“That he will not sheathe nor stay it,

Till from point to hilt it glow,
With the flush of Almighty justice,

In the blood of the cruel foe."

They swore ; and the answering sunlight

Leapt from their lifted swords,
And the hate in their hearts made echo,

To the wrath of their burning words. [Southern.]

[There is nothing in this sentimental song that enables one to read the riddle of its remarkable popularity during the Civil War. It has no poetic merit; its rhythm is commonplace, and the tune to which it was sung was of the Aimsiest musical structure, without even a trick of melody to commend it. Yet the song was more frequently sung, on both sides, than any other, the Southern soldiers inserting "gray” for “ blue” in the sixth line of the first stanza, with cheerful recklessness of the effect upon the rhyme. The thing was heard in every camp every day and many times every day. Men chanted it on the march, and women sang it to piano accompaniment in all houses. A song which so strongly appealed to two great armies and to an entire people is worthy of a place in all collections of war poetry, even though criticism is baffled in the attempt to discover the reason of its popularity.-EDITOR.]

D

EAREST love, do you remember

When we last did meet,
How you told me that you loved me

Kneeling at my feet?
Oh, how proud you stood before me

In your suit of blue,
When you vowed to me and country

Ever to be true.
Chorus.—Weeping, sad and lonely,

Hopes and fears, how vain ;
Yet praying
When this cruel war is over,
Praying that we meet again.

When the summer breeze is sighing

Mournfully along,
Or when autumn leaves are falling,

Sadly breathes the song.
Oft in dreams I see thee lying

On the battle plain,

Wben tbis Cruel Willar is Over

251

Lonely, wounded, even dying,

Calling, but in vain. Chorus.-Weeping, sad, etc.

If, amid the din of battle,

Nobly you should fall,
Far away from those who love you,

None to hear you call,
Who would whisper words of comfort?
Who would soothe your pain ?
the
many

cruel fancies Ever in my brain ! Chorus.—Weeping, sad, etc.

Ab,

But our country called you, darling,

Angels cheer your way!
While our nation's sons are fighting,

We can only pray.
Nobly strike for God and country,

Let all nations see
How we love the starry banner,

Emblem of the free.
Chorus.-Weeping, sad, etc.

UR good steeds snuff the even

ing air, Our pulses with their purpose

tingle; The foeman's fires are twinkling

there; He leaps to hear our sabres jingle !

Halt!