All Quiet Along the Potomac Author:Ethel Lynn Beers Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: ON GUARD. 25 But the eye was bright and glowing, While my troubled thought was told; Yet her voice was clear and steady, Without sigh, or tear, or stops, ... more » When she answered, speaking quickly, " 'Tis women's work, this picking hops. " Men should be where duty calls them— Women stay at home and pray For the gallant absent soldier, Proud to know he would not stay." " Bravely spoken, darling Minnie !" Then I kissed her golden locks, Breathed anew a soldier's promise, As we sat there picking hops. " Now I go away to-morrow, And I'll dare to do or die, Win a leader's straps and sword, love, Or 'mid fallen heroes lie. Then, when all of earth is fading, And the fluttering life-pulse stops, Still, 'mid thoughts of home and heaven, I'll remember picking hops." ON GUARD. OPEN your eyes, my darling ; Gather the snowy lid Off from the sleeping glory Under the lashes hid. 26 ON GUARD. How can I tell, my darling, What you would choose to say, If the bright brown eyes were open, The white lid drawn away ? Never was doorway barred So close as the blue-veined gate; Wake ! I am here, my darling; I would, but I cannot, wait. Softly the shining glory Lifts in the waking eyes, And a flash like summer lightning Tells of a glad surprise. Then, with a lover's craving, I ask of the eyes again If their tale is true for ever, And find, with a jealous pain, That behind their brightest glitter Lies that I cannot see, And thoughts may crouch behind them That speak no word to me. O human soul so near me, Still with thy visor barred," When shall I know thee truly, Without thy starry guard ?— Never to read thee better, Never to read aright, FIRE-PROOF. 27 Till blots and blanks and errors The world b...« less