Going East.
She came from the East a fair, young bride,With a light and a bounding heart,To find in the distant West a homeWith her husband to make a start.He builded his cabin far away,Where the prairie flower bloomed wild;Her love made lighter all his toil,And joy and hope around him smiled.She plied her hands to life’s homely tasks,And helped to build his fortunes up;While joy and grief, like bitter and sweet,Were mingled and mixed in her cup.He sowed in his fields of golden grain,All the strength of his manly prime;Nor music of birds, nor brooks, nor bees,Was as sweet as the dollar’s chime.She toiled and waited through weary yearsFor the fortune that came at length;But toil and care and hope deferred,Had stolen and wasted her strength.The cabin changed to a stately home,Rich carpets were hushing her tread;But light was fading from her eye,And the bloom from her cheek had fled.Her husband was adding field to field,And new wealth to his golden store;And little thought the shadow of deathWas entering in at his door.Slower and heavier grew her step,While his gold and his gains increased;But his proud domain had not the charmOf her humble home in the East.He had no line to sound the depthsOf her tears repressed and unshed;Nor dreamed ’mid plenty a human heartCould be starving, but not for bread.Within her eye was a restless light,And a yearning that never ceased,A longing to see the dear old homeShe had left in the distant East.A longing to clasp her mother’s hand,And nestle close to her heart,And to feel the heavy cares of lifeLike the sun-kissed shadows depart.The hungry heart was stilled at last;Its restless, baffled yearning ceased.A lonely man sat by the bierOf a corpse that was going East.
She came from the East a fair, young bride,With a light and a bounding heart,To find in the distant West a homeWith her husband to make a start.He builded his cabin far away,Where the prairie flower bloomed wild;Her love made lighter all his toil,And joy and hope around him smiled.She plied her hands to life’s homely tasks,And helped to build his fortunes up;While joy and grief, like bitter and sweet,Were mingled and mixed in her cup.He sowed in his fields of golden grain,All the strength of his manly prime;Nor music of birds, nor brooks, nor bees,Was as sweet as the dollar’s chime.She toiled and waited through weary yearsFor the fortune that came at length;But toil and care and hope deferred,Had stolen and wasted her strength.The cabin changed to a stately home,Rich carpets were hushing her tread;But light was fading from her eye,And the bloom from her cheek had fled.Her husband was adding field to field,And new wealth to his golden store;And little thought the shadow of deathWas entering in at his door.Slower and heavier grew her step,While his gold and his gains increased;But his proud domain had not the charmOf her humble home in the East.He had no line to sound the depthsOf her tears repressed and unshed;Nor dreamed ’mid plenty a human heartCould be starving, but not for bread.Within her eye was a restless light,And a yearning that never ceased,A longing to see the dear old homeShe had left in the distant East.A longing to clasp her mother’s hand,And nestle close to her heart,And to feel the heavy cares of lifeLike the sun-kissed shadows depart.The hungry heart was stilled at last;Its restless, baffled yearning ceased.A lonely man sat by the bierOf a corpse that was going East.
She came from the East a fair, young bride,With a light and a bounding heart,To find in the distant West a homeWith her husband to make a start.
She came from the East a fair, young bride,
With a light and a bounding heart,
To find in the distant West a home
With her husband to make a start.
He builded his cabin far away,Where the prairie flower bloomed wild;Her love made lighter all his toil,And joy and hope around him smiled.
He builded his cabin far away,
Where the prairie flower bloomed wild;
Her love made lighter all his toil,
And joy and hope around him smiled.
She plied her hands to life’s homely tasks,And helped to build his fortunes up;While joy and grief, like bitter and sweet,Were mingled and mixed in her cup.
She plied her hands to life’s homely tasks,
And helped to build his fortunes up;
While joy and grief, like bitter and sweet,
Were mingled and mixed in her cup.
He sowed in his fields of golden grain,All the strength of his manly prime;Nor music of birds, nor brooks, nor bees,Was as sweet as the dollar’s chime.
He sowed in his fields of golden grain,
All the strength of his manly prime;
Nor music of birds, nor brooks, nor bees,
Was as sweet as the dollar’s chime.
She toiled and waited through weary yearsFor the fortune that came at length;But toil and care and hope deferred,Had stolen and wasted her strength.
She toiled and waited through weary years
For the fortune that came at length;
But toil and care and hope deferred,
Had stolen and wasted her strength.
The cabin changed to a stately home,Rich carpets were hushing her tread;But light was fading from her eye,And the bloom from her cheek had fled.
The cabin changed to a stately home,
Rich carpets were hushing her tread;
But light was fading from her eye,
And the bloom from her cheek had fled.
Her husband was adding field to field,And new wealth to his golden store;And little thought the shadow of deathWas entering in at his door.
Her husband was adding field to field,
And new wealth to his golden store;
And little thought the shadow of death
Was entering in at his door.
Slower and heavier grew her step,While his gold and his gains increased;But his proud domain had not the charmOf her humble home in the East.
Slower and heavier grew her step,
While his gold and his gains increased;
But his proud domain had not the charm
Of her humble home in the East.
He had no line to sound the depthsOf her tears repressed and unshed;Nor dreamed ’mid plenty a human heartCould be starving, but not for bread.
He had no line to sound the depths
Of her tears repressed and unshed;
Nor dreamed ’mid plenty a human heart
Could be starving, but not for bread.
Within her eye was a restless light,And a yearning that never ceased,A longing to see the dear old homeShe had left in the distant East.
Within her eye was a restless light,
And a yearning that never ceased,
A longing to see the dear old home
She had left in the distant East.
A longing to clasp her mother’s hand,And nestle close to her heart,And to feel the heavy cares of lifeLike the sun-kissed shadows depart.
A longing to clasp her mother’s hand,
And nestle close to her heart,
And to feel the heavy cares of life
Like the sun-kissed shadows depart.
The hungry heart was stilled at last;Its restless, baffled yearning ceased.A lonely man sat by the bierOf a corpse that was going East.
The hungry heart was stilled at last;
Its restless, baffled yearning ceased.
A lonely man sat by the bier
Of a corpse that was going East.