Library of the best American literature / Containing the lives of our authors in story form, their portraits, their homes, and their personal traits, how they worked and what they wrote; choice selections from eminent writers, embracing great American poets and novelists, foremost women in American letters, distinguished critics and essayists, our national humorists, noted journalists and magazine contributors, popular writers for young people, great orators and public lecturers

by Unknown

Nor sent you word, nor made you sign

To say he was alive!”

“Hold! if ’twas wrong, the wrong is mine;

Besides, he may be in the brine,

And could he write from the grave?

Tut, man, what would you have?”

Gone twenty years—a long, long cruise,—

’Twas wicked thus your love to abuse;

But if the lad still live,

And come back home, think you can