"My love he has a soft blue eye
With silken lashes drooping;
My love he has a soft blue eye
With silken lashes drooping.
Its glances are like gentle rays
From heaven's gates down stooping,
As bright as smiles of paradise, as truthful and serene.
And when they shine upon me, I
Am jewelled like a queen.
"My love he has the fondest heart
That maiden e'er took pride in;
My love he has the fondest heart
That maiden e'er took pride in;
'Twas nurtured in that fair green land
His fathers lived and died in;
He holds us dear, his native land and me his dark Aileen;
And just because he loves me, I am happy as a queen.
"My love he wraps me all around
With his true heart's devotion;
My love he wraps me all around
With his true heart's devotion;
With wealth more rare than India's gold, or all the gems of ocean.
He clothes me with his tenderness, the deepest ever seen,
And while I wear that costly robe, I'm richer than a queen.
"Oh! kindly does he soothe me when
My trust is faint and low;
Oh! kindly does he soothe me when
My trust is faint and low;
My joy is his delight and all
My griefs are his, I know.
In the spring-time he is coming, and I count the days between;
For with such a royal king to rule, who would not be a queen?"
William Leyden wiped the tears from his eyes as the girl concluded the song.
"Thank you, dear. God bless you," he said, "for singin' me Mary's song!"
The next moment he saw his friend advancing toward him, and in another they had resumed their journey.
Not much was said on either side as they rode along. At intervals our hero's heart gave a great throb, almost painful in its joy, and once in a while he made some casual remark; but that was all.
As they neared their destination, they noticed an unusual stir and excitement in the vicinity; and as they approached the depot, they saw knots of men scattered at intervals, apparently engaged in discussing some event that had recently transpired.
"There must have been a fight hereabouts, Will," said his friend; "but as every minute will seem an hour to you now, we'll not stop to ask questions. The train has been in half an hour by this time. I wonder if Mary'll know ye with that great beard?"