Edmund Clarence Stedman, ed. (1833–1908). An American Anthology, 1787–1900. 1900.
By Julia WardHowe363 Our Orders
W
To deck our girls for gay delights!
The crimson flower of battle blooms,
And solemn marches fill the night.
Drooped heavy o’er our early dead,
And homely garments, coarse and gray,
For orphans that must earn their bread!
That poured delight from other lands!
Rouse there the dancer’s restless feet:
The trumpet leads our warrior bands.
With mystic fame and subtle power,
Go, chatter to the idle birds,
Or teach the lesson of the hour!
Be all your offices combined!
Stand close, while Courage draws the lot,
The destiny of human kind.
The sun should darken in the sky,
The eternal bloom of Nature pale,
And God, and Truth, and Freedom die!