The poetical works of William Nicholson With a memoir by Malcolm M'L. Harper ... Fourth edition |
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THE SOLDIER'S HOME:
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 | The poetical works of William Nicholson |  |
THE SOLDIER'S HOME:
A Tale.
Where yon grey rocks resist the flood
On Scotia's southern strand,
I saw, in melancholy mood,
A rustic veteran stand.
On Scotia's southern strand,
I saw, in melancholy mood,
A rustic veteran stand.
Silent he gazed on sea and shore;
High towered the village smoke,
The sun hard on his temples bore,
While thus he silence broke—
High towered the village smoke,
The sun hard on his temples bore,
While thus he silence broke—
“Here musing o'er the lapse of time,
Since thoughtless childhood played,
And ripening manhood's youthful prime
In stately steps had strayed.
Since thoughtless childhood played,
And ripening manhood's youthful prime
In stately steps had strayed.
“Imagination fondly roves,
Where cares and ills were few,
And pictures all our joys and loves,
And hopes and fears anew.
Where cares and ills were few,
And pictures all our joys and loves,
And hopes and fears anew.
102
“The long lost youthful friend we view,
Bedecked with heartfelt smiles,
And tenderer ties of love review,
With all her witching wiles.
Bedecked with heartfelt smiles,
And tenderer ties of love review,
With all her witching wiles.
“With caution now each step we tread,
And trace each haunt with care;
But youth is flown, and friends are fled:
Alas! she dwells not there.
And trace each haunt with care;
But youth is flown, and friends are fled:
Alas! she dwells not there.
“Though fair each streamlet still does flow,
And wider spread the trees;
Yet by some cause they waken woe—
Ceased is their power to please.
And wider spread the trees;
Yet by some cause they waken woe—
Ceased is their power to please.
“A stranger occupies the cot
Where first my being grew,
A rude, unpolished, selfish sot,
With all his gaping crew.
Where first my being grew,
A rude, unpolished, selfish sot,
With all his gaping crew.
“One friend, that sighed for fortune large,
To foreign lands has sped;
A dearer left his lonely charge,
And laid him with the dead.
To foreign lands has sped;
A dearer left his lonely charge,
And laid him with the dead.
“Thoughts fond and vain the mind employ—
We're borne along the stream;
The bud of life is all a toy,
Its wane a weary dream.
We're borne along the stream;
The bud of life is all a toy,
Its wane a weary dream.
“My first fond love in life's fair morn,
By luckless love undone,
Retiring far from public scorn
Has reared her only son.
By luckless love undone,
Retiring far from public scorn
Has reared her only son.
103
“Why left I what my soul held dear,
To sigh in crowds alone?
'Twas siren Hope sung in mine ear,
And flattering, soothed me on.
To sigh in crowds alone?
'Twas siren Hope sung in mine ear,
And flattering, soothed me on.
“Dear Mary, though for fame and gold
The battle blade I've borne,
Lo! here I come, more poor, more old,
More wretched and forlorn.
The battle blade I've borne,
Lo! here I come, more poor, more old,
More wretched and forlorn.
“But shall not we join hand in hand,
Our wayward fate to bear,
And closer bind each former band,
And wipe each falling tear?
Our wayward fate to bear,
And closer bind each former band,
And wipe each falling tear?
“Prosperity may well afford
A beam to glad the breast;
But ne'er could touch the tender chord,
Like mutual love distrest.
A beam to glad the breast;
But ne'er could touch the tender chord,
Like mutual love distrest.
“Welcome ye distant hills and heath,
Though barren, rude, and bare;
My Mary's smile shall smooth each path,
And sooth the brow of care.”
Though barren, rude, and bare;
My Mary's smile shall smooth each path,
And sooth the brow of care.”
Thus sung the soldier, worn with toil;
His country's shield and spear;
With mingled passions marked the soil,
Untrod for many a year.
His country's shield and spear;
With mingled passions marked the soil,
Untrod for many a year.
Though pointed pebbles on the way
Assailed his weary feet;
The wild bird carolled loud his lay,
And cheered him up the steep.
Assailed his weary feet;
The wild bird carolled loud his lay,
And cheered him up the steep.
104
But when the destined booth he reached,
Where jutting crags were seen,
A silver lake its bosom stretched,
And wild woods waving green.
Where jutting crags were seen,
A silver lake its bosom stretched,
And wild woods waving green.
Quick beat his heart with fondest joy,
He gazed, he viewed them o'er;
His Mary, by his favourite boy,
Sat knitting near the door.
He gazed, he viewed them o'er;
His Mary, by his favourite boy,
Sat knitting near the door.
What though fleet time with paler hue
Her youthful bloom had foiled,
Within her eye of azure blue,
Content and kindness smiled.
Her youthful bloom had foiled,
Within her eye of azure blue,
Content and kindness smiled.
His manly visage soon she knew,
Though hacked in war's alarms,
She rose, she gazed, and breathless flew
Into his longing arms.
Though hacked in war's alarms,
She rose, she gazed, and breathless flew
Into his longing arms.
As wept the father o'er his child,
Whose absence long he mourned;
Such joys might angels, undefiled,
Feel when a soul's returned.
Whose absence long he mourned;
Such joys might angels, undefiled,
Feel when a soul's returned.
There did he rest his wearied frame,
And tells his tales of war;
His boy delights to hear the theme,
And marks each honest scar.
And tells his tales of war;
His boy delights to hear the theme,
And marks each honest scar.
A father's fondest care is used,
Each virtue to commend,
Till, by degrees, he now has lost
The father in the friend.
Each virtue to commend,
Till, by degrees, he now has lost
The father in the friend.
105
Such are the hopes, the joys of age,
That cheer life's waning ray;
More sure than all that stoic sage,
And lettered pride display.
That cheer life's waning ray;
More sure than all that stoic sage,
And lettered pride display.
| The poetical works of William Nicholson | |