This is beautiful. Thank you Jean. Cece ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jean R." <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, May 27, 2007 2:32 PM Subject: [IRISH-AMER] "Blue And Gray" -- (Anon.) -- "New York Sun" circa 1900 > Irish fought on both sides of the American Civil War. I found this gem in > a > little softbound book of verse by the Penn Publishing Co., Philadelphia > (1903). The poem, author unknown, first appeared in the "New York Sun." > > BLUE AND GRAY > > 'Twas a sight to be long remembered, > That I saw on the cars one day > As the train was flying southward, > In the latter part of May. > It was only two aged women > Who met by chance that day, > One had eyes of loveliest blue, > The other, the sweetest gray. > > "Where go you?" said the blue-eyed one > To her with the eyes of gray, > "I'm going to visit my husband's grave, > In the Southland far away." > "Was he a soldier? "the blue-eyed asked, > As she gazed in the eyes of gray; > And half unconsciously she grasped > Her hand in a loving way. > > The eyes of gray lit up with pride; > "Yes, he was a soldier true; > He fell at the battle of Shiloh," > "Oh! there's where mine fell, too." > And then they clasped each other and wept, > The eyes of blue and gray > Mingled their flood of sympathy > As the train sped on its way. > > "What uniform did your "soldier" wear?" > "My soldier wore the blue." > "Ah," said the other, "mine wore the gray." > "No matter, they both were true." > "Yes, they were true, our loved and lost, > True till their dying day. > And it matters not what they wore on earth, > They are clothed in white to-day." > > And when we came to the station > A very small town by the way, > The men all stood bareheaded > As the two went on their way, > They walked up the street together, > Like children hand in hand, > Out on the country highway > Where the old church used to stand. > > And on and on till they reached the place > Where their soldiers brave were laid; > They they kissed and wept o'er each grave alike, > And together knelt down and prayed; > Then each told the other about the past, > How they lived with their children dear, > And agreed, while God would spare their lives, > To meet there once a year. > > And then they walked back to the station, > These soldiers' widows in tears, > Helped by each other's sympathy, > To bear their burden of years, > Back to the West they traveled, > To their children, kind and true; > One with eyes of the sweetest gray, > The other, the loveliest blue > > -- Author unknown, "New York Sun" circa 1900 > > > ====Irish American Mailing List===== > Add/check your surname to the Irish-American mailing list Surname Registry > at: http://www.connorsgenealogy.com/IrishAmerican/ > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >