And there's little to earn, and many to keep, Though the harbour bar be moaning. 2. Three wives sat up in the lighthouse tower, And they trimmed the lamps as the sun went down; They looked at the squall, and they looked at the shower, And the night-rack came rolling up ragged and brown: But men must work, and women must weep, Though storms be sudden, and waters deep, And the harbour bar be moaning. 3. Three corpses lay out on the shining sands In the morning gleam as the tide went down; And the women are weeping and wringing their hands For those who will never come home to the town: For men must work, and women must weep, And the sooner 'tis over, the sooner to sleep, And good-bye to the bar and its moaning. 1. Lucknow is a large city on the banks of the river Goomty, in British India. It was garrisoned by British troops in the summer of 1857, and besieged by the native rebels, with a force many times as large as the garrison. 2. These natives, or sepoys, were very cruel, and if they could have got into the city, would have put all the men, women, and children to a dreadful death. 3. They had advanced their batteries and mines so far that it was evident to all the poor people in Lucknow, that in a very short time the city must fall, and the work of death must begin, unless relief should come. 4. And relief was coming, though they did not know it. The brave General Havelock, with twenty-five hundred men, was coming to drive away the blood-thirsty enemy; but amid the roar and smoke of the cannonade, nothing could be heard or seen. 5. "On every side," says a lady who was present, "death stared us in the face. No human skill could avert it any longer. The engineers told us that soon all would be over. We women strove to encourage one another, and to perform such light duties as we could. 6. "I had gone out to try and make myself useful, in company with Jessie Brown, the wife of a corporal in my husband's regiment. Poor Jessie had been in a state of restless excitement; and at last, overcome with fatigue, she lay down, wrapped up in her plaid, on the ground. 7. "She fell at length into a profound slumber, motionless, and apparently breathless, her head resting in my lap. I myself could no longer resist the inclination to sleep, in spite of the continual roar of the cannon. 8. "Suddenly I was roused by a wild scream. close to my ear; and my companion started upright beside me, her arms raised, and her head bent forward in the attitude of listening. 9. "A look of intense delight broke over her countenance; she grasped my hand, drew me towards her, and exclaimed 'Do you not hear it? I'm not dreaming! I hear the slogan of the Highlanders! We're saved!' 10. "Then kneeling down she prayed with passionate fervour. I was bewildered; my English ears heard only the roar of artillery, and I thought my poor Jessie was raving; but she darted to the batteries, and cried to the men-Courage! courage! Hark to the slogan-the slogan of the Macgregors. Here's help at last! 11. "The soldiers ceased firing, and all listened in intense anxiety. Gradually, however, there arose a murmur of disappointment, and the wailing of the women, who had flocked to the spot, burst out anew as the colonel shook his head. Our dull lowland ears heard nothing but the rattle of musketry. 12. "A few moments more of suspense, and Jessie, who had sunk on the ground, sprang to her feet, and cried, in a voice so clear and piercing that it was heard along the whole line,Will ye believe it now? The slogan of the Macgregors has ceased indeed; but it is now the slogan of the Campbells. Do ye hear? Do ye hear?' 13. "At that moment we seemed indeed to hear the voice of deliverance in the distance : the pibroch of the Highlanders brought us tidings of relief; for now there was no longer any doubt of the fact that the Campbells were coming. 14. "That sharp, penetrating, ceaseless sound, which rose above all other sounds, could come neither from the advance of the enemy, nor from the work of the sappers. No, it was indeed the blast of the Scottish bagpipes, now shrill and harsh, as threatening vengeance on the foe, then in softer tones seeming to promise help to friends. 15. "Never, surely, was such a scene as that which followed. All fell upon their knees, and nothing was heard but bursting sobs and the murmured voice of prayer. Then they arose, and from a thousand lips rang out a great shout of joy. We were saved." 16 Havelock had resolved, when he started in the morning, to relieve the anxiously waiting garrison that night, or not survive. the attempt; and the soldiers, who at first were glad to obtain a moment's rest, became impatient at delay. They had fought their way for nearly a hundred miles to rescue their besieged comrades with their wives and children, and they could not rest till they thundered at the gates of their prison. 17. The garrison in the meantime were anxiously listening for their arrival. They had heard the heavy firing in the morning, and noticed that there was a great sensation in the city. Towards noon they could see the smoke of battle as it rolled upwards over the houses; and a little later, people hurrying out of the city, carrying bundles of clothes on their heads, followed by large bodies of cavalry and infantry. Although the enemy kept up a steady fire upon them, they were too excited to pay much heed to it, but listened with beating hearts to the heavy cannonade as |