West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1877-12-22
TALE OF THE ATLANTIC COAST.


a TALE OF THE ATLANTIC COANT.
ny 0EoEGE 4. KA0LEs.
We are sitting tonight by the IRE,
My Mary and me. ali alone
A vatchin' the hlaze as IL fickcrs
In its play ON the old heaTthSfouc.
A watchin', thiukin' an talkin',
About days that have long since gone,
Before NC were feeble and childlsrs;
An me. how the seasons hy on.
As the h1ht OF the burnin' drifiwood
Flares out ON the sober brown wall,
IL shines ON sailors -ou'westcr,
huug just where the gray shadows fall.
It's the hat Of our brown haired Willie,
And winters and winters Rgo
The waves washed IL up on the soa-beach
In the rush Of their hungry dow.
These thoughts make my bosom feel heavy,
They've silvCrcd an whitened my hair,
And, thus, a. | sit in my corner
Amusin and nursin' my care,
I'm dreamin' So our boy Willie,
have dreamed 10 often before,
hoatin out there 'mongst the seawted
That iiingcs the rock-girded shore.
There are times, when, sleepin' OF wakin',
His face beamin' joyous an gay,
Steals upon Ine from out the corners
An hooks where he nestled i'm play;
And II looks so loyin' an cheerful,
so fond in its Innocent joy,
That my heart seems almost breakin'
With grief for our sunny haired boy.
Yet, now, when it's late for repentance,
know ! was hasiy an mad,
might spoke tender an sOfuike,
ought To been kind To the lad.
told him TO leave me, forever,
Yes, never 10 darken my door,
And can't forget how he answered,
Nor the look that his brown eyes wore.
All, father" ser he, for some reason
You've kinder got tir,d o. me,
But s'pose It's time that we parted,
An now I'm agon' to sea.
I've tried 10 DC upright an truthful,
Still, somehow, there's sOmcthiu' lack,
Let's part then In peace an in friendship,
For mebhe I'll never come back.
"I know, as you say, I'm soft-hcarted,
The tears sometimes come In tide,
but III try To act my part manly,
am young am the world is wide.
Think well rs you can of me, father,
know I've not always done right"
Tnen turned, bat Only the shadows
Were there 10y the summer moons light
/ went to the door and called him;
The echoes went soundin' along,
No answer came in through the twilight,
ENceptin' the whippOorwilps song.
The sweet dngm' bird seemed mockin'
My call rs IL rang through the glen,
And thought its melody whispered,
You'll never see Willie again"
So, the days and weeks KEEP passin',
And, still we thought, mebbe he Al come;
We looked, an we lOngcd, an we waited,
With lips that were whitened au' dumb.
The months became years, an the seasons
Went slowly dTiftin' away,
An Mary an me we grew weary,
As the hair on our heads got gray.
Yes, many night when the breezes
Came sighin' In over the sea,
We would think OF our boy who wandered
Away on its bosom 10 free;
And, whenever the storm was 'risin',
And the breakers were white with foam,
= We'd light up the window for Willie,
For we thought that he might come home.
Remember, well remember,
Twas the close Of a wiDtry day,
The waves on the rocks were dashin'
An hurlin' their silvery spray,
That Mary an me set n thinkin'
As we would when the night grew wild,
breathin' out prayers for the safety
An peace Of our wandering child.
The darkness fell round, an the moanin'
OF the wind, as IL swept along,
Grew sad-iike an drCar in our seemin',
AS IL nlurmuTed its cherries song.
IL rang round the weather-worn gables
And IL sighed through the leaiess trees,
Then swept to the SHOWS on the hillsideS,
And the cots by the inland leas.
So, we set there, thinkin' an Hstenin',
watchin' the hrelight run,
When sharp through the breakers deep roerin'
Came the sound Of a signal gun.
Quick knew some ship was In danger
With them big, black rocks on her lee,
Aud Mary, she whispered, ." God bless them
Poor sailors that's out on the seaW
/ called TO old Lion, the house dog.
A thinkin'. perhaps, we might save
Some tired out wretch I'm his strugglin'
From the chill Of wintry grave;
And away for the sands we started
The guns OF distress booming strong,
Aud rockets sent out a red glaTin'
Through the sky as We hurried along.
Them reefs had wrecked many a stranger,
I'd seen many brave ship strand,
Heard many cry come wailin'
For help TO the rock girded land;
But never felt the strange fiutterin'
Round my heart with each incoming breath
That did that night while a woTkdn',
To save them poor fellows from death.
Strong arms and brave hearts faced tho danger
To bring them Oft safe from the wreck,
Yet the waves quenched many a heart-throb
As they swept DER the .quiv'rin' deck;
Till the light Of the newday dawning
Broke in over hillside and sea,
A flOodin the waters with glory
That danced In their murdeTous glee.
But, somehow, Il seemed as though somethin'
Was chainin' me then to the spot;
II kinder appeared as II Willie,
The boy had waited an sought,
Mid the shells an the pearly stones,
With sca-muss n twinin' his garland
And the coral around his bones.
As stood, and with aohiu' vision
Gazed out, mid the breakers roar,
A body came borne by the billows
Along 70 the wrcck-littered shore.
Nearer, and nearer it hOated
The face / had seen in my dreams,
An lay at my feet on the shiDging,
In the lightot the suns bright beams.
All stiHened and pallid and death-Iike,
Lies troubles an cares we're past,
After seven long years Of waitin'
Our Willie came To us at last.
We buried him under the pOplars
Where la summer the harebells wave,
Where soft sighin' winds from the woodland
Murmur gently around his grave.
His Bible, birthday oferin'
From Mary, Nc found on his breast,
And though IFS her hearts dearest treasure
Yet love his cid hat tho best.
For look az my boys sOu'westcr,
A. IL hangs on the old brown wall
Bri q may q mcm'ry Of Willie
When the shadows OF evening fall.
NORAH'S NEW YEAR.
II was New Years eve. The stree
ere thronged with pedestrians, the iii
Ie of sleigh-bells was ever and ano
card, apd all the world seemed to ha,
care, and taken holida
ut not so. There we're sad fac,
mong the merry ones; the poor m
retched jostled against the gay ar
Apply; and this life-picture, like q
theirs, had its dark background.
Looking IN at the brilliantly lightt