CPW CORRECTIONS (Dec 05): VOLUME II = VARIORUM

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p 275 Contribution to "The Soldier's Wife", by Robert Southey (106)

The following text should be interpolated between MS 1 and PR 1, and also incorporated into the collation. It omits stress-marks and differs from PR 1 only in punctuation. Most important, it proves that revision followed on composition directly during the month of May.

2. Cornell WORDSWORTH Bd. Cottle = Joseph Cottle's Album f 1^r (the first item to be inscribed). Fair copy in RS's hand, signed and dated 25 May 1795.

title. English Dactylics. to a Soldiers Wife.

            Weary way-wanderer languid & sick at heart

            Travelling painfully over the rugged road

            Wild-visag'd wanderer---ah for thy heavy chance!

            [Line-space]

            Sorely thy little one drags by thee bare-footed ---

            Cold is the Baby that hangs at thy bending back

            Meagre & livid & screaming its wretchedness.

            [Line-space]

            Woe-begone Mother half anger, half agony

            As over thy shoulder thou lookest to hush the babe

            Bleakly the blinding snow beats in thy haggard face.

            [Line-break]

            Thy husband will never return from the war again.

            Cold is thy hopeless heart, even as Charity!

            Cold are thy famishd babes---God help thee Widow'd One

(Paul Cheshire)

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