Bold chanticleer, arrayed
In velvet plumage gay,
With many an amorous dame,
Fierce strutted o’er the way;
And motley ducks
Were
waddling seen,
And drake with
neck
Of
glossy green.
The latch I gently raised,
And oped the humble door;
An oaken stool was placed
On the neat sanded floor;
An aged man
Said
with a smile,
“You’re
welcome, sir:
Come
rest a while.”
His coarse attire was clean,
His manner rude yet kind:
His air, his words, and looks
Showed a contented mind;
Though mean and
poor,
Thrice
happy he,
As by our tale
You
soon shall see.
But don’t expect to hear
Of deeds of martial fame,
Or that our peasant mean
Was born of rank or name,
And soon will
strut,
As
in romance,
A knight and all
In
armour glance.
I sing of real life;
All else is empty show—
To those who read a source
Of much unreal woe:
Pollution, too,
Through
novel-veins,
Oft fills the
mind
With
guilty stains.
Our peasant long was bred
Affliction’s meagre child,
Yet gratefully resigned,
Loud hymning praises, smiled,
And like a tower
He
stood unmoved,
Supported by
The
God he loved.
His loving wife long since
Was numbered with the dead
His son, a martial youth,
Had for his country bled;
And now remained
One
daughter fair,
And only she,
To
soothe his care.
The aged man with tears
Spoke of the lovely maid;
How earnestly she strove
To lend her father aid,
And as he ran
Her
praises o’er,
She gently oped
The
cottage-door.
With vegetable store
The table soon she spread,
And pressed me to partake;
Whilst blushes rosy-red
Suffused her face—
The
old man smiled,
Well pleased to
see
His
darling child.
With venerable air
He then looked up to God,
A blessing craved on all,
And on our daily food;
Then kindly begged
I
would excuse
Their humble fair,
And
not refuse.—
The tablecloth, though coarse,
Was of a snowy white,
The vessels, spoons, and knives
Were clean and dazzling bright;
So down we sat
Devoid
of care,
Nor envied kings
Their
dainty fare.
When nature was refreshed,
And we familiar grown;
The good old man exclaimed,
“Around Jehovah’s throne,
Come, let us all
Our
voices raise,
And sing our great
Redeemer’s
praise!”