“If you only knew How gladly I’ve given it All these years— The light of mine eyes, The heat of my lips, Mine agonies, My yearning tears, My blood that drips, My brain that sears: If you only knew How gladly I’ve given it All these years— My hope and my youth, My manhood, my Art, My passion, my truth, My mind and my heart: “O my brother, you would not say, What have you to do with me? You would not, would not turn away Doubtingly and bitterly. “If you only knew How little I cared for These other things— The delicate speech, The high demand Of each from each, The imaginings Of Love’s Holy Land: If you only knew How little I cared for These other things— The wide clear view Over peoples and times, The search in the new Entrancing climes, Science’s wings And Art’s sweet chimes: “O my brother, if you only knew What to me in these things is understood, As it seems to me it would seem to you, What was good for the Cause was surely good: “O my brother, you would not say: What have you to do with me? You would not, would not turn away Doubtingly and bitterly: “But you would take my hand with your hand, O my brother, if you only knew; You would smile at me, you would understand, You would call me brother as I call you!” TO MY FRIEND SYDNEY JEPHCOTT, WITH A COPY OF MY “POETICAL WORKS.” “Take with all my heart, friend, this, The labour of my past, Though the heart here hidden is And the soul’s eternities Hold the present fast. “Take it, still, with soul and heart, Pledge of that dear day When the shadows stir and start, By the bright Sun burst apart— _Young Australia_!” TO E. L. ZOX. {89} (_Melbourne_.) We thank you for a noble work well done. There is a kindness—(’tis the truer one; The better part the simpler heart doth know), The care to give the day a brighter sun To these, the nameless crowd that drags on slow The common toil, the common weary woe The world cares nought for. But _your_ work secures Thro’ union strength and self-respect that grow. There is a courage that unflawed endures The sneer, the slander of earth’s epicures. And here are grateful women’s hearts to show This kindness and this courage, both are yours! “FATHER ABE.” (_Song of the American Sons of Labour_.) THE SONG. “O we knew so well, dear Father, When we answered to your call, And the Southern Moloch stricken Shook and tottered to his fall— “O we knew so well you loved us, And our hearts beat back to yours With the rapturous adoration That through all the years endures! “Mothers, sisters bade us hasten Sweethearts, wives with babe at breast; For the Union, faith and freedom, For our hero of the West!