 | Jessamine Poems |  |
22
Secret of the Mad House.
O'er the green walled mead the sunlight shone
And dew drops sparkled on the mossy stone
Of a madhouse standing dark and lone
While people passed it by.
But from its gloomy walls ther came
A mad man's cry—In heaven's name!
Was this sunny France alone to blame
If this, her hero die?
And dew drops sparkled on the mossy stone
Of a madhouse standing dark and lone
While people passed it by.
But from its gloomy walls ther came
A mad man's cry—In heaven's name!
Was this sunny France alone to blame
If this, her hero die?
For he Pierre Anthon once was brave
And was in war to France a slave,
And to save his country was his crave,
But madness was his fate:
For die would he for his dear Marie,
A sister at home, while he at sea,
Would strive to make her a lady be
And choose for a mate.
And was in war to France a slave,
And to save his country was his crave,
But madness was his fate:
For die would he for his dear Marie,
A sister at home, while he at sea,
Would strive to make her a lady be
And choose for a mate.
Now she to woman-hood had grown
And early love for a lawyer shown
And the lawyer claimed her for his own
And Pierre gave consent.
Then swift the reign of terror down
While sunny France deposed a crown
And the guillotins swung in er'vy town
As some one to glory went.
And early love for a lawyer shown
And the lawyer claimed her for his own
And Pierre gave consent.
Then swift the reign of terror down
While sunny France deposed a crown
And the guillotins swung in er'vy town
As some one to glory went.
Guillotins reddened with human blood
Swept many away renown for good
And death rode through the neighborhood
Upon his fiery steed
'Til the lawyer cross his pathway sprung
And upbraided him—His thrill words rang
Till guillotins did in trembling hang,
But paid he for this deed.
Swept many away renown for good
And death rode through the neighborhood
Upon his fiery steed
'Til the lawyer cross his pathway sprung
And upbraided him—His thrill words rang
23
But paid he for this deed.
Though shut he from his eye the scenes
Of horrible crimes and guillotins
Yet seized he was by the Jacobins
And sentenced to exile.
Of horrible crimes and guillotins
Yet seized he was by the Jacobins
And sentenced to exile.
His brother in-law had chanced to be
Within a neighboring port at sea
And ready to save his own country
E'en when the message came
Which called him away to fair Bayonne
To receive this pris'nor sad and lone
To depose upon a shore unknown—
Oh France thou art to blame!
Within a neighboring port at sea
And ready to save his own country
E'en when the message came
Which called him away to fair Bayonne
To receive this pris'nor sad and lone
To depose upon a shore unknown—
Oh France thou art to blame!
A man, in the secret service sworn,
Had surely the true instructions torn
And a false one sealed and duly sworn
Inserted he instead;
His pris'nor masked he took to the ship
And bade the captain allow no slip
But ere three days his oars should dip:
La Coste must be shot dead.
Had surely the true instructions torn
And a false one sealed and duly sworn
Inserted he instead;
His pris'nor masked he took to the ship
And bade the captain allow no slip
But ere three days his oars should dip:
La Coste must be shot dead.
Had Anthon known his brother-in-law,
But naught he knew. And the lawyer saw
To make him know might over awe.
And so kept still his tongue:
But a note he wrote, and under seal
It was sent his brother with appeal—
“Keep this when thou hast dealt the deal
And night her curtains swung.”
But naught he knew. And the lawyer saw
To make him know might over awe.
And so kept still his tongue:
But a note he wrote, and under seal
It was sent his brother with appeal—
“Keep this when thou hast dealt the deal
And night her curtains swung.”
The day went by, the prisoner slain,
His body sank in the gurgling main,
And Captain Anthon at home again,
Back in his dear LaClare;
But naught of this to Marie was said.
Oh tell me, sir! is my husband dead?
And with grief the captain bent his head,
'Twas more than he could bear.
His body sank in the gurgling main,
And Captain Anthon at home again,
Back in his dear LaClare;
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Oh tell me, sir! is my husband dead?
And with grief the captain bent his head,
'Twas more than he could bear.
With uplifted hands she gave a scream,
And staggering walked like one in a dream,
The world was blank and strange does it seem,
Madness had seized her brain.
She ne'er recovered in after years,
Her brother sat by her bed in tears,
And a tombstone o'er her grave he rears
To mark where she was lain.
And staggering walked like one in a dream,
The world was blank and strange does it seem,
Madness had seized her brain.
She ne'er recovered in after years,
Her brother sat by her bed in tears,
And a tombstone o'er her grave he rears
To mark where she was lain.
He, worn out with care and old and gray,
To madness also did fall a prey
And there was he on this summer's day
In truth, no idle tale,
And e'er and anon would come the cry,
And people would pass and give a sigh;
And murmuring winds in passing by
Would waft that dreadful wail.
To madness also did fall a prey
And there was he on this summer's day
In truth, no idle tale,
And e'er and anon would come the cry,
And people would pass and give a sigh;
And murmuring winds in passing by
Would waft that dreadful wail.
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