Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1871-03-02
BINGEN on THE RHINE.
BY MRS. NORTON.


\ soldier Of the Legion.
Lay dying at Algiers;
There was lack of woman's nursing,
There was dearth of wonan's tears;
But a comrade stood beside him,
While his life blood ebbed away,
And bent with pitying glances
To hear what he might say.
The dying soldier faltered,
As he took that comrades hand,
And he said: Il never more shall see
My own, my native land;
Take a message and token ..
Tosome distant friend of mine,
For was born at Bingen-
At Bingen on the Rhine.
..Tell my brothers and companions,
When they meet and crowd around.
To hear my mournful story,
In the pleasant vineyard ground,
That we fought the battle brsvely-
And that when the day was done,
Full many corpse lay ghastly pale
Beneath the setting sun:
And midst the dead and dying,
We're some grown old in wars
The death wounds ON their gallant breasts,
The last Of many scars;
But some were young, and suddenly
Beaed life's morn decline,
And one had come from BingeR- tss
From Bingen on the Rhine. .....
Tell my mother that her other sons
Shall comfort her old age,
For was still truant bird r-...
That thought his home cage;
For my father was soldier.
And even when a child,
My heart leapetl forth to hear him tell
OF struggles fierce and wild:
And when he died and left us
To divide his scanty hoard, .F-.
let them take whate'er they would
q But kept my fathers sword,
And with boyish love hung it
Where the bright light used to shine
On the cottage wall at Bingen- .t
Calm Bingen on the Rhine.
s'rell my sisters not. to weep for me,
And sob with dropping head,
When the troops come marching home sgail
With glad and gallant tread
But to look upon them proudly,
with calm and steadfast eye,
For her brother was a soldier, too,
And not afraid TO die; i
And if q comrade seeks her love, r.I .
L ask her in my name ...
To listen to him kindly,
Without regret or shame;
And to hang the old sword in its place.
My fathers sword and mine, a-~
For the honor of old Bingen- +
Dear Bingen on the Rhine
There's another-not a sister
In happy days gone by, '... .-.
You'd have known her by the merriment
That sparkled in her eye: -H
Too innocent for coquetry-
Too fond for idle scorning;
oh, friend, fear the lightest heart
Makes sometimes the heaviest moaning,
Tell her that the last night of my life.
81. (For ere this noon be risen, .
My body will be out of pain,
My soul will be out of prison,)
dreamed stood with her and how
The yellow sunlight shine
On the viue-clad hills of Bingen-
Fair Bingen on the Rhine.
81 saw the blne Rhine sweep along
heard, or seemed to hear, .
The German songs we used to sing, 1'
In chorus sweet and clear; . .s....
And down the pleasant river; ......t
And up the slanting hill,
The echoing chorus sounded
Through the evening calm and still;
And her glad blue eyes were on me,
Aswe passed with friendly talk,
Down many path beloved of yore,
And well-remembered walk;
And her little hand lay lightly,
And confdingly in mine
But Wen meet no more at Bingen-
Loved Bingen on the Rhine"
His voice grew faint and hoarse-
His grasp was childish weak
His eyes put on dying look
He sighed and ceased to speak;
His comrades bent to lift him,
But the spark of life had fed;
The soldier of the Legion
In foreign land was dead!
And the soft moon rose up slowly,
- And calmly She looked down
On the red sand of the battlefield in
With bloody corpses strown; --
Yes, calmly on that dreadful scene,
Her pale lightsseemed to shine,
As it shone on distant Bingen-
Fair Bingen on the Rhine.