Page:Backblock Ballads and Later Verses (C.J. Dennis, 1918).djvu/136

 
From the Little Homes that nestle
    Where the smiling fields sweep wide,
From the Little Homes that huddle
    In the city, side by side,
They have called the eager fighters—
    Men who went with smiles and cheers;
Pride of wives and pride of mothers—
Pride that conquers fears.

What the Little Homes shall suffer,
    What the Little Homes shall pay
Must be more than sturdy fighters,
    More than women's grief to-day.
In the years that follow after,
    Be our battles won or lost,
In the Little Homes, my brothers,
They shall pay the cost.

They shall pay the cost of glory,
    They shall pay the price of peace,
Years and many long years after
    All the sounds of battle cease.
When the sword is sheathed—or broken—
    When the battle-flag is furled,
Still the Little Homes must suffer
Over all the World.