8. You will tell me where is Conrad?
“You will tell me where is Conrad?” said an old man, bent and gray,
While the flames were wildly dancing, and the walls were giving way.
“I have heard some ones was buried—underneath the ruins fell;
He was in de topmost story—ah; my God! I love him well!
“I will tell you how you'd know him: he had full and laughing eye,
And his face was smooth and smiling—and he was too young to die.
“Hair he had like clouds at sunset when another day is done,
And I love him—how I love him! and he is my only son.
“Say, Policeman, tell me truly that this young man you did see,
And I'll all the money give you, such as I could bring with me.
“Tell me that he anxious acted—that he hunted far and long,
Like as children would be calling for their father in a throng;
“Or he wounded was, pray tell me—in the hospital to lie?—
I will just now hasten to him, and I will not let him die!
“Tell me—oh, you must not tell me—dead you did my Conrad see?
Yet if so is I can stand that—I did long a soldier be.
“Only—Death, we do not fear him when we hear the bullets sing,
But to have my boy killed this way is a rather different thing.
“Only—that his poor old mother, she waits home all full of fear,
And I cannot there be going, till I take good news from here!
“Young he was when we did bring him from the Rhine land o'er the sea;
I did live for her and Conrad—she did live for him and me.
“Other ones we bring not with us: God he says ‘These more be mine’,
And we left them all a-sleeping 'mong the vineyards of the Rhine.
“He has not a cross word give us—he has loved us every day,
And if he to-night comes home not, 'tis the first that he's away.
“Let me to that fire, Policeman! I care not for walls or brand!
Maybe he in there is living—reaching for his father's hand!
“Let me past, I say, Policeman! I have work there to be done!
Let go me or I will strike you!—is it that you have no son?”
Still the flames were like a furnace, and the walls were crashing loud,
And the old man, held in safety, fainted 'mid the trembling crowd.
And the mother watched and wondered, with her great eyes scarcely wet;
But half dazed amid her sorrow, waits for Conrad even yet.
While the flames were wildly dancing, and the walls were giving way.
“I have heard some ones was buried—underneath the ruins fell;
He was in de topmost story—ah; my God! I love him well!
“I will tell you how you'd know him: he had full and laughing eye,
And his face was smooth and smiling—and he was too young to die.
“Hair he had like clouds at sunset when another day is done,
And I love him—how I love him! and he is my only son.
“Say, Policeman, tell me truly that this young man you did see,
And I'll all the money give you, such as I could bring with me.
“Tell me that he anxious acted—that he hunted far and long,
Like as children would be calling for their father in a throng;
“Or he wounded was, pray tell me—in the hospital to lie?—
I will just now hasten to him, and I will not let him die!
“Tell me—oh, you must not tell me—dead you did my Conrad see?
Yet if so is I can stand that—I did long a soldier be.
“Only—Death, we do not fear him when we hear the bullets sing,
But to have my boy killed this way is a rather different thing.
“Only—that his poor old mother, she waits home all full of fear,
And I cannot there be going, till I take good news from here!
“Young he was when we did bring him from the Rhine land o'er the sea;
I did live for her and Conrad—she did live for him and me.
“Other ones we bring not with us: God he says ‘These more be mine’,
And we left them all a-sleeping 'mong the vineyards of the Rhine.
“He has not a cross word give us—he has loved us every day,
And if he to-night comes home not, 'tis the first that he's away.
“Let me to that fire, Policeman! I care not for walls or brand!
Maybe he in there is living—reaching for his father's hand!
“Let me past, I say, Policeman! I have work there to be done!
Let go me or I will strike you!—is it that you have no son?”
Still the flames were like a furnace, and the walls were crashing loud,
And the old man, held in safety, fainted 'mid the trembling crowd.
And the mother watched and wondered, with her great eyes scarcely wet;
But half dazed amid her sorrow, waits for Conrad even yet.
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