June 1931 School Magazine

Brisbane Girls' Grammar School Magazine.

Brisbane Girls' Grammar School l\ltagazin€,

Of his father's barons, ancl the strife They workecl, to live, or to die. IIe clrearns a moment of cleath, An cl the unhnown world afar Briiliant with planet and. star. Now passecl is the d.reaclecl wall; Oh, lif e with the laughing sea Ancl its green luciclity Is his ! But, Hark ! A call From the rampart I an arrow, f ast As the singing wind", cleaves the air. Ancl he falls in the d.arkness. There On the ltreeze sourrcls the hostile blast Of a horn, ancl reirreinbering That he is heir to a King, Ani{ a I(ing is the greatest of melr Who never faiis at a wound He is up ancl away again. He is out on the twistecl road, He is racing ttre rvlr.etted rvincl Ancl the faltering moonlight showecl That the gap was behind, behind. But far is the Kingts night camp, Ancl torn are his gannents, and damp With his heart 's \\'arrl blood ; but on Till the morning star shall pa1e, Now flecl is the phantom fear That the lon,g night race is vain I He has enterecl the stiil, black plain, Ancl the sleeping solcliers are here. Wildly he ealls to the l{ing, Ancl f alls like a wound ed, cleer, Ancl gasps like a stricken thing, ( ( The Capital f alls, make speed ": Ah, tasteless the pure recl wine Tliat they press to his pallicl lips; Ancl useless the linen fine That staunches the crimson drips; For life is fled to the land Of music, ancl laughter, ancl slln, That the Master Worker planned 1'or rest u'hen the game is won. Or his numbecl senses fail, He must go, a Prince ts son.

Is a cleft in the masonry Of the c,rty wall, near the sea, And I coulcl pass there, O Sire The guarcls alone must be fearecl. " Ancl murnrurecl, (( A village lad Or a merchant's son, would be glacl To go, for the sake of a King Their mean lives venturing, With the ner,vs of the seige, O Prince. t' But the Prince he shook his head; Ife cleeperred the lines on his bro\,r', " My son is royal," he said, His f athers have ruled 'ere now; We shall suffer no commoner's boy To cleny thab a Prince is bolcl; For in r,oyal hearts no alloy fs mixecl in the fearless golcl. To the King, nly son, you must go; Remember, the lasting fame Of your erty, your l(ing, your name I)epencls on your work I t ' ancl so As the shades of evening drew Dark curtains across the sky And the soft night breezes blew, He brushecl a tear from his eye. ( ( It is little he recks or heeds; But I loved rrry son, ' ' he saicl; ( ( Antl Prinees owe princely deeds. ' ' PART II. Ah, there is the ok1 oak-tree l 'Tis shroucled in black to-night. And there is the glimmering sea Shining clark rvith a sombre light From the clouclecl shy; there the briar :\ncl the eleft in the city wall; B;t the fzrint stars' r'avering fire The yourlg Prinee sees them all. Ancl he heals the seritries' treacl Break the stillness overheacl, As he steals to t'trle silent gap. He d reams a mo'r:rrent of lif e 'Of the f orest, the sea, and the sky;

Coneerning a race, ancl the result.