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EAIILEEN'S FAIE, 
 
 OK. 
 
 TEMllSI CEIEIUII'S IMEIIIL 
 
 A. LEO-EisriD or- 
 
 ST. KEVIN DE' CLARE, 
 
 - .„.. Cm 11 \m'a\^ 
 
 D, E. PEASE »< CO., PRS., 148 SHAWMUT AVE., BOSTON. 
 
 Co 
 
Coppyright Secured, 
 
 
 cj<^^-/£!fH, '"^ 
 
 The following poem is a reproduction of Ii-ish poetry which 
 all lovers of Irish eloquence ought to read. 
 
Katlfleeii's f Me. 
 
 In Luglaw's deep wooded vale, 
 
 The Summer's eve was dying ; 
 On lake and cliff, and rock and dale, 
 
 A lulling calm was lying. 
 There Virgin Saints and Holy men , 
 
 There Vesper Hyms were singing. 
 And silent down the rocky glen. 
 
 The Vesper Bells were ringing. 
 
 Soft gloom fell from the mountain's brea.» 
 
 Upon the lake declining. 
 And half in summer shade was dressed, 
 
 And half in silver shining. 
 And by that shore, young Kevin stands, 
 
 His heart with anguish laden. 
 And by him stands, with folded hands, 
 
 A fair and gentle maiden. 
 
 And "Oh!" she sighed, '-'I've left for thee 
 
 My own beloved bowers. 
 The paths I've walked in infancj^, 
 
 My father's ancient towers. 
 Iv'e left for thee my native halls 
 
 Where late I've lived in splendor. 
 And home and friends and fame and all. 
 
 I've sighed not to surrender." 
 
 "Away!'' he muttered, "lo! in youth, 
 
 A vow to heaven was spoken. 
 And I will keep raj^ boyish truth 
 
 To age and death, unbroken. 
 How couldst thou bribe my soul to him 
 
 Against that high endeavor, 
 And cast those tempting eyes between 
 
 Me and that Heaven forever?" 
 
The maid looked up in mute surprise, 
 
 Her cheeks with tear-drops streaming, 
 A guiless light was in her ej^es. 
 
 Like childhood's sorrow gleaming. 
 "Oh ! had I here a Heaven to give, 
 
 Thou wouldst be blessed this hour, 
 Then how could I thy hopes bereave 
 
 Of that eternal dower?" 
 
 "Ah no ! Kathleen will ask no more^ 
 
 For home and friends forsaken 
 Than here upon this peaceful shore 
 
 To see the morn awaken. 
 Beneath thy holy roof to dwell, 
 
 A lone and timid stranger. 
 And watch thee in thy lonely cell. 
 
 In sickness and in danger. 
 
 To rouse thee when the Couald Train 
 
 Their natal beads are telling. 
 To hear young Kevin's fervent strain 
 
 Amidst the anthems swelling; 
 To smile when ere thy smile I see. 
 
 To sigh if thou wert sighing. 
 To live while life was left to thee. 
 
 And to die when thou wert dying." 
 
 "My prayers," he said, "were little worth, 
 
 If thou wert kneeling near me, 
 My hymns were dull as songs of earth. 
 
 If thou wert by to hear me ; 
 But you are young and guiltless still, 
 
 To sin and shame a stranger. 
 And what to thee seems pure from ill. 
 
 To me looks dark with danger. 
 
 There is a Heaven in yon blue sphere 
 
 Where joy abounds forever. 
 There may we fondly meet, but here, 
 
 In this cold exile, never. 
 There may we look with loving eyes 
 
 While happy souls are singing. 
 And angel smiles light all the skies, 
 
 And the bells of Heaven are ringing." 
 
''But here, but here, O fair Kathleen, 
 
 Through all this wide creation, 
 In all that's bright there dwelleth sin, 
 
 In all that fair temptation. 
 It tracks the steps of young delight. 
 
 While souls are gay and tender, 
 It walketh in the dark midnight. 
 
 And in the noonday splendor. 
 
 It murmurs in the rising winds 
 
 That stir the morning flowers. 
 On friendship's lap it hath reclined. 
 
 And sighed in Love's own bowers ; 
 It lights \ip all the summer skies 
 
 While dews the wild buds cherish ; 
 But worst of all in women's eyesr— 
 
 O ! hide theui ere I perish." 
 
 The maiden calmy, sadly smiled. 
 
 She plucked an opening flower, 
 She gazed upon the mountain wild, 
 
 And on the evening bower. 
 "I've looked," she said, "from east to west. 
 
 But sin hath never found me, 
 I cannot feel it in my breast, 
 
 Nor see it all around me. 
 
 The light that fills the summer skies. 
 
