Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-05-03
Bingen on the Rhine.

soldier of the Legion lay dying in Algiers,
There was lack of woman's nursing and dearth
of fwoman's tears,
But comrade stood beside him, while his life
blood ebbed away,
And bent with plying glances to hear what he
might say,
And said never more shall see my own my ma
tive land;
Take a message and token to some distant
friend of mine,
For was born at Bingen, fair Bingen on the
Rhine.
Tell my brothers and companions when they
meet and crowd around,
To hear my doIeful story in the pleasant vine
yard ground,
That we fought the battle bravely and when the
day was done,
Full many corpse lay CHASTITY pale beneath the
setting sun,
And mid the dead and dying were some grown
old in wars,
The death wound on their gallant breast the last
Of many scars,
And some were young, and suddenly beheld
Hfe's sun decline,
And one had come from Bingen, fair Bingen on
the Rhine.
Tell my mother that her other sons must comfort
her old age,
For, was, aye. truent bird who thought his
home cage,
For my father was a soldier, and even as 4 child
Ny heart leaped forth to hear him tell OF strug-
giles fierce and wild;
And when he died and left us to divide his scan
ty board,
let them take whate 'er they wO0ld and kept
my fathers sword;
And with boyish love hung it where the bright
light used to shine
On the cottage wall at Bingen, lov'd Blngen on
the Rhine.
Tell my sister not to weep for me, nor sob with
dropping head,
When the troops are marching home again
With glad ard gallant tread;
But TO look upon them proudly with a calm
and Steadfast eye;
For her brother was soldier, too, and not afraid
to die;
And ifa comrade ask her love, ask her in my
name
To listen to him kindly without regret or shame,
And to hang that old sword in its place, my
fathers sword and mine,
As an honor TO old Bingen, dear Bingcn on the
Rhine.
There is another, not sister, in the happy days
gone by;
You'd have known her by the merrlment that
sparkled in her eye;
Too innocent for coquetry too fond for idle scorn-
ing;
Ny friend, fear the lightst heart makes some
times heaviest mourning,
Tell her the last night Of my life, for e'er the
moon be risen,
My body will he out of pain, my soul be out OF
prison.
l dreamed stood with her, and saw the yellow
sunlight shine
On the vine clad hills of Bingeu, lov'd Bingen on
the Rhine.
saw the blue Rhine sweep along, heard, or
seemed to hear,
The German songs We used to sing in chorus
sweet and clear;
And down the pleasant river, and up the slant
ing hill,
The echong chorus sounded on the evening calm,
and still,
And her mild blue eye was on me as we passed
in friendly talk
Down many path beloved OF yore and well re-
membered walk;
And her little hand lay lightly, confdingly in
mine,
But We meet no more at Bingen, how'd Bingen Oh
the Rhine.
His voice grew faint and hoarse his grasp grew
childish weak
His eyes put on their dying look he sighed and
ceased to speak.
His comra1e bent to lift him, hut the spark OF
life had fed
The soldier of the Legion IN a foreign land was
dead
The pale moon rose up slowly, and calmly She
looked down
On the red sands of battle field with bloody
cOrpses strOwn,
Yea calmly on that dreadful scene her pale light
seemed to shine
1t shone on distant Bingen, fair Bingen on the
Rhine.