Nora Pembroke

    'At last he is dead'
So the wondering, horror-struck neighbours said,
    A skilful touch of his knife
    Has cut the thread of a wasted life
He has reached the end of the downward road,
And rushed unbidden to meet his God,
    Over every duty past every tie,
Unwarned, unhindered, he rushed along,
Through the wild license of sin. and wrong,
    And into the silent eternity

Relax thy anguished watch, O wife
And fold thy hands--and yet--and yet,
After all the tears which thou hast wept,
Through nights when happier mortals slept,
Thou only wilt weep with fond regret,
Over the corpse of the hopeless dead
For the cause accursed, of drink he has bled,
For that cause he lived and suffered and died
Many deaths in one horrible life,--
The deat...

(Mary Maud.)


O friends, I cannot comfort, but will share with you your grieving,
    In the valley of the shadow where you sit in helpless tears;
Greater is the parting anguish, than the joy of first receiving
    The sweet gift that was your treasure through five happy, golden years

When I laid within your arms the dear babe that God had given,
    There was hidden in the future all the tears that you must weep,
Ah! the little ones so tangled in our heart-strings, they are riven
    In the parting, are but treasures lent not given us to keep

There's silence in the places her voice filled with happy laughter,
    Stillness waiting for the echo of the patter of her feet,
You are gazing on her picture, and your heart is longing after
    The tender touch of ...

You are coming home with the breath of spring
    Flying home to a love-lined nest,
Most loving care hath made it fair
    Your hands will do the rest

And the bridal robe you have laid aside
    And the vail all of lacy foam,
The maiden's wed, the tour is sped
    So welcome, welcome home

The past is laid by with the bridal wreath
    The bride has come home a wife,
And now we pray that blessings may
    Crown all your wedded life

What shall be the blessing, my dearest dear,
    When it's all that we have to give?
That peace and love, from God above,
    Be yours while ye both shall live.

That high love that makes of the wife a queen,
    Of a cottage a palace home,
The coarse web fine, life's water wine,
    The fire-sid...

On Jordan's banks gathered an eager crowd,
    The Royal city poured its dwellers out;
The vintage was untouched in Ephraim;
    No fisher's boat from Magdala put out.

Up from Engedi's fountain, down the slope
    Of terraced Olivet, an eager throng,
Filled with one purpose, one absorbing hope,
    Unto the Jordan take their way along.

The priestly robe, the saintly Pharisee,
    The publican, the sinner, all were there,
The doubting, sneering, questioning Sadducee,
    Just risen from his seat, the scorner's chair.

All carried there the consciousness of sin;
    A wish for some one having power to save;
Ready to do some great thing peace to win;
    So came they to the ford by Jordan's wave.

What did they see? not one in purple vest,

Sons of the bright, green island,
    Gathered by the pine-fringed lake,
In honour of his memory,
    Who battled for your sake,
Listen, we too pay our tribute
    To a fame that well endures;
He, who ventured much for liberty,
    Is ours as well as yours.

Men fought in vain for freedom,
    And lay down in felon graves;
"Your noblest then were exiles,
    Your proudest then were slaves"
When the people, blind and furious,
    Maddened by oppression's scorn,
Struggled, seethed in wild upheaval,
    Was the Liberator born.

Who took the sword fell by the sword,
    This man was born to show,
How thoughts would win where steel had failed
    One hundred years ago
By force the patriot tried in vain
    To stem oppression's mig...