The Irish standard., 1895-08-10
| !
!. The Poor rlan's Darling.

sst1' ERIEN BROS. ]


The Poor l'lan's Darling.
Why did YOU leave me- ashore Inachree,
YouaW life and light you were AL 70
|; Oh, our hearts are sad, and our cot is is
q For we miss. your face by the old hearth-
#& " stone. Tsa,sl " .at g5i5 lsS5 NJ S5
3 We canot laugh for we do not hear
81 7 our merry laugh, love, SO soft. and
tSas clear: #5s3 s.s
We never dance as we danced Of yore. \;
WI her your little feet beat the cabin floor.
But we gather around the fire atnight,
4 And the white walls CLEAN in the r,lddy
g light; :St.fs nj
E There NE see your cloak and your little
chair
But oh, my darling you are not there!
Your prayer book is faded, old and
"a brown
Here and there, as You left them, the
t.5 leaves turned down;
And oh, my darling, | even trace
Your finger marks In some Well-Worn
place. s
( Then each faded leaf fCndly kiss;
oh, no relic Of old is SO dear as this!
And weap, my darling, When none are
49,. near, .t
Ger the little fingers that rested here.
My gentle Ely, you come to me
In the cold dark hour Of aayersity;
We were very poor, but jewel rare
shone on our hearth. love, when you
were there.
f1
Every cold, harsh thought, love, you
smiled away.
Aud each want in our love we soon for
got,
FOR YOU brought content in our humble
cot.
Light was my heart as toiled away;
For I thought Of you ash tossed the nay;
And the fairest blossoms that round me
grew,
My own little darling, kept for you.
Blith1y sang when my toll was Ger,
AS sauntered on to cur cabin door;
For saw in the shade OF the old ash tree
Your smiling face looking out for me.
At, me! how sweet your blue eyes would
shine
AZ climbed the hill with your hand in
But you talked so wise that you made me
start,
And clasp you close to my trembling
heart.
The s,olden autumn glded past,
And The dreaded winter came on at last;
While smaller each day grew our little
Till the last had gone and we had nc
... more.
Hunger, my darling, is hard to bear;
Still, without nurmur, you pore your
share;
Like a. patiene spirit you lowered near,
Tn want and sorrow our hearts to cheer.
Katey and Mary would cry for bread, ;,
But you laughed and danced, love ana
sang instead.
nh dear little heart, you were kind and
brave. -l.,s.4
You knew there was none, SO you d1dn,1
crave. 4..4.
You sang when your voice was faint and
,Hv weak, Is
When the bloom had flown from your Ialr
round cheek;
In your tiny breast gnawed the hungry
pain. E.,3,
But your lips, my darling, would not
complain.
Oh. twas sweet to feel your soft arms
Irvine
And your warm young face pressing
close to mine,
care You hungry, love?' I would whis-
per low;
But you shook your head, and you an
swered No" .1
NV darling! saw you fade away
Like the last soft glance of the closing
day;
AS the dying note Of some magic strain
That charms the heart, then is ,hushed
again.
THE shadows of death, love, dinmed
III your eyes; ~
AS the dark clouds passed DER the sunny
skies;
And the dropping lids Ger those sweet
eyes fell,
The last stroke of the vesper bell.
R54 tR
A little sight was all heard
Like the f1uttering wing of a captive blrd; .
And sobbing voice from behind the
bed, 80,
Saying: "Fatl1er, father, is Ely dead!
- --Anonymous.