Hamilton Fish Armstrong, ed. The Book of New York Verse. 1917.
Their Wedding Journey1834H. C. Bunner
D
When the Coach rolled off
From dear old Battery Place
I hid my face within my hands—
That is, I hid my face.
Tom says (he’s leaning over me!)
’Twas on his shoulder, too;
But, oh, I pray you will believe
I wept to part from You.
I wept to leave the Scene
Familiar to my happy Youth
(I did love Bowling Green).
I wept at Slidell’s Chandlery
To see the smoak arise—
’Twas only at the City Hall
Tom bade me wipe my Eyes.
You would not let me go,
We went, and travell’d up the Hill—
So fast, and yet so slow!
And so we left behind the Town
And ere the Sun had set
We reached the Inn at Tubby Hook—
We have not left it yet!
Dear Mother, pray forgive!
From Sun to Sun ’tis all so sweet—
It seems so sweet to Live!
I know the things we meant to do,
The road we vowed to go,
But Tom and I are here, and—oh,
Dear Mother, do you know?
Though Yonkers is so near—
We never shall see Cousin Van
At Tarrytown, I fear.
Our Peekskill friends, the Fishkill folk,
And all the waiting rest—
Tom bids me tell you they may wait—
(He says they may be Blest).
Hid in this woodland Inn,
When all along Queen Anne’s broad road
Await our Friends and Kin;
But, Dear Mama (when I was small
You let me call you so),
’T is such Felicity and Joy
With Him, Here! Do you know?
P. S.—Tom sends his love.
Please write, “I know.”