He wore a homespun suit And, likely, old and frayed; And looked right pretty, too; Women, not clothes, were loved, When this old flag was new. Men married women, then, Who kept their healthful bloom By working at the churn, And at the wheel and loom; Who could their stockings knit, And darn, and bake, and brew; A housewife in each house, When this old flag was new. And women married men Who did not shrink from toil, But wrung, with sweat, their bread From out the stubborn soil; Whose axes felled the wood, And where so late it grew They lived their homely lives The plain, old-fashioned way, Thanksgiving once a year, And General Muster-day; WHEN THIS OLD FLAG WAS NEW. Town-meeting in the spring, Their holidays were few And very gravely kept, When this old flag was new. A hardy, patient race, Their growth was sure, if slow; Happy in this, they had A world wherein to grow, Where kings and priests were not, Nor peoples to subdue; A continent their own, When this old flag was new. God bless the dear old flag! The nation's hope and pride, For which our fathers fought, For which our children died; And, long as there shall beat A heart to freedom true, Preserve the rights we won, When this old flag was new. 179 The Relief of Lucknow. H, that last day in Lucknow fort! We knew that it was the last; That the enemy's lines crept surely on, And the end was coming fast. To yield to that foe meant worse than death; There was one of us, a corporal's wife, And her mind was wandering. She lay on the ground, in her Scottish plaid, "When my father comes hame frae the pleugh,” she said, "Oh! then please wauken me." She slept like a child on her father's floor, In the flecking of woodbine-shade, When the house-dog sprawls by the open door, It was smoke and roar and powder-stench, And the soldier's wife, like a full-tired child, THE RELief of LUCKNOW I sank to sleep; and I had my dream And wall and garden;-but one wild scream There Jessie Brown stood listening Till a sudden gladness broke All over her face; and she caught my hand "The Hielanders! Oh! dinna ye hear The McGregors. Oh! I ken it weel; "God bless the bonny Hielanders! We're saved! we're saved!" she cried; And fell on her knees; and thanks to God Along the battery-line her cry Had fallen among the men, And they started back;-they were there to die; They listened for life; the rattling fire Were all; and the colonel shook his head, And they turned to their guns once more. But Jessie said, "The slogan's done; But winna ye hear it noo. 181 The Campbells are comin'? It's no a dream; We heard the roar and the rattle afar, It was not long ere it made its way,- It was no noise from the strife afar, It was the pipes of the Highlanders! And now they played Auld Lang Syne. It came to our men like the voice of God, And they shouted along the line. And they wept, and shook one another's hands, And every one knelt down where he stood, That happy time, when we welcomed them, Our men put Jessie first; And the general gave her his hand, and cheers Like a storm from the soldiers burst. And the pipers' ribbons and tartan streamed, Marching round and round our line; And our joyful cheers were broken with tears, As the pipes played Auld Lang Syne. |