Page 27 - chs-1923

p
e ntor Cla s em

h hair i ra~, hut not ' ith 'ear ,
. or ~re" it "hite in a -.ing;le night,
\ ... m n h:l\ e ~ro\\ 11 rom -.uddt·n ri~ht.
\h head i-. I ent "ith d.til} \\Oe .
1 or mine h,t, been the tate of th 1
ro \\horn trill' treednm' li •ht and air
\re han11 d and harred-torhiddrn tart•.
\\ Jth dail) dread nn \t'' are "ild,
.\nd ron-.tant toil ha made me -.brink,
II a' m.ule me hate the po" 'r to think,
For 1 h:l\ e h n a pri on' child!
In pri'-<>n "all , cold, -..tern, and hare,
I and Ill} comrade.., learned de..,pair.
The} chained u.., then·. \\ t did not kno\\
Their purpo-.e; and \\l nntr kne\\.
\\ e toiled for ~ear -and )ear.., \\er ..,lm\-
.\nd "e, "ho ''ere man~, h carnt: hut fe".
1 dared not peak nor ..,i~h nor moan,
I dared not call Ill\ '-<Hti m~ O\\ n!
Our keeper ruled "ith iron hand,
.\nd 1 learned to n· pert command.
Tht drear) "all..,, the hea'} chain,
\h '-tdferin~ comrade..,, and the pain
0 f con..,ta nt tud), d nne me mad-
1 lo..,t the little hope I had,
.\nd nau~ht remained but fear and dread.
Rebellion in Ill) heart "a' dead.
I 'a" m} comrade toilin~ on,
\Ye all to~ether, ~et each alon
B ari11~ hi.., load, and e\er)one
l.o..,in~ hi.., hope a I had don
Tho e pri'-<ln "all-.. I ~re" to lo' e,
Jut a I gre" to loved "Pair;
I loved the pri"'n, and I loved
The ver: chains that held m th re!
At Ia t the) cam to et me free;
I a-,ked not "h~-I did not car ;
The \\Orld eemed no mor s\\cet to me,
And 1 \\ould fain ha,·e tarried there
\Yithin TTI) pri"'n; even I
Re~ained rn~ freedom "ith a ,j~h.
D1nnn \11111.

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