 The laugh that flows the free"^st, 
 I've marked with loving ears and eyes, 
 
 Nor saw the ills thou see'st. 
 [ always thought that morning air 
 
 Blew on my bosom purely. 
 The worst I find in all that's fair. 
 
 Is that it fades too surely. 
 
 If it be sin to love thy uame, 
 
 Aud tire of loving never, 
 Whj^ am I spared that in^xard shame 
 
 That follows sin forever? 
 For I can lift my hands and eyes 
 
 To that bright Heaven above me, 
 Aud gaze into those cloudless skies, 
 Aud say aloud, I love thee. 
 
I had a brother in ray home, 
 
 I loved, I loved hiin truly, 
 With him it was my wont to roam 
 
 As morn was breaking newly ; 
 With him 1 cheered the weary time 
 
 With music, song, or story. 
 He never spoke of secret crime. 
 
 Of sin or tainted glory." 
 
 "But thou, but I," young Kevin said, 
 
 "Wilt love thee like that brother. 
 And Av ilt thou be content, sweet maid, 
 
 To find in me another? 
 Or seek ye but a brother's grace, 
 
 A brother's calm caresses'?" 
 The maiden hid her burning face 
 
 Between her golden tvesses. 
 
 "Farewell!" she sighed, "I plead in vain. 
 
 My dream of love is ended, 
 Thy thoughts of me, with thoughts of pain. 
 
 Shall never more be blended ; 
 But now the even is falling late. 
 
 The way is long and lonely. 
 Ah! let me rest within thy gate 
 
 Till morning rises only." 
 
 Young Kevin paused, the winds blew chill, 
 
 The clouds rolled black and swelling. 
 Ah no, he could not deem it ill 
 
 To lodge her in his dwelling ; 
 For churls like naple deeply sin 
 
 And lasting pain inherit, 
 But those who take the stranger in 
 
 Have patriarchal merit. 
 
 But oft he thought, mid holy strains, 
 
 Upon that lovely vA^oman, 
 For O ! the blood within his veins 
 
 Was warm and young and human. 
 He told his nightly beads in vain, 
 
 Sleep never came so slowly. 
 And all that night young Kevin's brain 
 
 Was filled with dreams unholv. 
 
And when at dawning hour lie rose 
 
 To chant his first devotion, 
 On tip-toe then to Kathleen's bower 
 
 He stole in stilled emotion. 
 Breathless above the maiden's form 
 
 He hung and saw her sleeping; 
 Her brow was damp, her cheek was warm. 
 
 And boi-e the stains of weeping. 
 
 Beside hsr crouched an aged hound, 
 
 Her Kevin's sole defendant. 
 One hand his sable neck around. 
 
 Like light in gloom resplendent. 
 The dog sprang up, that hand fell down 
 
 As Kevin's sight came deeper, 
 He crouched him at his master's frown. 
 
 And never woke the sleeper. 
 
 Then scenes of calm domestic bliss 
 
 In Kevin's soul came thronging, 
 Indearments soft and smiling peace, 
 
 And love, the young heart's longing. 
 "Why did I swear in youth to live 
 
 For sainted duties only, 
 And leave the joys this life can give 
 
 To lead a life so lonely? 
 
 Ah ! were I now a bridegroom gny^ " 
 
 Lord in my natal tower. 
 And were this morn my marriage day. 
 
 And this my wedding bower." 
 •'Where were 'the wondrous ill?" he said, 
 
 To him, to earth, to Heaven, 
 The lovely dreamer turned her head 
 
 And murmured deep, "Mj^ Kevin." 
 
 He started, trembled, burned his limbs. 
 
 Struck with a sudden passion, 
 His eye in saddened moisture swims. 
 
 And stares in maniac ])assion. 
 A whilwind in his brooding soul 
 
 Arose and tossed it madly. 
 Then swiftly away the storm-clouds rode, 
 
 And left him drooping sadly. 
 
Again that fond impassioned moan 
 
 Upon her warm lips lingers ; 
 He stoops and turnes between his 
 
 Those white and tapered fingers. 
 He bends, ah ! hark ! the Convent tale I 
 
 Another knell ! anotlier ! 
 The peal to Eequiem to the soul 
 
 Of a departing brother. 
 
 Up and away with freezing blood 
 
 He rushes from the bower, 
 And seeks the beachen solitude 
 
 Reside tlie Convent tower. 
 There hooded maids and cowled men 
 
 The dirge of death were singing. 
 And silent down the rocky glen, 
 
 The knell of death was ringing. 
 
 He raised to Heaven his hands and eyes, 
 
 Lone in the silent morning. 
 And said mid humble tears and sighs, 
 
 "I bless thee for the warning. 
 And dost thou thus by sounds of awe, 
 
 My slumbering soul awaken, 
 If i forget thy love and law, 
 
 O, let me be forsaken. 
 
