[Page 220]
[Page 221]
THE SOLDIER'S RETURN.
Air — Fy, gae rub her o'er wi' strae.
1 THE wars for many a month were o'er1.
1. A real incident which took place in the Highlands. — Mrs Brown.
2 Ere I could reach my native shed,
3 My friends ne'er hoped to see me more,
4 But wept for me as for the dead.
5 As I drew near, the cottage blaz'd,
6 The evening fire was clear and bright;
7 And through the windows long I gaz'd,
8 And saw each friend with dear delight.
9 My father in his corner sat;
10 My mother drew her useful thread;
11 My brothers strove to make them chat;
12 My sisters bak'd the household bread:
13 And Jean oft whisper'd to a friend,
14 Who still let fall a silent tear;
15 But soon my Jessy's griefs shall end,
16 She little thinks her Henry's near.
17 My mother heard her catching sighs,
18 And hid her face behind her rock;
19 While tears swam round in all their eyes,
20 And not a single word they spoke.
21 What could I do! If in I went,
22 Surprise might chill each tender heart;
23 Some story, then, I must invent,
24 And act the poor maim'd soldier's part.
25 I drew a bandage o'er my face,
26 And crooked up a lying knee,
27 And soon I found in that blest place
28 Not one dear friend knew aught of me.
29 I ventur'd in; Tray wagg'd his tail,
30 And fawning to my mother ran;
31 "Come here," they cry, "what can he ail?"
32 While my feign'd story I began.
33 I changed my voice to that of age,
34 "A poor old soldier lodging craves," —
35 The name and form their loves engage; —
36 "A soldier! aye, the best we have!"
37 My father then drew in a seat,
38 "You're welcome," with a sigh, he said;
39 My mother fry'd her best hung meat,
40 And curds and cream the table spread.
41 "I had a son," my father sigh'd,
42 "A soldier too, but he is gone."
[Page 222]43 "Have you heard from him?" I replied,
44 "I left behind me many a one;
45 And many a message I have brought
46 To families I cannot find;
47 Long for John Goodman's I have sought
48 To tell them Hal's not far behind."
49 "And does he live!" my father cried,
50 My mother did not try to speak;
51 My Jessy now I silent ey'd,
52 Who sobb'd as if her heart would break.
53 "He lives indeed; this kerchief see,
54 At parting his dear Jessy gave;
55 He sent it her, with love, by me,
56 To show he yet escapes the grave."
57 No arrow darting from a bow
58 More quickly could the token reach;
59 The patch from off my face I throw,
60 And give my voice its well-known speech.
61 My Jessy dear! I softly said;
62 She gaz'd, and answer'd with a sigh;
63 My sisters look'd as half afraid,
64 My mother fainted quite with joy.
65 My father danc'd around his son,
66 My brothers shook my hand away,
67 My mother said her glass might run,
68 She cared not now how soon the day.
[Page 223]69 Hout! woman, cried my father dear,
70 A wedding first I'm sure we'll have;
71 I warrant us live these hundred years,
72 Nay, may-be, Meg, escape the grave!
Source edition
Blamire, Susanna, 1747-1794. The Poetical Works of Miss Susanna Blamire “The muse of Cumberland.” Now for the first time collected by Henry Lonsdale, M.D. with a preface, memoir, and notes by Patrick Maxwell, ... Edinburgh: John Menzies, 61 Princes Street; R. Tyas, London; D. Robertson, Glasgow; and C. Thurnam, Carlisle. MDCCCXLII., 1842, pp. 220-223. (Page images digitized from a copy in the Bodleian Library [42.256].)
Editorial principles
Typography, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation have been cautiously modernized.
The source of the text is given and all significant editorial interventions have been
recorded in textual notes. This
ECPA text has been edited to conform to the recommendations found in Level 5 of the Best Practices for TEI in Libraries version 4.0.0.
