The opening · free to read
And the heavy night hung dark The hills and waters o'er, When a band of exiles moored their bark On the wild New England shore.
Not as the conqueror comes, They, the true-hearted, came,-- Not with the roll of the stirring drums, And the trumpet that sings of fame;
Not as the flying come, In silence and in fear; They shook the depths of the desert's gloom With their hymns of lofty cheer.
Amidst the storms they sang; And the stars heard, and the sea; And the sounding aisles of the dim woods rang To the anthem of the free.
The ocean eagle soared From his nest by the white wave's foam; And the rocking pines of the forest roared-- This was their welcome home!
There were men with hoary hair Amidst that pilgrim band: Why had they come to wither there Away from their childhood's land?
There was woman's fearless eye, Lit by her deep love's truth; There was manhood's brow serenely high, And the fiery heart of youth.
What sought they thus afar? Bright jewels of the mine? The wealth of seas, the spoils of war?-- They sought a faith's pure shrine.
Ay, call it holy ground,-- The soil where first they trod! They have left unstained what there they found-- Freedom to worship God!
Felicia Hemans.
"Bobby, pray don't ask me more, For you've asked me twice before; Let us be good friends, no more, No more, Bobby Shaftoe."
"If you will not marry me, I will go away to sea; And you ne'er again shall be A friend of Bobby Shaftoe."
"Oh, you will not go away For you've said so twice to-day. Stop! He's gone! Dear Bobby, stay! Dearest Bobby Shaftoe!
"Bobby Shaftoe's gone to sea, Silver buckles on his knee, But he'll come back and marry me, Pretty Bobby Shaftoe.
"He will soon come back to me, And how happy I shall be, He'll come back and marry me, Dearest Bobby Shaftoe."
"Bobby Shaftoe's lost at sea, He cannot come back to thee. And you ne'er again will see Your dear Bobby Shaftoe.
"Oh, we sadly mourn for thee, And regret we ne'er shall see Our friend Bobby, true and free, Dearest Bobby Shaftoe."
"Bobby Shaftoe's lost at sea. And can ne'er come back to me, But I'll ever faithful be, True to Bobby Shaftoe."
"Darling, I've come home from sea, I've come back to marry thee, For I know you're true to me, True to Bobby Shaftoe."
"Yes, I always cared for thee, And now you've come back to me, And we will always happy be, Dearest Bobby Shaftoe."
"Bobby Shaftoe's come from sea, And we will united be, Heart and hand in unity, Mr. and Mrs. Shaftoe."
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