Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: II. BALLADS. i. SAILOR AND SOLDIER. Said the sailor, " Ours is the life to choose ! We traverse the boundless deep : We mark the infinite sunsets' hues, And we watch the pale moon's sleep. From night to dawn, and from dawn till night, We travel the ocean-way; The sails of our ships, like sea-birds white, Flash over the waters grey. Strong and long the wind may roar, But it only frightens folk ashore." Said the soldier, " Ours is the life that charms The heart that is true and bold : We conquer the world by force of arms ; Earth's kingdoms we remould. Your ships must carry us o'er the deep To the wished-for shore, 'tis true; But when we land, the soldier's hand Must carry the fierce work through. Steel must heal the world's deep wrongs ; They cannot be cured by shipmen's songs."SAILOR AND SOLDIER. Said England, " Peace ! My thousands dead, Who perished for love of me, Whether they died in blue or red, I honour—by land or sea. Clothed in scarlet, or clothed in black, Or in labour's homely brown, If ye toil for the land with brain or hand, I love, and honour, and crown. England says to each, ' Well done !' Taking account of her every son." II. THE BRIGHTON COACH. A Young girl stood by the garden gate As the Brighton coach flew by ; The horses tore by the rose-wreathed door, They passed like a breath, or a sigh. But there just was time for the girl to see A lady with bright gold hair.— " If only I were as rich as she, As happy, and half as fair! " That was her sigh as the coach swept by, As it passed like a lightning gleam ; But the lady fair, with the bright gold hair, Had also her longing dream.— " I'd give the world to be young like you, Ay, all that the world's wealth brings, Beautiful gir...