Relieving Guard

Thomas Starr King. Obiit March 4, 1864


Came the relief. What, sentry, ho!
How passed the night through thy long waking?
Cold, cheerless, dark, as may befit
The hour before the dawn is breaking.

No sight? no sound? No; nothing save
The plover from the marshes calling,
And in yon western sky, about
An hour ago, a star was falling.

A star? Theres nothing strange in that.
No, nothing; but, above the thicket,
Somehow it seemed to me that God
Somewhere had just relieved a picket.

Bret Harte

Bret Harte was an American author and poet, renowned for his works about pioneering life in California. Born on August 25, 1836, he gained national fame with his short stories and poetry depicting life in the early mining camps. His most famous works include 'The Luck of Roaring Camp' and 'The Outcasts of Poker Flat.' Harte's writings played a crucial role in shaping the Western genre in American literature. He passed away on May 5, 1902.

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