Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1871-11-11
OLD MADELINE.
GY LUCY LARCuNI.

Over crumplcd paper in her hand
Old Madeline wept.
nimly the candle hickcrcd on the stand;
Up ne dark chimney Aarcd II smoldering
The whole house slept
And Madoine's care had made that sleeping
sweet;
She, battered two and fro with light quick feet
And while her broom made nook and corners
neat
She hummod song.
A broken singing, thin and pitirul,
and yet in tune.
With all that makes great lyrics musical
1t stopped the children, hurrying out of school,
AT night or noon.
Now quaint hymn, now Jamie on the sea"
An anthem snatch,
That sung in far thanksgiving used to be,
In savage days before the land was free;
gleo or catch;
No omattered what-the children gathered noar
For all and each,
Patho' of moaning winds through branches
Mirth as of waves TINT break in sunset clenT
On some lone bench.
To night she sot in silence. Every night
fOT year ana NeNr
Here had she covered By tho late candlolight
Over the worn out print, and blurred her sight
Reading through tears.
To one name written on the list Of dead"
Her tired eyes grew,
Falling in the march, pursuing foes that fled =,
Somewhere beside the road he lay, they said,
His grave none know.
The tattered newspaper spread out % her
a picture wide.
Among vast, alien hills the battlo'sstir,
a dCHth-bed where Il me came to minister
To him who died.
A spot Of green beside mountain roads
By warm winds kissed,
Where strange large roses 0ped hearts that
glOwed,
And over him their blood.red petals strcwod
Whom love had missed,
For sweet maid Madeline had never guessed
Ralph cared for her
Save MS fricnd while vAinly he sought rest,
Sure that no tender feeling in her breast
For him would stir.
And still his Image buried she within,
Beneath her thought,
Wondering what happier girl his heart would
win.
She drowned her vcxing dreams in work-day
din;
The war he sought,
And after he had fallen comra1c came,
And to d her how
Upon the battle eve he breathed her name; ,
Then Madeline said; None else my hand
shall claim,
And kept her vow.
with her no Highest wooing ever sped,
No man might pro's
soothing hand upon her weary hcAd,
Or whisper comfort to the heart that bled
With loneliness.
For Madeline snid; "Ralph surely waits for Inc
Beyond deaths gutc;
And might miss him through eternity
BY joining fates with one less loved than he'
!, too, can wait.
'I could not bear another lovers kiss,
Because | feel
That somewhere from the heights of heavenly
His spirit hithcr ycqrns, as mine to his,
Forever lead.
This to her slont heart alone she said,
flushing its moan
While all declared A more cheerful old maid
Was never known
Nor was there. As her poor song worth
And wtchery stole ,
| From mufcd minors in them Ind his birth.
| Out ofcrushcd JOY srrang kindlino's and mirth
Her life was whole
Whole, though It seemed a fragment, rcn
| up0rt
From its true end.
| Downward from dcathlcss clingng reached he
heart,
| Reader to comfort for itshildCn smart,
| To all friend.
None saw her tears save God and her lost love
| Surely that dew
! Kent memory b.ossoming fresh In ilcldS,ab9Yc
| Ngainstdoath's bars he must have fclt tho dov
! That hutterng flew.
So lived she faithful, Ou unwcdded bride,
His hand OfsnOw
| Ago laid in blessing on her head, Sbc Ilei,
The angels know.