England and Yesterday

<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</SPAN></span></p> <h2>THE YEW-TREE.</h2> <div class="poetry-container"> <div class="poetry"> <div class="stanza"> <div class="verse">As I came homeward</div> <div class="verse">At merry Christmas,</div> <div class="verse">By the old church tower,</div> <div class="verse">Through the churchyard grass,</div> </div> <div class="stanza"> <div class="verse">And saw there, circled</div> <div class="verse">With graves all about,</div> <div class="verse">The yew-tree paternal,</div> <div class="verse">The yew-tree devout,</div> </div> <div class="stanza"> <div class="verse">Then this hot life-blood</div> <div class="verse">Was hard to endure,</div> <div class="verse">O Death! so I loved thee,</div> <div class="verse">The sole love sure.</div> </div> <div class="stanza"> <div class="verse">For stars slip in heaven,</div> <div class="verse">They wander, they break:</div> <div class="verse">But under the yew-tree</div> <div class="verse">Not one heartache.</div> </div> <div class="stanza"> <div class="verse">And ours, what failure</div> <div class="verse">Renewed and avowed!</div> <div class="verse">But ah, the long-buried</div> <div class="verse">Is leal, and is proud.</div> </div> <div class="stanza"> <div class="verse">Now I came homeward</div> <div class="verse">At merry Christmas,</div> <div class="verse">By the wise gray tower,</div> <div class="verse">Through the green kind grass.</div> </div></div> </div> <hr> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />