Yorkshire Lyrics Part 53

And when age shall line thy brow, And thy step is weak and slow,-- And the end of life draws near May'st thou meet it without fear; Undismayed with earth's alarms,-- Sleeping,--to wake in Jesus' arms.

Remorse.

None ever knew I had wronged her, That secret she kept to the end.

None knew that our ties had been stronger, Than such as should bind friend to friend.

Her beauty and innocence gave her Such charms as are lavished on few; And vain was my earnest endeavour To resist,--though I strove to be true.

She had given her heart to my keeping,-- 'Twas a treasure more precious than gold; And I guarded it, waking or sleeping, Lest a strange breath should make it grow cold.

And I longed to be tender, yet honest,-- Alas! loved,--where to love was a sin,-- And pa.s.sion was deaf to the warning, Of a still small voice crying within.

I feasted my eyes on her beauty,-- I ravished my ears with her voice,-- And I felt as her bosom rose softly, That my heart had at last found its choice.

'Twas a wild gust of pa.s.sion swept o'er us,-- Just a flash of tumultuous bliss;-- Then life's sunlight all vanished before us, And we stood by despair's dark abyss.

'Tis past,--and the green gra.s.s grows over, The grave that hides her and our shame; None ever knew who was her lover, For her lips never uttered his name.

But at night when the city is sleeping, I steal with a tremulous tread, And spend the dark solemn hours weeping, O'er the grave of the deeply wronged dead.

My Queen

Annie--Oh! what a weary while It seems since that sad day; When whispering a fond "good bye,"

I tore myself away.

And yet, 'tis only two short years; How has it seemed to thee?

To me, those lonesome years appear Like an eternity.

We loved,--Ah, me! how much we loved; How happy pa.s.sed the day When pouring forth enraptured vows, The charmed hours pa.s.sed away.

In every leaf we beauty saw,-- In every song and sound, Some sweet entrancing melody, To soothe our hearts we found.

And now it haunts me as a dream,-- A thing that could not be!-- That one so pure and beautiful Could ever care for me.

But I still have the nut-brown curl, Which tells me it is true; And in my fancy I can see The brow where once it grew.

Those eyes, whose pensive, loving light, Did thrill me through and through: Still follow me by day and night, As they were wont to do.

Thy smile still haunts me, and thy voice, At times I seem to hear; And when the scented zephyrs pa.s.s I fancy thou art near.

'Twill not be long, dear heart, (although It will seem long to me;) Until I clasp thee once again; To part no more from thee.

Though storms may roar, and oceans rage And furies vent their spleen;-- There's naught shall keep me from my love; My beautiful;--my queen!

Now and Then.

Did we but know what lurks beyond the NOW; Could we but see what the dim future hides; Had we some power occult that would us show The joy and sorrow which in THEN abides; Would life be happier,--or less fraught with woe, Did we but know?

I long, yet fear to pierce those clouds ahead;-- To solve life's secrets,--learn what means this death.

Are fresh joys waiting for the silent dead?

Or do we perish with am fleeting breath?

If not; then whither will the spirit go?

Did we but know.

'Tis all a mist. Reason can naught explain, We dream and scheme for what to-morrow brings; We sleep, perchance, and never wake again, Nor taste life's joys, or suffer sorrow's stings.

Will the soul soar, or will it sink below?

How can we know.

"You must have Faith!"--How can a mortal weak, Pin faith on what he cannot comprehend?

We grope for light,--but all in vain we seek, Oblivion seems poor mortal's truest friend.

Like bats at noonday, blindly on we go, For naught we know.

Yet, why should we repine? Could we but see Our lifelong journey with its ups and downs!

Ambition, hope and longings all would flee, Indifferent alike to smiles and frowns.

'Tis better as it is. It must be so.

We ne'er can know.

The Open Gates.

My heart was sad when first we met; 'Yet with a smile,-- A welcome smile I ne'er forget, Thou didst beguile My sighs and sorrows;-and a sweet delight Shed a soft radiance, where erst was night.

I dreamed not we should meet again;-- But fate was kind, Once more my heart o'er fraught with pain, To joy inclined.

It seemed thy soul had power to penetrate My inmost self, changing at will my state.

Then sprang the thought:--Be thou my Queen!

I will be slave; Make here thy throne and reign supreme, 'Tis all I crave.

Let me within thy soothing influence dwell, Content to know, with thee all must be well.

I knew not that another claimed By prior right, Those charms that had my breast inflamed With fancies bright.

Ah! then I recognized my loneliness:-- My dreams dispelled;--still I admired no less.

Time wearily dragged on its way,-- We met once more, And thou wert free! Oh, happy day!

As sight of sh.o.r.e Cheers the worn mariner;--so sight of thee, Made my heart beat with sweet expectancy.

Is it too much to hope,--someday This heart of mine, That beats alone for thee,--yet may Thy love enshrine?

All things are said to come to him who waits, I'm waiting, darling.--Love, opes wide the gates.

Blue Bells.

Bonny little Blue-bells Mid young brackens green, 'Neath the hedgerows peeping Modestly between; Telling us that Summer Is not far away, When your beauties blend with Blossoms of the May.

St.u.r.dy, tangled hawthorns, Fleck'd with white or red, Whilst their nutty incense, All around is shed.

Bonny drooping Blue-bells, Happy you must be With your beauties sheltered 'Neath such fragrant tree.