BY F R A N K L . S T A N T O N Auther ot Sonzs of tt oil F R A N K L A N O N . S T T Author of Songs of the Soil I N DI A N A PO L I S A N D K A N SA S CITY X /L RRZ O B Q VE f E L L C O s 1 899 T O M Y W I F E A N D D A U G H T E R L E O N A AN D M ARC E L L E C ONTENTS C o mes O ne With a S o ng O n e C o u n try The Wo o dl and Thru sh The War n i ng O c tober ’ Time s U p The Gravey ard R abbit A S o ng o f H arvest In E vid en ce The Lo ve G age With My P ipe So M any Little Bit o f a Fell ow The Story o f the W o o d The R apier Wh en J en n ie R o d e to Mill With Me ’ Chu ck Will s Wid o w A Littl e Th an kful S o ng Cl ari sse Light O n the Hill s ’ Li n n ie s H ai r M o ther h o o d ’ Hi s G r an dm other s Way Ben e ath the Mi stl etoe Whe n the L ittl e B oy R an Away X 1 CONTENTS The Ship s At Sea At the Twilight G ate E ugene Fi eld ’ A B oy s V iew o f It With O ld -Time F r ien d s A S o n g o f L ove A M em o ry o f Him T he Faces He L oved to the ’ In L ove s Tend er Keepi ng ’ H i s M o th er s Kiss O u r P o etry Farm A S o ng o f S easo n s A Kilted Gen iu s At the Turn o f the R o ad The Ru naw ay T oy s R etributi o n The C hr istm asse Children — A nn etta J ones Her B o o k ’ L o ve s Way “ T he Grenadiers F r o m the Sh ad o w T he L ove Lights o f H o me ’ Summ er s Farewell I n di an Summer D ay A H o lid ay N o te T he O ld R ail Fence A S o n g i n Ju ne The Reap ers W eary fo r Her A S o ng o f Th a nk s The Si nger Cro wned xii CONTENTS The Sky fo r Y o u G o i ng H o m e to M ary A P ro vid en tial Chri stm as A R ai ny D ay ’ T aki n g the B aby s Pi ctu re A H appy Fell ow Thi s W o rld The Chri stm as Fiddl e T en A cres fo r Him The Little O n e A Kn ow - N othi ng Fell ow H o w I Sp o ke the W o rd The F am o u s Mulligan B all Sweet Little W o m an o f Mi ne A cc o rdi ng to J o h n Why the W eddi ng W aits Thirty Years After The Fl ag o f Our C o untry The Fight The W arship Di xie The Bill ville D eb ate T he V eterans A S o uth ern V o lu n teer “ ” O ld B o b White ’ P r ayi n fo r R a i n ’ The R attl esn ake s S ong ’ ” Little T i n Ho n A Lull aby M i ss N ancy The Thru sh S o ng w H o n S eet, My ey X l l l CONTENTS A Summer S ong The L o st Bird s R abbit S o ng ‘” Mi ster Bli z i aFd Hi s D r eam - M o ney A Pl a n tatio n Ditty A D o ubter i n the Fo l d ’ Mi ss Lu cy s Way M o r n i n g S o ng Y o u ng Mi ss Miss Li z a T he Children ’ At Devil s L ake A Summ er L yric Tiger Lilies M o rn i n g Fires fo r M ary ’ The V eteran s Dream In Thy N ew Y ear With April Vi o l ets “ ” Hi s Favo r A Wi nter Night xiv In the strife and the tumult that sweeps us along Comes one with a son g. In the storm o the nations— the wrath or the wron f f g, Comes one with a son g, A nd over the r age of the people the skies See the light of a lovelier morning arise ’ ’ ’ There are ra ers on L ove s li s and the li ht s i nL ove s p y p , g omes one i h a s C w t ong. i n the rude clamor and crush of the throng Comes one with son a g . The winds have foretold him rills rippled along one ith so Of w a ng. ’ A nd the sword s in the scabbard and soft as the dew , — ’ On the lips of the lilies God s white thoughts of you ’ s lue L ove dear arms enfold you ; light breaks from the b . Comes one with a son g. O NE CO U NTRY FTER ALL , ! One country , brethren We must rise With the Supreme Republic . We must be The makers of her immortality ; Her freedom , fame , Her glory or her shame Liegemen to God and fathers of the free ! After all ! l Hark from the heights the clear , strong , clarion cal “ And the command imperious Stand forth , Sons of the south and brothers of the north ! Stand forth and be As one on