Page:The Excursion, Wordsworth, 1814.djvu/62

36 Which placed it there: and ere that day was ended,

That long and anxious day! I learned from One

Sent hither by my Husband to impart

The heavy news,—that he had joined a Troop

Of Soldiers, going to a distant Land.

—He left me thus—he could not gather heart

To take a farewell of me; for he fear'd

That I should follow with my Babes, and sink

Beneath the misery of that wandering Life."

This Tale did Margaret tell with many tears:

And when she ended I had little power

To give her comfort, and was glad to take

Such words of hope from her own mouth as served

To chear us both:—but long we had not talked

Ere we built up a pile of better thoughts,

And with a brighter eye she look'd around

As if she had been shedding tears of joy.

We parted.—'Twas the time of early spring;

I left her busy with her garden tools;

And well remember, o'er that fence she looked,

And, while I paced along the foot-way path,

Called out, and sent a blessing after me,