Other works by Susanna Blamire
- 'TWAS WHEN THE SUN SLID DOWN YON HILL. ()
- ADDRESS TO HEALTH. — 1784. ()
- ADDRESS TO MISS J. GALE ON HER MARRIAGE WITH THE REV. F. GRAHAM, RECTOR OF ARTHURET. ()
- THE ADIEU AND RECALL TO LOVE. ()
- AE NIGHT IN DARK DECEMBER. ()
- AGAIN MAUN ABSENCE CHILL MY SOUL. ()
- THE AULD CARLE WAD TAK ME FAIN. ()
- AULD ROBIN FORBES. ()
- BARLEY BROTH. ()
- BEHOLD, MY AMANDA. ()
- THE BOWER OF ELEGANCE. ADDRESSED TO A VERY ACCOMPLISHED WOMAN. ()
- BRIDE-CAKE. ()
- A CALL TO HOPE. 22D MAY, 1792. ()
- A CAUTION TO MISS B. ()
- THE CHELSEA PENSIONERS. ()
- COME, MORTALS, ENLIVEN THE HOUR. ()
- THE CUMBERLAND SCOLD. ()
- A CURE FOR LOVE. ()
- DEAR NANCY. ()
- THE DESCENT OF PITY. 20TH NOVEMBER, 1781. ()
- EDWIN AND ALICIA. A TALE. ()
- AN ELEGY ON THE DEATH OF MRS DACRE. ()
- EPISTLE TO HER FRIENDS AT GARTMORE. ()
- AN EPISTLE TO MISS ISABELLA GRAHAM OF GARTMORE. ()
- THE FAREWELL TO AFFECTION. ()
- FOR THE CARLISLE HUNT. November, 1788 ()
- HAD MY DADDIE LEFT ME GEAR ENOUGH. ()
- HOPE. ()
- I AM OF A TEMPER FIXED AS A DECREE. ()
- I'LL HAE A NEW COATIE. ()
- I'M TIBBY FOWLER O' THE GLEN. ()
- I'VE GOTTEN A ROCK, I'VE GOTTEN A REEL. ()
- IN THAT EYE WHERE EXPRESSION. ()
- IN THE DREAM OF THE MOMENT. ()
- IN THE SEARCH OF GOOD HUMOUR. ()
- THE INVITATION. TO TWO SISTERS. ()
- LETTERS OF THE LOVERS. ()
- THE LILY OF THE VALLEY, CHOSEN THE EMBLEM OF INNOCENCE. ()
- THE LILY'S TRIUMPH OVER THE ROSE. ()
- THE LOSS OF THE ROEBUCK. ()
- MAY NOT THE LOVE OF PRAISE BE AN INCENTIVE TO VIRTUE? ()
- THE MEETING. ()
- MOONLIGHT. ()
- THE NABOB. ()
- NAY, NAY, CENSOR TIME. ()
- NOW SANDY MAUN AWA. ()
- THE NUN'S RETURN TO THE WORLD, BY THE DECREE OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF FRANCE, FEBRUARY, 1790. ()
- O BID ME NOT TO WANDER. Written when earnestly entreated to go to the South of France for the recovery of her health. ()
- O DINNA THINK, MY BONNIE LASS. ()
- O DONALD! YE ARE JUST THE MAN. ()
- O JENNY DEAR, I'VE COURTED LANG. ()
- O JENNY DEAR, THE WORD IS GANE. ()
- O JENNY DEAR. ()
- O THERE IS NOT A SHARPER DART. ()
- O WHERE IS THE SPLENDOUR. ()
- O WHY SHOULD MORTALS SUFFER CARE. ()
- OLD HARRY'S RETURN. ()
- ON COLLINS'S ODE ON THE PASSIONS, AS RECITED BY MRS ESTEN ()
- ON IMAGINED HAPPINESS IN HUMBLE STATIONS. ()
- ON THE DANGEROUS ILLNESS OF MY FRIEND MRS L. 13TH MAY, 1788. ()
- ON THE MARRIAGE OF MISS JOHANNA GALE WITH THE REV. P. GRAHAM, RECTOR OF ARTHURET. 18TH FEBRUARY, 1792. ()
- A PETITION TO APRIL. WRITTEN DURING SICKNESS, 1793. ()
- PITY'S DESCENT TO EARTH, AND ADVICE TO FRIENDSHIP. ()
- THE RECALL TO AFFECTION. ()
- THE SILLER CROUN. ()
- SPRING. APRIL, 1786. ()
- STOKLEWATH; OR, THE CUMBRIAN VILLAGE. ()
- THOUGH BACCHUS MAY BOAST. ()
- TO A LADY WHO WENT INTO THE COUNTRY IN APRIL. ()
- TO A LADY, WHO FREQUENTLY WITHDREW FROM COMPANY. ()
- TO THE FLOWER LOVE-IN-IDLENESS, AND A PETITION TO THE FAIRIES TO BRING INDIFFERENCE. ()
- TO-MORROW. WRITTEN DURING SICKNESS. ()
- THE TOILING DAY HIS TASK HAS DUIN. ()
- THE WAEFU' HEART. ()
- WE'VE HED SEC A DURDUM. ()
- WEY, NED, MAN! ()
- WHAT AILS THIS HEART O' MINE! ()
- WHEN HOME WE RETURN. ()
- WHEN NIGHT'S DARK MANTLE. ()
- WHEN SEVEREST FOES IMPENDING. ()
- WHEN THE SOFT TEAR STEALS SILENTLY. ()
- WHEN THE SUNBEAMS OF JOY. ()
- WRITTEN IN A CHURCHYARD, ON SEEING A NUMBER OF CATTLE GRAZING IN IT. ()
- WRITTEN ON A GLOOMY DAY, IN SICKNESS. THACKWOOD, 4TH JUNE, 1786. ()