The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-11-25
Strayed.
And are loose On the coverlet lying

strayed.
And are loose On the coverlet lying.
One golden tress on her shoulder is twined.
Her murmurinS lips half part as she
dreams,
OF her love far away In the trenches;
For her love. her soul IS yearining;
And she's praying that Heaven will grant
her the boon,
The boon of his blessed returning
On. round, white arm. in Loves delight
About his neck so often twined.
Oh golden hair, so often flung upon his
breast:
On ruby lips, SO often pressed.
In Loves long. long embrace,
Upon his brow and madly pressed
His hand goes up, he softly raps,
AS leopard starts at sound of breaking
twiS.
She starts. Her stlapely hand has seized
blade.
That she carries by day in the belt OF her
dress:
At night sheathes under her pillow.
When thus aroused, no m!screant 1ormr
Will dare invade her presence.
He calls tler name, he softly calls: =
But the sound has reached her hearing.
Is it the night wind bearing his vo.ce
To her soul from out of the trenches:
He calls again. She springs to tue floor
On feet chat are lighter than fairies:
she passes the hall. unbolts the door,
And is sobbing on the breast OF her.sol-
der.
Brave men, your pains and trials past,
And perils yet to come. Nothing are,
On the scale wien weighed 'sainst tbs
imperial woman.
Into her room again from the dark.
She stirs the dying embers,
That her lovers face once mora she may
And he again his children.
One long, long kiss on the brow OF each,
One long, long kiss for their mother.
He leaves the warm precincts of his nest
ling doves.
And goes out again to the shadow
| Outside it is dark and the rain is falling,
| The rain and the dark, alike, are friendly;
Below the enemy's guard is mounting,
! Behind his love, broken hearted, is kneel-
ing.
BY the couch of her babes. broken hearted
she prays.
! That the God of her children viii follow
their father,
| Back to the camp of his comrades.
Broken the harp of the South and tune
less.
Save to strains Of bitter woe:
| Her lutte strings chime to mournful num-
. The hearts of her children are tuneeuI no
! more.
The crush of defeat, the sad returning
Proud women who bore with glad res!s-
nation,
The ills of life willie the war drum was
beating,
Stand mute with grief by the bier OF
nation.
Left to them now is the fame os the dear
ones.
Living and dead, they sarine with emotion,
In hearts they are true-that forever Will
shrine them,
In the warm recess of their souls deep
devotion.
For those who were rsar. on cur fasf1es
the longer,
In sorrow and weeping shall trernbie the
tear.
For those our loved comrades We locked on
| when dying,
And saw the hard brea thing when death
damp was near
For these the sad signing through all the
long years.
or dsar ones and rear ones, vho have
toiled on and wept.
At the memory Of sad parting for the
fields of their glory
Were in honor undying SO long they have
slept.
0rr at nod
The song OF their life or the sad re-
swell still to the glow OF the patriots
ardor.
OF their suffering the story shall be re-
frain.
Harp of the South. once more to glad num-
bers
Strike. while the veil from this smart Is
In iovous strains that the vanaui.hed are
Thai the fame OF our dead Is enduring az
The living eg see that their heroic daring.
And natient epdeavor IN the cause OF
freedom.
Are as dear to the hearts of a new genera
ton
OF patriotic women and brave-heartsd
men
AS they we're when the shouts of victorious
armies
sent nnIsins the blood o. our brave South
sent thrilling the blood to the hearts Of our
natrons.
In the souls of their daughters the fire is
still burning:
The nres that burned In thu breast Of their