AN
AMERICAN
TALE
.
"
AH
!
pity
all
the
pangs
I
feel
,
If
pity
e'er
ye
knew
;
—
An
aged
father's
wounds
to
heal
,
Through
scenes
of
death
I
flew
.
"
Perhaps
my
hast'ning
steps
are
vain
,
Perhaps
the
warrior
dies
!
—
Yet
let
me
soothe
each
parting
pain
—
Yet
lead
me
where
he
lies
.
"
Thus
to
the
list'ning
band
she
calls
,
Nor
fruitless
her
desire
,
They
lead
her
,
panting
,
to
the
walls
That
hold
her
captive
sire
.
"
And
is
a
daughter
come
to
bless
These
aged
eyes
once
more
?
Thy
father's
pains
will
now
be
less
—
His
pains
will
now
be
o'er
!
"
"
My
father
!
by
this
waning
lamp
Thy
form
I
faintly
trace
:
—
Yet
sure
thy
brow
is
cold
and
damp
,
And
pale
thy
honour'd
face
!
"
In
vain
thy
wretched
child
is
come
,
She
comes
too
late
to
save
!
And
only
now
can
share
thy
doom
,
And
share
thy
peaceful
grave
!
"
Soft
,
as
amid
the
lunar
beams
The
falling
shadows
bend
,
Upon
the
bosom
of
the
streams
,
So
soft
her
tears
descend
.
"
Those
tears
a
father
ill
can
bear
,
He
lives
,
my
child
,
for
thee
!
A
gentle
youth
,
with
pitying
care
,
Has
lent
his
aid
to
me
.
"
Born
in
the
western
world
,
his
hand
Maintains
its
hostile
cause
,
And
fierce
against
Britannia's
band
His
erring
sword
he
draws
;
"
Yet
feels
the
captive
Briton's
woe
;
For
his
ennobled
mind
Forgets
the
name
of
Britain's
foe
,
In
love
of
human
kind
!
"
Yet
know
,
my
child
,
a
dearer
tie
Has
link'd
his
heart
to
mine
:
He
mourns
with
Friendship's
holy
sigh
,
The
youth
belov'd
of
thine
!
"
But
hark
!
his
welcome
feet
are
near
—
Thy
rising
grief
suppress
:
By
darkness
veil'd
,
he
hastens
here
To
comfort
and
to
bless
.
"
"
Stranger
!
for
that
dear
father's
sake
,
"
She
cried
,
in
accents
mild
,
"
Who
lives
by
thy
kind
pity
,
take
The
blessings
of
his
child
!
"
O
,
if
in
heaven
,
my
EDWARD'S
breast
This
deed
of
mercy
knew
,
That
gives
my
tortur'd
bosom
rest
,
He
sure
would
bless
thee
too
!
"
Ah
,
tell
me
where
my
lover
fell
?
The
fatal
scene
recall
;
His
last
,
dear
accents
,
stranger
,
tell
,
O
,
haste
and
tell
me
all
!
"
Say
,
if
he
gave
to
love
the
sigh
,
That
set
his
spirit
free
?
Say
,
did
he
raise
his
closing
eye
,
As
if
it
sought
for
me
?
"
"
Ask
not
,
"
her
father
cried
,
"
to
know
What
,
known
,
were
added
pain
;
Nor
think
,
my
child
,
the
tale
of
woe
Thy
softness
can
sustain
.
"
"
Though
every
joy
with
EDWARD
fled
,
When
EDWARD'S
friend
is
near
It
soothes
my
breaking
heart
,
"
she
said
,
"
To
tell
those
joys
were
dear
.
"
The
western
ocean
roll'd
in
vain
Its
parting
waves
between
,
My
EDWARD
brav'd
the
dang'rous
main
,
And
bless'd
our
native
scene
.
"
Soft
Isis
heard
his
artless
tale
,
Ah
,
stream
for
ever
dear
!
Whose
waters
,
as
they
pass'd
the
vale
,
Receiv'd
a
lover's
tear
.
"
How
could
a
heart
that
virtue
lov'd
,
(
And
sure
that
heart
is
mine
)
Lamented
youth
!
behold
unmov'd
,
The
virtues
that
were
thine
?
"
Calm
,
as
the
surface
of
the
lake
,
When
all
the
winds
are
still
;
Mild
,
as
the
beams
of
morning
break
,
When
first
they
light
the
hill
;
"
So
calm
was
his
unruffled
soul
,
Where
no
rude
passion
strove
;
So
mild
his
soothing
accents
stole
,
Upon
the
ear
of
love
.
"
Where
are
the
dear
illusions
fled
Which
sooth'd
my
former
hours
?
Where
is
the
path
that
fancy
spread
,
Ah
,
vainly
spread
with
flowers
?
"
I
heard
the
battle's
fearful
sounds
,
They
seem'd
my
lover's
knell
—
I
heard
that
,
pierc'd
with
ghastly
wounds
,
My
vent'rous
lover
fell
!
—
"
My
sorrows
shall
with
life
endure
,
For
he
I
lov'd
is
gone
;
But
something
tells
my
heart
,
that
sure
My
life
will
not
be
long
.
"
"
My
panting
soul
can
bear
no
more
,
"
The
youth
impatient
cried
;
"
'Tis
EDWARD
bids
thy
griefs
be
o'er
,
My
love
!
my
destin'd
bride
!
"
The
life
which
Heav'n
preserv'd
,
how
blest
,
How
fondly
priz'd
by
me
!
Since
dear
to
my
AMELIA'S
breast
,
Since
valued
still
by
thee
!
"
My
father
saw
my
constant
pain
When
thee
I
left
behind
,
Nor
longer
will
his
power
restrain
The
ties
my
soul
would
bind
.
"
And
soon
thy
honor'd
sire
shall
cease
The
captive's
lot
to
bear
;
And
we
,
my
love
,
will
soothe
to
peace
His
griefs
,
with
filial
care
.
"
Then
come
for
ever
to
my
soul
!
AMELIA
come
,
and
prove
How
calm
our
blissful
years
will
roll
Along
,
a
life
of
love
!
"