The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1870-03-04
GONE. COMET GONE!
A DIRGE FOR oSE BELIEVED DEAD.

A DIRGE FOR ONE BELIEVED DEAD
Gone-gOne-gone-
Gone 10 his dreamless sleepi
And spirits Of the brave,
Watching DER his lone grave,
Weep-weep-weep.
MOurn-mourn-mOurn
Mother, 20 sorrow long wed!
For DER the mighty deep,
Where the brave eOldly sleep.
Thy warrior son lies dead
IOne-Lone-Lone,
In thine own fair island home,
Ere thy life's task is done,
on with the setting sun,
o'er the sea thy thOughts'will roam.
Sound-sOund-sOund
The trumpet, while thousands die,
Madiy forcing his way,
Through the bIood-daShing spray,
He beareth our banner on high!
Woe e-wOe-WOeI
Slow they bear him away,
In stern martial array,
The flag and the sword on his breast,
igh-high-high-
High in the temple of fame,
The poets fadeless wreath,
And the soldiers sheath
Are engraven above his name
LOng-lOng-long
As time to the earth shall belong,
The sad wind DER the surge
Shall chant mOurnful dirge
To this peerless child of song.
GOne-gOne-gOne!
Gone TO his dreamless sleep;
And spirits bf the brave,
Watching DER his lone grave,
Weep-weep-weep
Q Those who read the above lines, will need
no Interpretation to tell thSn it Is poetry.
But an explanation of the circumstances
under which they We're written may add 10
their appreciation. They are from the pen
of young lady of Cineinnati-alas! long
since dead-nO prOfessed pOetess, but one
whose song seemed to flow by spontaneous
inspiration, as the music of the birds. She
wrote them, current cdIdBlO, to be read at a
public dinner, given in Columbus, Ohio, to
celebrate the news just arrived from Mexico,
Of the taking OF its capital by the American
army. They were TO the memory of a young
Officer, who had led the assault at the
stOrming OF Chapultepec, and who was
reported, and for some time believed to be
dead-killed on the scaling-ladder. A later
post from Mexico brought the news Of his
still being alive. He read his obituary along
with the above complimentary lines, while
stretched upon a couch in the conquered
city. and i'm state of rapid convalescence,
which, no doubt, the verses did something to
hasten. By the allusiOn to "far island
home''it may be inferred, that he was not a
native OF the country under whose flag he
fell fighting. He was in fact young Irish
man The reference to the 'pOes's fadeless
wreath" is on account of some reputation he
had previously gained as a writer ofverses.
Strange enough, he knew not the author OF
the lines, only that they had been written by
a lady, as was stated in the report of the
public dinner in question. 1t was long af-
terward he ascertained that they had been
composed in less time than is usually Occu-
pied in scribbling lady's letter; and much
less than might be required for deciphering
il; jnst as the same young lady had often
composed a waltz-superiOr to anything
Strauss has ever written-to succeed the
cotillion being danced in an:adJoining room.
Too mOdeSt-perhaps little too high
toned-this suthOress shrank from appearing
before the public, either as poetess or COM
poser. In all likelihood the lines here given,
are the only ones from her pen, that have
ever been in print. For over twenty years
they have lain in the desk of him, about
whom they were written though neither
neglected nor forgotten. Time has removed
the sacred seal and they are here given TO
the public, with an Endorsement from the
conductor of this magazine; that as a "dirge,
he thinks there is nothing in the English
language superior, and that alongside them
WOlfe's "Burial of Sir John Moore, appears
but picturesque versifcatiOn.-
-OllCdrd.