tell the boys the war is ended"
In an instant more was dead.
Strangely bright, serene, and cheerful
Was the smile upon his face,
While the pain, of late so fearful,
Had not leftthe sligtest trace.
"Tell the boys the war is ended"
And With heavenly visions bright
Thoughts of comrades loved were blended
As his spirit took its fight.
"Tell the boys the war is ended"
"Grant, o God, it may be So,
Was the prayer which then ascended,
In a whisper deep, though low
"Tell the boys the war is ended"
And his warfare then was Ger,
As by angel bands attended,
He departed from earth's shore,
Bursting shells and canons roaring
Could not rouse hin by their din;
He to better worlds was soaring,
Far from war, and pain, and sin. l-.i
The sad incident of "The Return" must hav,
been only too common. .k
"Three years wonder if she'll know ms2
limp little, and left one arm 5000
At Petersburg; aud am grown as brown
As the plump cbestnuts on my little farml
And I'm as shaggy az the chestnut burrs-
But ripe and sweet within, aud wholly hers.
1.-THE darling how long to see herl ,7
| Nv ri = IA