Nebraska: or, the Slavery-Abolitionist to his Bride

Sad I come for thy caresses, bonny bride, bonny
bride,
And my nestling brow is bound with, crown of
thorn;
And the more thy leal heart presses, bonny bride,
bonny bride,
Is thy true and tender bosom pierced and torn.

I have gloom'd thy girlish gladness, bonny bride, bonny
bride,
Made thee tearful in thy Wifehood's dewy dawn,
Given thy voice a soul of sadness, bonny bride, bonny
bride,
Set thy dainty cheek's ripe beauty waxing wan.

The wild light of wilder'd sorrows, bonny bride,
bonny bride,
Is the lustre that comes flashing to thine eyes,
As of hopes that know no morrows, bonny bride, bonny
bride,
Or from sunken suns that set no more to rise.

My poor heart hath put on mourning, bonny bride,
bonny bride,
For the death of sweet and saintly Liberty;
It was down the Traitor's Turning, bonny bride, bonny
bride,
That they smote her in the Country of the Free.

Where the Ark of Freedom rested, bonny bride, bonny
bride,
When the May-Flower rode so bravely o'er the
Flood,
Where the Bird of Freedom nested, bonny bride,
bonny bride,
In the land our Fathers bought with precious blood.

They have broken every promise, bonny bride, bonny
bride,
False as hell to League, and Covenant, and vow; —
Torn the Babes of Freedom from us, bonny bride,
bonny bride,
Grim as Herod! and like Herod they shall bow.

In the mire our Banner's trailing, bonny bride, bonny
bride;

It but symbols bloody stripes and bitter tears,
To a world of Tyrants hailing, bonny bride, bonny
bride,
And a world of Slaves that groans, a Hell that
cheers.

Our good Bark is heavily wearing, bonny bride, bonny
bride,
And the hungry sharks they track us thro' the sea,
With their cruel keen eyes glaring, bonny bride, bonny
bride,
For the burial of embalmed Liberty.

How the darkness round us presses, bonny bride,
bonny bride!

By the dying watch-fire hearts sit dark and dumb;
And we strain and make blind guesses, bonny bride,
bonny bride,
Of the morning and the morrow that shall come.

O, 'twill be a fearful waking, bonny bride, bonny
bride,
Should the faces of our Brothers dawn in view,
With the light above us breaking, bonny bride, bonny
bride,
And the earth beneath us wet with crimson dew.

We are weak, and win derision, bonny bride, bonny
bride,
All too weak to crush the Serpents that we clasp;
But I see in solemn vision, bonny bride, bonny bride,
The young heroes who shall kill them in their
grasp.

See — the Flag of Freemen dancing, bonny bride, bonny
bride,
On the Tyrants' towers, and Ruins of old Wrong —
See — the Slave's proud eyes up-glancing, bonny bride,
bonny bride,
With the heart that breaks no more, save into song.

See — the hills of earth that whiten, bonny bride,
bonny bride,
With the feet of angels coming down to men!
See — the homes of earth that brighten, bonny bride,
bonny bride,
With the beautiful that vanish t, come again.

There's a long road, wild and dreary, bonny bride,
bonny bride,
Thro' the winding ways of Sorrow's wilderness!
And a many will fall weary, bonny bride, bonny bride,
And but few the honeyed Land of Promise press.

Yet we'll battle on with bravery, bonny bride, bonny
bride,
We shall battle on as Sabbathless as Doom;
And we'll leave the land of Slavery, bonny bride,
bonny bride,
Tho' the wreath of Victory crown the Martyr's tomb.