His hunting feats have him bereft Of his right eye, as you may see: And then, what limbs those feats have left To poor old Simon Lee! He has no son, he has no child, His wife, an aged woman, Lives with him, near the waterfall, Upon the village common. And he is lean and he is sick, His little body's half awry His ancles they are swoln and thick ; His legs are thin and dry. When he was young he little knew Of husbandry or tillage; And now he's forced to work, though weak, —The weakest in the village. He all the country could outrun, Could leave both man and horse behind; And often, ere the race was done, He reeled and was stone-blind. And still there's something in the world At which his heart rejoices; For when the chiming hounds are out, He dearly loves their voices! Old Ruth works out of doors with him, And does what Simon cannot do ; For she, not over stout of limb, Is stouter of the two. And though you with your utmost skill From labour could not wean them, Alas! 'tis very little, all Which they can do between them. Beside their moss-grown hut of clay, A scrap of land they have, but they This scrap of land he from the heath But what avails the land to them, Few months of life has he in store, As he to you will tell, For still, the more he works, the more His poor old ancles swell... My gentle reader, I perceive How patiently you've waited, Some tale will be related. O reader had you in your mind Such stores as silent thought can bring, O gentle reader! you would find A tale in every thing. What more I have to say is short, It is no tale; but should you think, One summer-day I chanced to see The mattock totter'd in his hand ; So vain was his endeavour That at the root of the old tree He might have worked for ever. "You're overtasked, good Simon Lee, Give me your tool" to him I said; And at the word right gladly he I struck, and with a single blow At which the poor old man so long The tears into his eyes were brought, —I've heard of hearts unkind, kind deeds With coldness still returning. Alas! the gratitude of men Has oftner left me mourning. |