Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1869-08-18
THE PRICE OF PEACE.

A woman paced, with hurried step, her lone and
dresry CELL
The setting sun with golden ray upon her dark hail
fell,
Which lay disheveled Oh her breast and many d
shred of grey
Wound midst those tresses-sOrrOw's gift-Whilc on
her breast they lay.
She murmured disconnected strains, as to and fro
she paced,
And wildly bcamed her piercing eye, and OIL hel
wasted face
A burning flush of fcycl glowed,-thcu rolled The
lava tide
or thought from those thin coral lips, as passionate
she cried:
'Peac'. peace they tell me peace has come, they
say the war is Ger:
The battle cry the shrek OF DEATH shall i'll the LAND
They bid my heart rcjoicc-bc glad; they bid my
tears to cease.
Yes, yes my heart, thou shou'dst rejoice, for thou
hast paid for peace!
'Ah! let me count the price more, for fear ny
lips restrain,
The laintest note that they should give to that re
jOicing strain:
d
bloom,
But he forgot his mothers tears when first the can
mons boom
Was heard upon our Southern shores, all. twas a
magic spell.
And galIanty he bore a- and calamity he fell.
never saw my boy again, Ghcy say my tears mus
ceasc)
But, Hurbert drop for drop with thine, my hear
paid blood for peace!
Another son, a STRIPPING boy, who, always by IN!
side,
Frail az q lily, was content forever to abide,
Not eighteen summers had I nurscd, with all
mothers care,
This tender plant, when orders came my only chilli
to tear
From mine embrace knew he'd die, and On m!
beaded knee,
begged his life-besought and wcpt but no. it cUulj
not be:
They bore him of. He never met the foe on hill o
plain,
But droOp'd and died, 1 know not whcrc,-wc nevc
met again!
OH Willie, with Thy soft blue eyes hush hush, my
tears must cease,
Yet, darling, with thy dying grOans paid in part fol
PEACE!
Now both are gonc-who had left None but tn,
fond true heart,
Who'd mingTd tear for tear with minc,-hc who
had borne part
In every tbrob of anguish wild, which still my be
som rent;
Whose eyes were dim, whose hair was grey, will
nights Ofweeping spent
For these our sons. though that we, thro all this
midnight glOoIu
Would, hand in hand, walk muutnfully together tc
the tomb.
But War insatiate claimed him too; saw him toe
depart,
And something made of stone, 1 think, was Siy'r
nc for heart:
could not weep for manya day: I was alone alone
With that cold weight within my brcast-tIat heavy
heart of stone.
'Tears came and melted itst last in prison far away
Heavy and worn, uncared for too he languishcd day
byday:
But Herbert and our Willie came, and badc the cap
tivego;
They broke his chains, knew they did, the angels
told me so;
And when they bore his sole alolt and babe his su
rings. cease,
paid in spirit on his grave all that I owed fol
PEACE.
''Must l rejoice pcrchancc 1 might; but was thit
all the prices
Ahi did my jewels, did my tears, my broken hear
suficeY
MOL count upon the battlefield ten thousand name
less graves,
Call on the winds for sgLs and groans--go tell th
ocean waves
To bring their dead-thc prisonwalls to shrek Chei
siCk'ning tales,
Concentrate, if you've power tonight, widows ant
orphans walls;
Heap broken hearts on broken hearts, till Pity biz
you cease,
And then youIlhave not hall the price that we hav
PAID FOR PEACEl
'"They say 4 m mad-it may be 50 they've bound M
in this cell:
l know notwhen they brUughtm here, and nothing
can tell
or Heaven above Oh earth beneath; but oh till lii
shall cease,
Though reasons gone, Ae price tH kRoag ,chict
hare paid for Peacc!'