| Publication information |
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Source: Pawtuxet Valley Gleaner Source type: newspaper Document type: poem Document title: “President McKinley” Author(s): Campbell, E. F. City of publication: Phenix, Rhode Island Date of publication: 4 October 1901 Volume number: 26 Issue number: 40 Pagination: 4 |
| Citation |
| Campbell, E. F. “President McKinley.” Pawtuxet Valley Gleaner 4 Oct. 1901 v26n40: p. 4. |
| Transcription |
| full text |
| Keywords |
| William McKinley (death: poetry); McKinley assassination (poetry). |
| Named persons |
| none. |
| Notes |
| The condition of the newspaper (an online scanned document) is poor in places, rendering punctuation and selected letters difficult or impossible to read. A best guess is given below as to what the punctuation is intended to be. |
| Document |
President McKinley
I.
Sleep on! dear soul of honor, sleep!
’Tis best, ’tis best thou ne’er can see
The grief that wrings thy nation’s heart;
Her tears that freely flow for thee[.]
II.
O, priceless life! O, faithful heart!
We see thee fading from our sight.
The Ship of State will still sail on,
But in thee she’s lost one glorious light.
III.
O, Christian hero, martyr, saint,
No soul that liveth can comprehend
Why thy great life, so pure and bright,
Should meet this sad and woeful end.
IV.
O, leader of the great republic,
Honored by her heart and hand,
Would God this fate had not been thine,
And thou wert spared to thy dear land.
V.
“Lead Kindly Light,” lead him still on
Through that peaceful home of rest
So we may turn aside from grief,
To see him smiling with the blessed!
VI.
Farewell! dear, faithful, trusting soul,
Death held for thee no doubts, no fears;
Farewell ’till [we?] will meet again
Beyond this dark, sad vale of tears.