The Alexandria Herald

THE DUELLIST

The promise of his youth was bright,
And fortune lent her smile;
And genius like a burning light
Illum'd his path the while.

And friendship wove a burnished chain,
And bound it round his brow,
And dearly was he loved again
By her who heard his vow.

He loved and was beloved Iween,
By one as young as he,
The fairest maid that on the green
Sported in maiden glee.

One glance of her sweet eyes of blue
Was worth an age of bliss,
And O, they smiled on him too true
For such a world as this.

He had a mother, and her joy
Was centred all in one,
The spirit of her noble boy
Was, of her world, the sun

And tho' the winter of her age
Came o'er the wreck of years,
His smile could all her grief assuage,
And dry her flowing tears.

The birds were sporting in the grove,
'Twas in the month of May,
When to Matilda and to love
He gave his hand away.

The flowers a sweeter fragrance threw,
The heart age could not din,
Rich as the fountains of the dew
With blessings teem'd for him

I saw him stand amid them all!,
And pay his plighted vow---
I saw him when love's coronal
Bloom'd freshly on his brow.

I saw him in his love lit bower,
When all was bright and gay-
Alas that ever came the hour
That swept its bloom away.

'Twas on a summer's eve like this
He wandered far alone;
But first he stole a parting kiss
From her his chosen one.

And as in whispers tremblingly,
He said, "My love, farewell!"
I saw a tear bedim his eye--
I saw his bosom swell.

He went—but ne'er returned again-
He went at honour's call,
To shed his blood like crimson rain-
Ingloriously to fall--

He fell!—and at the cottage now,
Down on the village green,
With hollow cheek and dewy brow
Is young Matilda seen:

And nightly, by the pale moon's beam,
She wanders to his rest---
And still recalls the cruel dream
That wrings her bleeding breast.

He sleeps! and near him gently sleeps
His aged mother dear;
Matilda only lives and keeps
Her weeping vigils here.