soil and se a Your country ’ s honor more than empire ’ s worth ! ONE COUNTRY After all , ’ Tis Freedom wears the loveliest coronal Her brow is to the morning ; in the sod She breathes the breath of patriots ; every Answers her call And rises like a wall Against the foes of liberty and God ! THE WO OD LAN D THRU SH N the deep woods remote A sweeter minstrel dwells Than ever piped a morn or twilight note - In all the song swept dells . It is no voice that soars Unwearying to the blue ; Transient—elusive—even while Love adores A phantom of the dew ! A sense of silver bells — Swayed by light winds a thrill Keen as the leaf feels when the spring sap swells And sculptures it at will . And ere the lips can say A song hath been—aware Of mystery the soul hath lost its way Doubting and dreaming there , 3 THE WOODLAND THRUSH As one in shadowed bowers Of Sleep may hear a strain Which haunts the memory in his waking hours , Nor makes its meaning plain . Soft as a ripple ’ s plash ’ Against the shore s shelled walls , O that the mystic melody would dash Down like the waterfalls ! Yet all the wood is stirred From violet to pine ; And I have heard—and yet I have not heard A melody divine ! Voice of the woodland thrush ! Dewdrop of song , that fears ’ —a The rustling of a leaf rose s blush , And dies when Love appears I lose myself in thee - As one who , billow tost And drowning , hears strange music in the sea , Lulled by the sound and lost ! 4 THE WARNING ! And the silence is broken . And hark —a A shout shriek in the glen , A ghostly face in the dark . And the sky grows black and then The limbs and the leaves feel the blight and the ban Of the blood of a man ! O CTOBER WOULD I had a rhyme wherewith to robe her The fair O ctober ! But rhyme on rhyme my fancy vainly weaves At hide and seek in her red realm of le aves . I can not paint her melancholy , sober The glad O ctober ! Even glad , ’ Though all the world s wan Singers call her sad , And sorrowful and wise , While her complaining eyes Droop in a mournful mist ! But I have seen her cheek , by sunlight kissed , ’ Wear the Wild peach s bloom , The while each wind -blow n tress Fell from her forehead , gleaming in the gloom With unimagined light and loveliness ! 7 OCTO B ER Through dream -enchanted hours Of summer , when for weariness the flowers Sank from the fierce sun ’ s sight - With thoughts of star trysts in the cool twilight , And dew- plashed bowers Of unseen spirits of the violet night , Far off she felt the red rose at her lips , ’ And thrilled the thorn s blood to her finger tips ; The slow sap tingling through the veiny leaf ; s The gold grain climbing to the sunny heaf , — The breath and death of lilies these she knew , And in sweet secret places , under blue And kindly skies , With pity in her eyes , — i Wrought golden vesture silvered with sunr se , To deck their death withal ; And many a coronal ; And fashioned her red leaves into sea -waves To ripple round their graves ! OCTOBER T fi ht ears , but the g of tears ! A moment mourns she for the dying years , Anon to race - Sylph like through crimson woodlands , in the embrace Of rival winds that toss about her face Her shiny ringlets , clamoring to sip The red wine of her lip ! the a And in g thered glory of the day , Wending her glorious and golden way - ! To gorgeous groves , rose radiant with May I would I had a rhyme wherewith to robe her The fair O ctober ! But rhyme on rhyme my fancy vainly weaves In red recesses of her realm of leaves — I do not find her melancholy sober , The glad October ! TIME ’ S UP ! ’ IME S up for love and laughter : We drained the banquet cup , And now the dark comes after , ’ ! And lights are out .