Underneath the midnight sky,
Bright with starry beauty,
Sad, the shivering sentinel
Treads his round of duty:
For his thoughts are far away,
Far from strife and battle,
As he listens dreamingly,
To his baby's prattle;--
As he clasps his sobbing wife,
Wild with sudden gladness,
Kisses all her tears away--
Chides her looks of sadness--
Talks of Christmas nights to come,--
And his step grows lighter,
Whispering, while his stiffening hand
Grasps his musket tighter:--
"Patience, love!--keep heart! keep hope!
To your weary rover,
What a home our home will be,
When the war is over!"