New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-08-23
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

PAULINE AND OTHER POEMS By mASsP sons LESSo'
GORDON. l2mO. pp. al O. r Putnan . Sons' .
The poem from which this volume taxes lts
tile though lacking tho polish of practsed hand
shows certain sincerity Of feeling and power %
description that remove It from the category OF te
hashy, ephemera productions of the passing day -
rehearees the simple story OF private soldier IN lhe
late war whose intelligence and bravery had ATTRACTED
the attention Of his captain and who, after inor.~
wound received in the battle OF Gettysburg ana ~ ~
confidence OF approaching death, reveals 10 MN .ns
secret of the mystery which had Oversbadowed MS he
he A. arst broneht 1pon the scene in the following re-
oltaJ of the captain to party officers who were re-
calling the remembrances of the war at festVe re
union:
raised company of rlaemen, "a
Marched 10 the 'front.' and proud OF my cOuni"nU'
Nor seeking higher, led them Till the day
OF triumph and the nations jubilee
Among the first that answered to my CALI
Game the hero of the story you snail hear
IT'S better describe him He was youngUU
Near two and twenty--nelther short nor tal-
slender student, and his tapering hands
Had better graced maiden than man
Sad thoughtful face-a wealth OF raven haIf -.
Brushed back in waves from forehead prominent;
classic nOse-hah Roman and nan Greet
Dark lustrous eyes beneath Jutung OrOW'
Wearing a shade Of sorrow, yet so Keen
And in the storm Of battle flashing nre'
"Well boy" said 'I doubt II you win do;
Jneed stout men for picket-line and march,
Men that have bone and muscle men Injured
To toll and hardships-nen in short, my boy,
TO march and fight, aud march and light again.
queer expression Int his earnest face
Half frown-halt smile.
"weI try me- That was all
He answered and put him on the roll ,,o
Paul Prior ripQte-and he dOnDed the blue.
Paul proved himself the best in my command;
found him first al revellle, and first
In all the varied duties OF the day.
His rough-hewn comrades bred 10 D9 4 TaSS
SeeFea az t9e s1enoS ySu ana tnr month OF more
Kept up fusilade Of jokes and jeers.
Their jokes and jeers he heard but needed not
or needing did kindly act for him
That jetred him lOudest, so the hafdy men
Came 10 look up to Paul as one above
The level Of their rough and boisTrOus ways
He never Joined the Jolly soldier-sports'
Mastered the drill and often drilled the men.
Faugued with duty weary with the march
Under the blaze Of the midsummer SUM-
He muImured nOt-alike in sun or rain
His utmost duty eager TO perform,
And ever ready-always Just the same
Patient and earnest-sad and silent Paul
The details of Gettysburg are related in an impassOned
narrative by the sodery captain OF which the sequei Is
given as fOllows:-
The day was ours,
And we'll we knew the worth OF victory
Loud rolled the rounds of cheers from corps 10 corps
Comrades embraced each Otherj IRON men
Fen on their knees and thanked Almighty God
Thcn HIATT Columbia = rang the brazen horns,
And ali the hiLtOps shouted unto heaven;
The welkin shouted TO the shouting hills
And heavens and hilltOps shouted "Ftet0IBF
Night with her pail had wrapped the bloody field.
The remnants OF my gallant company 80
Were gathered and eucamped upon the hill. -
Paul was not with them, and they could not tel
Aught OF him, l had seen MN IN tue nglJ
Bravest OF all the brave. saw him last
When first the foremost fOeman reached our works,
Thrusting them of with bloody bayOnet,
And shouting to his comrades " steady men -
Sadly wandered back where we had met
The onset OF the foe. The round or cheers
Repeated oft still swept from corps TO corps,
And as l passed along the line saw
Our wounded soldiers raise their weary heads,
And cheer with feeble voices. Even in death
The cry of victory warmed their hearts again.
Pau lay upon the ground where he mad fought
Fast by the flag that fOated on the line
He slept-Or seemed 10 sleep, but on his brow
SAT such a deadly paIOr that feared
NV Paul would never N ireh and fight again.
raised his head-he woke as from a DREAM
said, " Be quiet--you are badly hurt;
IN call a surgeon we will dress your wOund.D
"'Tls vain; for 1 have done
With camp and march and battle. Ere the dawn
Shall be mustered out Of your command,
And mustered into the Grand Army Of Heaven"
Isought surgeon on the field and found;
with me came and opened the bloody blouse.
Felt the dull pulse and sageiy shook his head.
musket bali had done its deathly work;
There was no hope, he SAID the man might i've
day--Or twO-but had no need of him.
called his comrades aud We carried him
Upon his blankets softly TO our camp
And laid him by the campfire AS the lght
Fell on Pauls face he took my hand and said:
The tragic story of Pauline which forms the burden Of
the poem and is the keynote of the heros life is then
told as under the shadow Of the grave, afording q
worthy theme for the expression OF pathOs and tender
ness which are evidently the favoTite sphere OF the
aahor It much to his credit that be does not permit
any depth Of feeling to tempt HIM into the indulgence OF
plaintve sentmentalism. but that he finds the 1tes
medium manly for the utterance OF sincere emo
ton The few brief poems appended 20 the volume are
OF greatly inferior order, and must dilute the com
incubation which may be accorded to its main subject