 Hast thou a golden (M-own for those 
 
 Who leave earth's raptures hollow. 
 And firmly still through wilds and woes 
 
 The light of virtue follow? 
 Oh I be this weak heart still thy care ; 
 
 Be thou my soul's defender ; 
 Grant that crown for me may wear 
 
 No soil upon its splendor. 
 
 If tears and prayers and Vigils lean, 
 
 A sin like mine can cover, 
 I'll weep while summer woods are green, 
 
 And watch till time be over. 
 But mighty armor must I wear 
 
 Against that tempting woman. 
 For O, she haunts me morn and eve. 
 
 And I am weak and human. 
 
A (30uiisel woke within his heart, 
 
 While yet the youth was liiieeUiig, 
 Which whispered to his soul, "Depart, 
 
 And shun the war of feeling; 
 Courage in battle-fields is shown 
 
 By fighting firm and dying, 
 But in the strife of love alone, 
 
 The glory lies in flying." 
 
 Swift as the sudden winds that sing. 
 Across tlie storm roused ocean ; 
 
 Swift as the silent prayers that spring- 
 Up Avarm from j^oung devotion; 
 
 ISwift as the brooli, the light, the air. 
 As death, time, thougiit or glory. 
 
 Young Kevin fled that valley fair, 
 That lalie and mountain lioary. 
 
 And far away, and far away, 
 
 O'er heatli and hill he speeds him, 
 While Virtue cheers the desert gray, 
 
 And liglit immortal leads him. 
 And far away, and far, and far 
 
 From his accustomed fountain, 
 Till quenched in liglit the morning star. 
 
 And day is on the mountain . 
 
 Bacli in Luglaw's deep wooded vale. 
 
 The summer warm was breaking ; 
 On lake and cliff', and rock and dale. 
 
 Light life and joy was waiving. 
 The skj'lark in tihe ear of morn, 
 
 His shrilly fife is sounding. 
 With speckeled side and rocliy horn, 
 
 The deer is up and bounding. 
 
 Young nature thus all bustling, 
 
 Stirs from her nightly slumber, 
 And puts her mj^stic curtains by. 
 
 Her mighty couch that cumber; 
 And dews long fresh on leaf and thorn, 
 
 And o'er each eastern highland. 
 Those golden clouds at eve and morn, 
 
 That grace our own dear Ireland. 
 
Light laughed the vale, gay smiled the sui 
 
 Earth's welcome glad returning, 
 Like value come when wars are done, 
 
 'i'o beauty in her murmuring; 
 The night calm flies, the ruffling hree/e 
 
 Sport on the gleaming water. 
 And gently stirs the tangled trees, 
 
 Above the Chieftain's daughter. 
 
 Like one in pain athwart her brow. 
 
 One hand her hair draws tightly, 
 Xow falls that glance in tears, and now 
 
 It glimmers quickly and brightly. 
 For she has missed her votive love * 
 
 Within his lonely bower. 
 Nor is he in the beeehen grove 
 
 Nor in the Convent tower. 
 
 "I fear'' she sighed and bowed her head, 
 
 "I fear he's told me truly. 
 That sin is in the sunshine bred, 
 
 When roses are breaking newly ; 
 For dreary looks this bower to me. 
 
 Even while the roses wreath it, 
 And even that sunshine bright and free. 
 
 That dews paused, what foot has been 
 
 Upon its early brightness. 
 And left a track of deepening green 
 
 Upon its silver whiteness? 
 She tracked it by the raveled brake. 
 
 And by the silent fountain. 
 And o'er that lawn and past that lake. 
 
 And up the hoary mountain. 
 
 But there thirsty morning's sun 
 
 Had dewless left the heather, 
 The eye o'er all the desert dun, 
 
 No single trace can gather. 
 Still on she went, for in her breast 
 
 Deep passion fierce was burning, 
 Passion that brooks not pause nor rest, 
 
 And sickens at returning. 
 
And far away, and far away 
 
 O'er heath and hill she speeds her, 
 While hoije cheers up the desert gray, 
 
 And love untii'ing- leads her. 
 And far away, and far, and far 
 
 From lake and ( onvent tower. 
 Till died in gloom day's golden car, 
 
 And night is on the bower. 
 
 Xow toiling o'er each rugged scalp, 
 
 With wounded feet, and weary, 
 Xow climbing up each mimic Alp 
 
 Of Wicklow's desert dreary. 
 Ah I lonely bray thy bassoued tide. 
 
 She passed at sunset mellow , 
 And Ondlers lake where far and wide 
 
 Thy haunted plains shone yellow. 
 
 Night fell, day rose, night fell again, 
 
 And the dim day- dawning found her 
 On Glendulough's deep wooded plain, 
 
 With lake and cliff* ai-ound her. 
 There tired with travel long and vain. 
 
