THE ABOLITIONIST TO HIS BRIDE.
Sad I come for thy caresses, bonny bride, bonny bride,
For my nestling brow is bound with crown of thorn;
And the more thy leal heart presses, bonny bride, bonny bride,
Is thy true and tender bosom pierced and torn.
I have gloomed thy girlish gladness, bonny bride, bonny bride,
Made thee tearful in thy Wifehood's dewy dawn,
Given thy voice a soul of sadness, bonny bride, bonny bride,
Set thy dainty cheek's ripe beauty waxing wan.
The wild light of 'wildered sorrows, bonny bride, bonny bride,
Is the lustre that comes flashing to thine eyes,
As of hopes that know no morrows, bonny bride, bonny bride,
Or from sunken suns that set no more to rise.
My poor heart hath put on mourning, bonny bride bonny bride,
For the death of sweet and saintly Liberty;
It was down the Traitor's Turning, bonny bride, bonny bride,
That they smote her in the Country of the Free.
Where the Ark of Freedom rested, bonny bride, bonny bride,
When the May-Flower rode out bravely o'er the Flood;
Where the Bird of Freedom nested, bonny bride, bonny bride,
In the land our Fathers bought with precious blood.
They have broken every promise, bonny bride, bonny bride,
False as hell to League, and Covenant, and vow;—
Torn the Babes of Freedom from us, bonny bride, bonny bride,
Grim as Herod! and like Herod they shall bow.
In the mire our Banner's trailing, bonny bride, bonny bride;
It but symbols bloody stripes and bitter tears,
To a world of Tyrants hailing, bonny bride, bonny bride,
And a world of Slaves that groans, a Hell that cheers.
Our good Bark is heavily wearing, bonny bride, bonny bride,
And the hungry sharks they track us through the sea,
With their cruel keen eyes glaring, bonny bride, bonny bride,
For the burial of embalmèd Liberty.
How the darkness round us presses, bonny bride, bonny bride!
By the dying watch-fire hearts sit dark and dumb;
And we strain and make blind guesses, bonny bride, bonny bride,
Of the morning and the morrow that shall come.
O, 'twill be a fearful waking, bonny bride, bonny bride,
Should the faces of our Brothers dawn in view,
With the light above us breaking, bonny bride, bonny bride,
And the earth beneath us wet with crimson dew.
We are weak, and win derision, bonny bride, bonny bride,
All too weak to crush the Serpents that we clasp;
But I see in solemn vision, bonny bride, bonny bride,
The young Heroes who shall kill them in their grasp.
See the Flag of Freedom dancing, bonny bride, bonny bride,
On the Fortresses and Ruins of old Wrong—
See the Slave's proud eyes up-glancing, bonny bride, bonny bride,
With the heart that breaks no more, save into song.
See the hills of earth that whiten, bonny bride, bonny bride,
With the feet of angels coming down to men!
See the homes of earth that brighten, bonny bride, bonny bride,
With the beautiful that vanished, come again.
There's a long road, wild and dreary, bonny bride, bonny bride,
Through the winding ways of Sorrow's Wilderness!
And a-many will fall weary, bonny bride, bonny bride,
And but few the honeyed Land of Promise press.
Yet we'll battle on with bravery, bonny bride, bonny bride,
We will battle on as sabbathless as Doom;
We shall leave the land of Slavery, bonny bride, bonny bride,
And the Victor's wreath will crown the Martyr's tomb.
1855.
