Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-06-13
LEILA.
BY EMMA NASH.
ICONCLUnRD.l

Fol- peace at last ali, never more
Would gentle peace its balsam pour
Into her crushed and wounded heart,
That painted meath its poisoned smart;
For gentle peace, cen as the dove,
Smiling in pity from above,
Feared to descend, and touch the place
Where lay the serpent IN its grace
The serpent of most dark despair
Lying securely in its liar.
Yet Leila was most kind and true,
And from her tender eyes of blue
Smiled on her lord; and he was kind,
And with pure and generous mind
Forget the tale the world had told,
And not for all the Indies gold
Would he have uttered in her ear
The faintest doubt, the highest fear
That her true heart was not his own,
And had another's image worn.
And many happy day and hour
Passed Leila's lord in her sweet bower,
With her fair image by his side
But war resounded far and wide;
And Leila's lord was bold and brave,
And rushed into the battles wave
With all a warriors pride, and 10!
He fell the first, and oh, the woe
That rent his heart when he did hear
That never more his Leila dear
Would he behold! His wound was deep
And mortal, and his men did weep,
That noble soldier such as he
Had rushed into eternity
Before his time. And he did die
With all a hero's majesty,
And left a kind and tender word
For Leila, who the tale had heard,
Yet could not reach her dying lord,
For the dread foe on every road
Encsmped. And Leila long did grieve,
Her heart with lonely signs did heaYe;
She mourned for the pure soul that fed
And left her sad; true tears she shed
Enr axrhD lad rD-f no hrfn
Who fell so brayely in the wars.
She felt that as she knelt to pray,
His gentle spirit was Away
Blessing her from the soft blue skies,
And watching her with angel eyes.
And many a time and oft she prayed
To Join him in his home, and laid
Her weary head and aching heart
On her lone couch; and Oft did start
In her sad dreams, in which she heard
A distant voice, as of a bird,
Calling her from her weary bed
To the bright stars that shine O'erhead.
She longed to go-yes, longed to flee
From her own thoughts and misery.
And where was Leila's lover who
Though deemed SO false, was yet so true?
Oh, where was he who sadly fed
From her upon whose charms he fed?
He roamed upon the dark-blue sea,
As if he wished eternity
To roll between him and his love.
Alas. it followed, as the dove
Follows his mate, his lonely heart,
And from his breast it would not part.
1t would not part! no, never more;
1t lived and fed at his hearts core,
As if were a living thing.
Oil would no place or sight e'er bringi
Peace to his soul Would nothing heal
The wound he strove much to conceal?
mol that avah iaa1Onav
Should ever cause such misery
That souls the gentlest and most pure
Should be the victims of its lure!
He roamed upon the wide blue sea
A man of gloom and misery
A being without hope or fear;
With none to love him, and none near
He cared to love. He almost lost
The little faith that sometimes crossed
His mind: that men were good
And pure; and in his wayward mood
He cursed the hour that he was born
A weary waIderer and fOrlorn.
And yet he sometimes PRAYED, and then
The iron in his heart would bend,
And then would Danish from his breast
The dark despair and wretchedness
That tore his heart and yelled his mind
That God was good, and men were kind.
But yet he never was the true,
Pure man he was ere Leila threw
Ger his broad breast the veil of gloom
That cen did drag him to the tomb.
".
1t was not long ere Leila died,
And LAID in rest by her lords side.
Alas! few ever knew the grief
That tore her heart, and the relief
Death brought to her in his embrace.
She bore hte's burden with meek grace,
Yet none the less had felt the pang
OF lost hope, which oft doth hang
Upon the whisper of word
Zen kings have wept at when once heard
The word that bids fond heart to 90,
And breaks the heart that speaks, to woe
The word that is not oft recalled
And cen the utterea hath appalled,,
Just as 1t fell from the pale lips,
And, falling. all the life blood sips.
Yet Leila was most fair and pure,
And was not caught by the worlds lure;
She only fell victim of
A doubt, as many others have,
And dragged another with her in
The pit of gloom, yet not of sin,
For she had done her duty; he
@Became child of misery
An aimlcss being without hope,
Yet in sims path he meier did grope;
He had too pure soul for this,
His lips had once her sweet lips kissed,
And then he vowed that 1t should be
The seal of his souls purity;
He strove to keep his vow, and died
In all his souls most honest pride.
GOdeyI LGdy's Book.