 She sunk beside the water, 
 For toil and woe and wasting pain 
 
 Hath worn the Chieftain's daughter. 
 
 Tall darkness o'er her high lagduff' 
 
 Gathered his lordly forehead, 
 And shattered hi? breast in granite rough, 
 
 Eent crag and splinter horrid ; 
 His helm of i-ock beat back the breeze 
 
 Without a leaf to wi-eath it. 
 The vassal waves roll in to kiss 
 
 His mailed foot beneath it. 
 
 Sudden, with joyous yelp and bound, 
 
 The dog came swiftly by her, 
 She knows, she knows that aged hound, 
 
 And he she loves is nigh her, 
 The nardine she follows- swift. 
 
 The dangerous foot way keeping, 
 Till dark beneath the jagged cliff. 
 
 She saw young Kevin sleeping. 
 
With hair tossed oat and hands clenched tight, 
 
 The rugged granite hugging, 
 Like those who with the hag of night, 
 
 For voice and breath are tugging. 
 For oh, he had a horrid dream, 
 
 And every move has felt it, 
 And ruin was in the gloomy theme, 
 
 And Kathleen's hands had dealt it. 
 
 He dreamt that at the golden gate 
 
 Of Heaven flung wide and gleaming, 
 He head soft music as he sat. 
 
 And saw bright pinions streaming. 
 Millions of sainted Seraphs he saw, 
 
 In light and fragrance ranging, 
 in calm delight and holy awe. 
 
 In speaking looks exchanging. 
 
 He tried to join that saintly band. 
 
 But in the porch before him. 
 With mocking eye and lifted hand, 
 
 Kathleen stood glooming o'er him. 
 She thrust him from that saintly crowd, 
 
 The gates came clanging after, 
 And on his ear came long and loud, 
 
 A peal of fearful laughter. 
 
 Again it ope's, again he tries 
 
 To join that glorious vision. 
 Again with lifted hands and eyes. 
 
 Deep fixed in keen derision, 
 That minion of the burning deep. 
 
 Stood wraj^t in gloom before him. 
 Up sprang he from his broken sleep, 
 
 And sees her trembling o'er him. 
 
 "Vengence!" he yelled, and backward tossed 
 
 His arms and muttered wildly. 
 The frightened maid her forehead crossed, 
 
 And dropped before him mildy. 
 ''O, slay me not! O, Kevin spare 
 
 The life the Lord hath given !'■ 
 He paused and fixed his vacant stare 
 
 LTpon the brghtening Heaven. 
 
"Kathleen," he said, "that timely word 
 
 Hath left my hand unbloody ; 
 But see the early morning bird 
 
 Sings in the sunshine j-uddy. 
 Before that natal strain is o'er, 
 
 Fly far and hate and leave me. 
 For death is on this gloomy shore, 
 
 And madness haunting near me." 
 
 With clinched teeth and painful smile, 
 
 Love's last disparing token, 
 She flung her arms around him while 
 
 Her heart beat quick and broken. 
 She clasped him as she would have grow ii 
 
 Into his breast forever. 
 Then fixed her gazed upon his own, 
 
 And sternly whispered, "never." 
 
 Again, again, those madening dreams 
 
 Upon his soul awaken ; 
 The fiend across his ej^eballs swim : 
 
 Those golden gates are shaken. 
 Again he hears the ringing mock, 
 
 The visioned stillness breaking, 
 He hurled the maiden from the rock 
 
 Into the black lake shrieking. 
 
 Down gazed he on the frenzied tide ; 
 
 Kathleen, how comes he lonely ; 
 Whj' has she left her Kevin's side. 
 
 That loved for Kevin only; 
 What mean those circles on the lake, 
 
 AVhen not a wind is breathing, 
 What bubbles on the surface break ; 
 
 What horrid foam is wreathing. 
 
 Ah ! never more, ah ! never more. 
 
 By lake or Convent tower. 
 Shall poor Kathleen come timid o'er, 
 
 To haunt his evening bower, 
 And never more shall that young eye 
 
 Beam on his j)rayer to break it, 
 And never shall that fond heart's sigh 
 
 Thrill to his own to break it. 
 
Tlie liend that laughs at human woes, 
 
 Frowned at that mienac minute, 
 For well the baffled demon knows 
 
 The hand of Heaven was m it. 
 If tempted at that saintly height, 
 
 They had to earth sank lowly, 
 She ne"er had been an angel bright, 
 
 Xor he a victor holy. 
 
 Xow the}'- are in their bower of rest, 
 
 With light immortal round them. 
 Yet pensive heaves the pitying breast 
 
 To think how soon it found them. 
 The lark ne'er wakes the i-ugged morn, 
 
 Above that gloomy water, 
 AVhere sudden died and passion lorn 
 
 Kathleen the Chieftain's daughter. 
 
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