The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1874-07-31
3lupfiral.
How JAMIE CAME HOME.
- WILL y. ,AELLTOS-


I Come. mother, set the kettle on.
! And put the ham and eggs 10 fry;
Something to eat,
And make il neat.
! To please our Jamie's mouth and eve;
/ For Jamie i our only son you know,
| The Tcsl have pcrishcd long AGO,
! Hes coming from the wars tonight,
! And his blue eyes viii sparkle bright,
| And his old smile Will play right free.
| His old, loved home again 10 see
! | say. fort. twas a cur Us things
That Jamie was not manned or killed
Five were the years
With hopes and fears,
And gloomy, hopeless tidingS filled;
| And many night the past five year,
| We've lain within our cottage here,
I And while the rain storm came and went.
/ We've thought Of Jamie in his tent;
/ And offered many a silent prayer
That God would keep him in his care
| say fort, twas a Gurus thing
That Jamie was not MANNED or killed,
Five were the wears.
With blood and tears,
With cruel bloody battles filled:
And many Il morn. the past five years,
We've knclt around our tiTcSide here
And while we thought of bleeding ones,
Our blazing towns and smoking guns,
We've thought of him and hreathcd prayer
That God would keep him in his care.
Nav, Addic, girl. Just come away,
Touch not a dish upon the shelf,
Mother well knows,
Just how it goes;
Mother shall set it all herself
There's nothing, TO a wandercr, looks
Equal to food that mother cooks;
There's nothing TO a wanderers taste
Like food where mothers hand is traced
Though good a sisters heart and will,
4 mothers love is better still!
She knows the side 10 put his plate,
She knows the place To set his chair;
Many day,
With spirits gay,
He's talked, and laughed, and eaten there
And though five years have come and gone
Our hearts for him beat truly on,
And keep place for him to-day
As well as ere he went away;
And he shall take, as good rs new,
His old place at the table, TOO.
And opposite to him, again,
Your place, my Addie, girl, shall he;
Mo'her, yOur place,
And kind old face,
III still have opposite To me;
And We will talk Of Oldcn days,
of all our former words and ways,
And we will tell him what has passed
Since the dear boy was with us last
And how our eyes have fast grown dim
Whenever we conversed of him.
And hc shall tell us of his fights,
His marches, skirmiShcs, and all;
And MANY a tale
VIII make us pale,
And pity those who had to fall;
And many Il tale of SpOrtiyc style,
Will 90, perhaps, To make Us smile;
And when his stories all are done,
And when the evening well has gone
Wen kneel around the hearth once more,
And thank the Lord the war is DER
IIark, there's a sound, he's coming now;
IEark mother, there's the sound once more;
Now, on our feet,
With smiles Ia greet
Well meet him at the opening door,
Ii is Il heavy step and tone,
Too heavy, far, for one alone;
Perhaps the company extends
To some of his old party friends;
And who they he, and whence they came,
of course, well welcome them the same.
What bear We on your shoulders, men:
Is il my Jamie, stark and dead?
What did you say?
Once more pray,
| did not gather what YOU said,
What, drUHk? you tell that Ec 10 me?
What drUHk? o God. it cannot he.
1t cannot he my Jamie dear,
Lying in drunken slumbcr here?
Ii is, il is, as you have said!
Men, lay him on yOn waiting bed.
'Tfs Jamie, yes. bearded man,
Tho bearing still some boyhood's trace;
Stained with the ways
OF reckless days
Flushed with the winc-cup in his face;
Swelled with the fruits of reckless years,
Robbed of each trait that c'cr endrarS,
Except the misunderstanding one;
That Jamie is our only son.
mother, take the kettle Off.
And set the ham and cggS away,
What was my crime,
And when the time
That | should live To see this Gay.
For all the signs | ever drew.
And all the gricfs ever knew,
And all the tears | ever shed
Above our children that are dead
And all the care that creased my brow.
Were naught TO what comes DER me now!
would 10 God, that when the three
We lost, were hidden from our view,
Jamie had died.
And by their side
Had lain all pure and spOtlcsS. too,
| would this rain might fall above
The grave of him we jOyed 10 love,
Rather than hear its coming traced
Upon this roof he has disgraccd,
But mother, Addic, come this way,
And let us kneel, and humbly pray.