Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-03-23
COTTAGE AND HALL.



with eyes to her sewing work dropped down,
And With hair In tangled shower,
And with roses kissed by the sun, so brown,
Young Janey sat in her bower.
garden nook with work and book:
And the bars that crossed her giriish gown
were rs blue az the faxen flower.
And her little heart it beat and beat
TIL the work shook on her knee,
For the golden combs are not so sweet
TO the honey fasting bee 3H
AZ to her her thoughts of Alexis.
And across good green piece Of wood,
And across aiield Of flowers,
modest, lowly house there stood
That held her eyce for hours
cottage low, hid under the snow
or cherry and bean vine flowers,
sometimes 1t held her all day long, Ft
Fer there at her distaf bent,
And spinning double thread Of song
And OF wool, in her sweet content,
Sat the mother Of young Alexis.
And Janey turned things in and out. R
AS foolish maids will do.
What could the song be all about sKi
Yet well enough she knew
That while the fingers drew the wool
As fine q fine could be,
The loving mother heart was full
OF her boy gone to sea-
Her blue-eyed boy, her pride and Joy,
On the cold and cruel sea-
Her darling boy, Alexis.
And beyond the good green piece of wood,
And the field OF flowers 60 gay,
Among its ancient oaks there stood, F,4
With gables high and gray,
A lofty hall, where mistress Of oil
She might dance the night away.
And a che sat and sewed her eeam, St.k-st
In the garden bower that day, la..
Alike from seam and alike from dream
Her truant thoughts would stray:
II would be - fine like q lady to- shine,
and TO dance the night awayl
AID oh and alas for Alexisl
hove r;seu ana anna zone down
on cherry and bean-vine bowers.
And the tangled curls DER the eyes dove-brown
they fall no more In showers:
Nor are there bars in the homeepun gown
AS blue az the faxen flowers.
Az, winter wind and winter rain
Have beaten away the bowers,
And little Janey is Lady Jane,
And dances away the hoursi
Naideus she hath to play and sing,
And her mothers house and land
Could never buy the jeweled ring
She wears on her lily hand
The hand that IL false to Alexisf
Al, bright were the sweet young cheeks and eyes
And the silken gown was gay, a'E'. =
When first to the nall as mistress Of all
She came on her wedding day.
Nov where, my BRIDE" says the groom il
snow where will your chamber bes"
And from wall to wall she praises all,
But chooses the one by the sea!
And the suns they rise and the suns they set,
But she rarely sees their CLEAN,
For often her eyes with tears are wet,
Ard the sewing work is unfinished yet,
And SO Is the girlish dream.
FOR when her ladies grid at her,
And her lord Is cold and stern.
Old memories In her heart must stir,
And she can not choose but mourn
FOR the gentle boy, Alexisl
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, ,Nt
And combs her shining tresses down
BY the light of the fading stars,
And may be thinks of her h0mespun gown
With the pretty hax-fower bars.
For when the foam of wintry gales G
Runs white along the blue, tt....,
Hearing the rattle of stiffened sails,
She trembes through and through,
And may be thinks OF Alexis.
-Kdrper's MGgaztae.