The Military Sketch-Book, Vol. 2 (of 2): Reminiscences of seventeen years in the service abroad and at homeMaginn, William
General
The Military Sketch-Book, Vol. 2 (of 2): Reminiscences of seventeen years in the service abroad and at home
Maginn, William
Bushrangers; Military biography; Soldiers -- Conduct of life
Sweet love, arise!--
Yon high bright moon,
Love’s light, alone,
Shines like thy beauty in the deep blue skies.
II.
LOVER.
(_Two Voices._)
Far, far away,
Yon high bright moon
Soon, sweetest, soon
Shall gaze down between us, o’er the wide wide sea.
She waits our fond farewell,
That when I’m miles and miles from thee,
She many a night may tell
Of this sweet hour to me.
HARPER.
(_Bass--One Voice._)
Didst see the maid, and her hand so white,
As she kissed it to thee, in the soft moonlight?
Good night--good night!
She comes--she comes!--and I hear her tread--
Oh, happiest youth!--oh, happiest maid!
Good night! good night! good night!
TRIO.
Far, far away,
Yon high bright moon
Soon, sweetest, soon
Shall gaze down between us, o’er the wide wide sea.
The regiment marched at sunrise; and my friend with it. He went
to Portugal, but returned at the end of the year on sick leave
(_love_-sick leave, no doubt), and was happily married to his Ellen.
They lived together for six months; when Allemar was obliged to join
his regiment, then stationed before Bayonne; and as every body expected
an immediate peace, the friends of Ellen wished her to remain at home,
hoping that when the war was at an end, her husband’s regiment would
be ordered back to England. However, when Allemar had been but a month
gone, the mother of Ellen died. As soon as her feelings for the loss of
her beloved parent had subsided into calm, she determined to proceed
to join her husband--the only being now in whose society she could be
happy. For this purpose, she wrote to him, and having arranged every
thing for her departure, she, and a female servant, were provided with
a passage on board a commodious transport for St. Jean De Luz, and
sailed with a fair wind for the Bay of Biscay.
The letter she wrote to apprize her husband of her intention, breathed
for him the most passionate affection; and it was certainly not thrown
away upon Allemar: his love for her was, if possible, greater than
hers for him. He was like a moping hypochondriac at Bayonne, before
he received this letter; but immediately on its receipt, became the
most lively, spirited, and pleasant officer in the corps. He and I
have often walked along the beach, looking out for the expected ship
and the scenes of happiness which he anticipated formed the subject
generally of our conversation--he talked of going on half-pay if peace
should take place, and to live a rural life--then he would describe,
in glowing terms, the happiness of contentment and retirement, in
comparison with the ambition, toil, and peril, of a soldier’s life.
These and such were the dreams of fancy, in which we used to indulge,
when wandering by the sea-side.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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