Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1872-06-20
Poetry.
Mss BLANCHE'S ROSE.

.@E By BRET HARTE.
THE following poem written for the occasion,
evening of May 3d. at Rochester, N. VI:
And vou are the poet, and so you want
Something-what is it-a theme, a fancys
Something or other the muse won't grant
In your old poetical necromancy.
Why one half your poets-you can't deny
DON'T know the muse when you chance te meet
'But sit in yonr attics and NOPE and sigh
FQrAJdinednt goddess to drop from the sky,
When flesh and blood may be standing by
Quite at your service, should you but greet her.
What told you my own romances
Women are poets, If so you take them,
Onethird poef-thc rest what chance
sot man and marriage may choose to make them.
Give me ten minutes before you 60
Here at the window we'll sit together
Watching the currents that ebb and flow
Watching the world as it drifts below
Isn't 1t pleasant-this bright June weather.
Well, it was after the war broke out
And -wasa school girl fresh from Paris,
fapa had contracts, and roamed about,
And Ibid nothing-for was an heiress.
Picked some lint, now think. Perhaps
Knitted some stockings-a dozen nearly;
Havelocks made for the soldiers caps;
- Stood at fair tables and peddled traps
Quite at profit. The shoulder straps
s.ThoughtI was pretty. Ah, thank you, really.
Still it was stupid Ratatat tat,
Those were the sounds of that battle Summer
TIL the earth seemed a parchment round and flat,
And every football the tap of drummer;
And, day by day, down the avenue went
Cavalry, infantry. all tog ther,
Till my pitying angel one day sent
My fate in the shade of a regiment,
That halted, just as the day was spent.
Here at our door in the bright June weather.
None of your dandy warriors they:
Men from the West, but where, know not;
Haggard and travel STAINED, worn and gray,
With never ribbon or lace or bow knot;
And opened the window, and leaning there,
felt in their presence the free winds blowing;
MY neck and shoulders and arms were bare
did not dream they might think me fair
But had some flowers that night in nv hair,
ana mere on my bosom red rose glowing.
And looked from the window along the line.
,,,i DUSTY and dirty and grim and solemn,
1lH an eye like bayonet-fash met mine,
ana dark face grew from the darkening COL
And quick flame leaped to my eyes and hair,
Till cheeks and shoulders burned all together,
And the next found myself standing there
With my eyelids wet and my cheeks less fair,
And the rose from my bosom tossed high in
Then drew back quickly-there came cheer,
"A rush of figures noise and tussle.
And then it was over, and high and clear
Ny red rose doomed on has guns black muzzle.
Then far in tue darkness sharp voice cried,
All slowly and steadily, all together,
Shoulder to shoulder and side to side,
Rising and falling, and swaying wide,
But bearing above them the rose, my pride,
They marched away in the twilight weather.
And leaned from the window and watched my
rose
Tossed on the waves of the surging column,
Warmed from above in the sunset glOws,
Borne from below by an impulse solemn
Then shut the window. heard no more
Ofmy soldier friend, my flower, neither,
= But lived my life as did before;
did not go as nurse to the war
Sick folks to me dreadful bore
So Ididnt 60 to the hospitals either.
You smile Q poet and what do youS
You lean from your window, and watch Lifes
column
Tfampling and struggling through dust and dew,
Filled W tn its purposes grave and solemn;
Touches your fancy to thrill and haunt you,
And you pluck from your bosom the verse that
grows,
IL And down it flies, like my red, red rose,
And you sit and dream away it goes,
And think that your duty is done-now don't
you?
know your answer. I'm not yet through;
Look at this photograph-'In the Trenches''-
That dead man in the coat of blue
Holds withered rose in his hand That clenches
Nothing! Except that the sun paints true
And woman sometimes is prophetic minded;
And that's my romance. And, Poet, you
Take it and mold it to suit your view,
And who knows but you may find it, too,
Come to your heart once more as mine did.