The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-06-22
ALUMNI POEM.
""ond College. Wednesday, June IL.
1890.
FROZEN.

" knights of old. In DAYS of venture and
Npy'olt' went forth abold DER sea and land.
w., ~. 'weiVc-month Jared the dangerous
Mnero dragons held the timid soul at bav.
Rev. Pt.u treacherons tides, the foe to goad
pp"Ssohd the harm Of motherland: or showed
ar f. ,r', proWess In the gladly-given defense
" Woman-rough-assail or mid the tents
VI tourney; or, beyond the martial dream
~ ynthly oiazon. sought the soinbre CLEAN
VI distant sbrines. TO purify the soul.
~ 1n onIelOot penitence and body'g dole:
gI' on before uniried aud irksome WAYS
rsnuVred the siarlcss nights and ioylcss davs
..nS'nrch ana nope to Nod the Holy Grail
Anu then restore II 90 the temples pale;
''"u l l,a,ny wrong subdued, and many q
Upheld; with honor's arms and armor
bright
rs these, al last. probation DER. again
'NS''tinieu round the genial board (where
Alone sat down, and whence. twelve moons
before,
dlhey had gone forth). and told the stories DER
, ~ an , ,i travel and their hazard-so
0viic we, the year of labor past; aglow
with conquest, some; some painting holly
yet
from lete-worn struggles; some, mayhap,
whose fret
And chance have won small rccompcnse.
Awcary with the seeming fruitless toll
an gled once more TO come, fling of the mail
Lay down the lance, unlash the steel, and
hail
Each fellow with tone that banishes
All hours but this. and hours that led 10 this.
And him that bath done well. though SCARED
and brown,
our Alma Mater heels with golden spurs
Ana writes his name bensath the name, Re-
nown
To him whose garments taitercd are. and
worse.
N hos A. sword IL b1olya ,rI,c, l..o,t l.c,,fr
ing-lO,
Despising not. nor Gliding ever so
All mothers true), she soothing says: My
son,
Faint not; tits notyet time. Thy strife be.
In weakness, proves not what The end shall
be
Rise up; take thou this other sword from me,
And from my chaiice drain u draught Of
strength;
Thy brothers grid thee with love- wrought
sash;
Go forth again; come back to us at length,
WIN scars maychance-but honor in their
cash,
And here, whe'er victory or defeat you own,
Inc soldier e'er shall find warm heartsalone
Methnks 'twere almost better. thus to fall
In sorrow sometimes i'm the ancestral hail,
Ana nave our mother lift us up, caress
Ana love us in our weakness. Know we less
OF love, ween. I'LL we have tasted grief,
anu hiitMn N'ittA. Iiitil, l1At II ike "a IRE
TO warm us To the fray; then. loves relief
Is Ike the tempered mail-each knights de-
sire;
Then, love is like a trusty lance. whose point
Pricks deity through the foeman's armor-
joint.
But here we are. And midst the tales we
tell
OF what adventures on our ways befell,
You call for song,
And who shall sing?
Why, he
That sang us last: the minstrel with that
queer.
sad harp that moaned with loves sweet mis-
cry
Aye. that's the singer now again we'd hear.
And VIII you doubt, that. Ike the bards Of
old.
The present mlnstrel's face drops blushing
down
In modest gladness. that the tale he told
Hath pleased the listener, brought some faint
renOwn?
Yet were'I not wise 10 cease while pleasures
AT
Her heght?-for hungering for more Of that
Which pleaseth, surely better is, than sip
Too lOng and find il pail upon the lip.
Thus deems the lyris'; so, with anxious heart.
lie weaVes again the stOry-rhyme for you.
Il any chord of his should falsely start,
1t is the trembling hand that strikes untrue;
If any strain unt1 your soul should sue,
1t isan inspiration drawn from you.