Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-12-04
NO. 2s6.
M;stellaneons.
COTTAGE AND HALL.

Br ALICE CARY.
With eyes to her sewing.work dropped down,
And it'll hair IL u tangled shower,
And with roses kissed by the sun, SO brown,
Young Janey sat in her bower
A garden.nook with work and book;
And the bars that crossed her girlish gown
Were as blue as the fiaxen flower.
And her little heart, 1t beat and beat,
Till the work shook on her knee;
For the golden combs are not so sweet
To the honey fasting bee
As to her her thoughts Of Alexis.
And across a good green piece Of wood,
And across field of flowers,
A modest, lowly house there stood
That held her eyes FOR hours
A cottage low hid under the snow
OF cherry and bean-ylne flowers.
Sometimes it held her all day long;
For there ut her distan bent,
And spinnif a double thread OF song
And Of wool, in Ter sweet content,
Sat the mother of young Alexis.
And Janey turue3 things in and out,
As foolish maids win do.
What could the song be ali about:
Yet well enough she knew
That while the fingers drew the WOO
As fine as ln5 could be,
The loving mother's-heart was full
Ofher boy gone 10 sea-
Her blue-eyet boz, her pride andjoy
On the cold and cruel soa--
Her darling boy, Alexis.
And beyond the good green piece of wood
And the field of flowers SO gay,
Among its ancient oaks therc stood,
With gables high and gray.
a LOFTY hall, where, mistress of ALL
She might dance the night away.
And as she sat and sewed her seam
In the garden bower that day,
Alike from seam and alike from dream
Her truant thoughts would stray.
It would be so fine like a lady to shine,
And to dance the night away
And oh and alas for Alexisl
And suns have risen and sons gone down
On cherry and bean-vine bowers,
And the tangled cuIls DER the eyes dove-brown
They fall re more in the showers;
Nor are there bars in the homespun gown
AS blue as the faxen flowers.
Aye, winter wind and winter rain
Have beaten away the bowers,
And little Janey is Lady Jane,
And dances awey the hoursi
Afaidens she hath to play and sing,
And her mothers house and land
Could never buy the jew, led ring
She wears on her lily hand
The hand that is false to Aiexist
All bright were the sweet young cheeks and eyes
And the silken gown was gay,
When first to the bau Us mistress of all
She came On her wedding day.
''Now where ms bride" says The groom, in pride,
Now whe viii your chamber be?
And fl, m wall to wall she praises ALL
But chooses the one by the seal
And the snns they rise and the suns they set,
But she rarely sees their gleam;
For often her eyes with tears are wet,
Ana the sewing-N ork is unfinished yet,
AMI 80 Is the girlish dIeam
Fer when her ladies giid al ler,
And her lord is cold anI stern,
Old memories IN her heart mtist stir;
And she cannot choose, but mourn
For tbs tentle boy, AleAis
And always, when the dance is done,
And her weary feet are free,
She sits in her chamber all alone
At the window next the sea,
And combs her shining tresses down
BY the light of the fading stars,
And maybe thinks of her homespun gown
With the pretty fax flower bars.
For when the foam of wintry gales
Runs white along the blue,
Hearing the rattle of stiffened sails.
She trembles through and through,
And maybe thinks of Alexis.