<html xmlns:tei="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><body><h1 align="center" class="head">The Woman's Toll. <br xmlns:exist="http://exist.sourceforge.net/NS/exist" xmlns:html="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"/></h1><div class="stanza"><p class="line">O MOTHER, mourning for the son who keeps </p><p class="line">His last dread watch by unfamiliar streams, </p><p class="line">Or for that other, gay of heart, who sleeps</p><p class="line">Where the great waters guard his secret dreams,</p><p class="line">Amid your tears take comfort for a space:</p><p class="line">They showed them worthy of their island race.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">O Wife, who heard across the wintry sea</p><p class="line">Death's trumpet shrill for him who goes no more</p><p class="line">Riding at dawn with that brave company</p><p class="line">Whose fellowship no morning shall restore;-. </p><p class="line">In its dark heart your bitterest hour shall bring </p><p class="line">Sweets from the scattered petals of the Spring</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">O Maid with wondering eyes untouched of grief,</p><p class="line">War's dreadful shadow spares your innocent years;</p><p class="line">Yet shall you deem the ways of sunshine brief,</p><p class="line">Paying, long hence, your toll of hidden tears</p><p class="line">For love which perished ere the web was spun,</p><p class="line">And children who shall never see the sun.</p></div><p class="byline">Ruth Duffin.<br xmlns:exist="http://exist.sourceforge.net/NS/exist" xmlns:html="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"/> (Part Author of "The Secret Hill.")</p>(The <em>Nation</em>, (My 15th, 1915.)</body></html> · Great War