University of Virginia Library

And Nelly's tears was just like rain;
And Tommy could hear what the Captain was sayin'—
“Do love me, Nelly! do then! do!
Aw Nelly, the same as I love you!
Nelly! Nelly! I am in earnest—”
If that wasn' a burnin' fiery furnace
For Tommy—my gracious! he said the bite
He took of his tongue to try and keep quite,
And his head goin' round and round and round,
Till he thought he'd fall; but he held his ground
And they looked so lovely! he said—good Lord!
That's where, he said, it come very hard
On the leks of him—and he didn' know
Whether to stay, or whether to go,
Or what to do—but, rain or fair,
Of coorse he wasn' wanted there—
But—Nelly cryin'—and—Would he take her part?
But how? and the cables of his heart
Goin' crackin'. And then he thought, was it right
For him to be sneakin' there in the night
Like a spy upon her? for he wasn' apt
To be thinkin' evil, wasn' this chap—
No, he wasn', and he didn' now;
But he waited till, he couldn' tell how,
Nelly's head gave two little slips,
And—aw, poor Tommy! lips to lips,
Yes, yes! aw Tommy, my son,
You're beat! you're beat! the game is won!
Was and wasn'—and meant is meant—
But he picked up the bits of his heart, and went—
Bits! aye, bits! and a swish and a swirl
Of all his life, like the wheel of the world
Had gone over him with its lumbering load,
And left him dyin' on the road—
Tommy! Tommy! But, afore he got home,
He begun to think what good could come
Of work like that—and—“She's lost! she's lost!”
And he staggered, and his head was frost
And fire in a minute, and he turned to go back,
And—“I'll save her! I'll save her!” and he looked to the black
Black sky, and he shouted—“Nelly!” he said,
“Nelly! Nelly!” and fell like dead.