Rural Tales, Ballads, and Songs | Page 5

averted eye;
His heart's distraction, and his boding fears

She heard, and answer'd with a flood of tears;
Precious relief; sure
friends that forward press
To tell the mind's unspeakable distress.

Ye Youths, whom crimson'd health and genuine fire
Bear joyous on
the wings of young desire,
Ye, who still bow to Love's almighty sway,

What could true passion, what could Walter say?
Age, tell me true,
nor shake your locks in vain,
Tread back your paths, and be in love
again;
Visit to a Friend.
In your young days did such a favouring hour
Show you the littleness
of wealth and pow'r?
Advent'rous climbers of the Mountain's brow;

While Love, their master, spreads his couch below--
'My dearest
Jane,' the untaught Walter cried,
As half repell'd he pleaded by her
side;
'My dearest Jane, think of me as you may--'
Thus--still
unutter'd what he strove to say,
They breath'd in sighs the anguish of
their minds,
And took the path that led to neighbour Hind's.
A secret joy the well-known roof inspir'd,
Small was its store, and
little they desir'd;
Jane dried her tears; while Walter forward flew


To aid the Dame; who to the brink updrew
The pond'rous Bucket as
they reach'd the well,
And scarcely with exhausted breath could tell

How welcome to her Cot the blooming Pair,
O'er whom she watch'd
with a maternal care.
The Expostulation.
'What ails thee, Jane?' the wary Matron cried;
With heaving breast the
modest Maid reply'd,
Now gently moving back her wooden Chair

To shun the current of the cooling air;
'Not much, good Dame; I'm
weary by the way;
'Perhaps, anon, I've something else to say.'
Now,
while the Seed-cake crumbled on her knee,
And Snowy Jasmine
peeped in to see;
And the transparent Lilac at the door,
Full to the
Sun its purple honors bore,
The clam'rous Hen her fearless brood
display'd,
And march'd around; while thus the Matron said:
'Jane
has been weeping, Walter;--prithee why?
'I've seen her laugh, and
dance, but never cry.
'But I can guess; with her you should have been,

'When late I saw you loit'ring on the green;
'I'm an old Woman, and
the truth may tell:
I say then, Boy, you have not us'd her well.'
Pleadings of Experience for Love with extreme Prudence.
JANE felt for WALTER; felt his cruel pain,
While Pity's voice
brought forth her tears again.
'Don't scold him, Neighbour, he has
much to say,
'Indeed he came and met me by the way.'
The Dame
resum'd--'Why then, my Children, why
'Do such young bosoms heave
the piteous sigh?
'The ills of Life to you are yet unknown;
'Death's
sev'ring shaft, and Poverty's cold frown:
'I've felt them both, by
turns:--but as they pass'd,
'Strong was my trust, and here I am at last.

'When I dwelt young and cheerful down the Lane.
'(And, though I
say it, I was much like JANE,)
'O'er flow'ry fields with Hind, I lov'd
to stray,
'And talk, and laugh, and fool the time away:

'And Care
defied; who not one pain could give,
'Till the thought came of how
we were to live;
'And then Love plied his arrows thicker still:
'And

prov'd victorious;--as he always will.
The Victory.
'We brav'd Life's storm together; while that Drone,
'Your poor old
Uncle, WALTER, liv'd alone.
'He died the other day: when round his
bed
'No tender soothing tear Affection shed--
'Affection! 'twas a
plant he never knew;--
'Why should he feast on fruits he never grew?'
WALTER caught fire: nor was he charm'd alone
With conscious
Truth's firm elevated tone;
JANE from her seat sprang forward, half
afraid,
Attesting with a blush what Goody said.
Her Lover took a
more decided part:--
(O! 'twas the very Chord that touch'd his
heart,)--
Alive to the best feelings man can prize,
A Bridegroom's
transport sparkled in his eyes;
Love, conquering power, with
unrestricted range
Silenc'd the arguments of Time and Change;
And
led his vot'ry on, and bade him view,
And prize the light-wing'd
moments as they flew:
The Confession.
All doubts gave way, all retrospective lore,
Whence cooler Reason
tortur'd him before;
Comparison of times, the Lab'rer's hire,
And
many a truth Reflection might inspire,
Sunk powerless. 'Dame, I am a
fool,' he cried;
'Alone I might have reason'd till I died.
'I caus'd
those tears of Jane's:--but as they fell
'How much I felt none but
ourselves can tell.
'While dastard fears withheld me from her sight;

'Sighs reign'd by day and hideous dreams by night;
''Twas then the
Soldier's plume and rolling Drum
'Seem'd for a while to strike my
sorrows dumb;
'To fly from Care then half resolv'd I stood,
'And
without horror mus'd on fields of blood,
'But Hope prevail'd.--Be then
the sword resign'd;
'And I'll make Shares for those that stay behind,

'And you, sweet Girl,'------
He would have added more,
Had not a
glancing shadow at the door

Unexpected Visit.
Announc'd a guest, who bore with winning grace
His well-tim'd
errand pictur'd in his face.
Around with silent reverence they stood;

A blameless reverence--the man was good.
Wealth he had some, a
match for his desires,
First on the list of active Country 'Squires.

Seeing the youthful pair with downcast eyes,
Unmov'd by
Summer-flowers and cloudless skies,
Pass slowly by his Gate; his
book resign'd,
He watch'd their steps and follow'd far behind,

Bearing with inward joy, and honest pride,
A trust of