River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-10-29

Harold johnnie, Allie and H.
Watching the sunset flush. then fade
From over the earth and sky;
Watching the bars of purple and gold
Grow deeper, than pale. then die.
Hnro.d was tall and dark. and proud;
IL lis cheek was bgouZed by the Indian sun !;
And on his bosom there cleaned a star
The iewelcd badge that his sword had
For he was Il soi3i,.. and this was prize
From the and ii his king for service
done.
John was soldier too but he fought
Under banner of spotle,s white;
His Legion OF Honor. the sign of the Cross,
The leadcr he followed, the Prince of
Li@ht,
His sword was the Word Of the Living
His armor faith that was strong and
bright.
Allie was something do not know what
\ fairy-bahv- woman-queen,-
a pleading child that crept into your
heart
\ naughty tvrant as ever was seen;
And We al three loved her, and loved her
well,
4 But John loved her best of all, wecn.
was defolmed / had never walked
A helpless thing from my natal hour.
Ny pen was my fortune No broad estate
Or title had to give me power;
| bad only poets priceless gift
Only poet glorious dover.
I told YOU we loved her, and Harold sued
first.
Kueeliug to offer his knightly name,
Hi grand old castle beside the Rhine,
His un,ullied honor, his hard-earned fame.
His heart that was pure as mans could
TX
Al that pride could ask or that love
could claim.
But Allie said NO and Harold went ont
With a look of pain in his fierce dark eye,
Like that al an eagle wounded, and scars
Away 20 its eyrie on the cliffs to die;
And he fell on foreign field one day
When legions grew white at his battle
John asked her next, and she answered the
same,
Aud he blessed her, and kissed her, and
turned away;
But we saw him no more till he stood on
the deck
a boat that lay rocked like bird on
the bay.
Now tropical vines tangle over his grave,
Aud ocean-waves moan round his clay.
] would not speak. What was that shout
dare
To rush where the angels had feared to
tread.
l only looked down ON my palsied limbs,
Aud bitterly wished in my heart was
dead
] almost cursed God that He gave me form
No woman could love, or we'd
Then Allie came in. in her quiet way,
Aud knelt with her arms crossed over my
Knee,
While ~moothed the mass Of her golden
And said, she can never be aught to
So we sat there in silence, and both looked
0Lt
At the troubled waves of the storm
tossed sea.
Them do not know how, but she caught
my hand,
Aud twas covered with kisses again and
again
Passionate kisses.-while broken words
Burst from her lips as from one in pain,
And tears rolled over her crimson cheeks,
Like che short lived torrents of April rain.
could scarcely believe when understood
" hat it really was that the action meant,
Iien l tenderly gathered her up in my
arms,
Where size sobbed like the storm when its
strength Is spent;
While said with reTerent awe in the
words,
'What have l done that this blessing is
Sentt
That was years ago. Now Allie is dead;
She lies on the hill where the white cross
stands;
And Harold and John rest far away,
With an ocean between them, in foreign
lands:
And I'm waiting, impatient, the welcome
day,
When over the river Wen all join hands.