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'Tween The Gloamin' And The
Mirk (1882)
Poems And Songs
by Cecile MacNeill Thomson (1851-1905)
Poetess Cecile Ann
MacNeill (Sword) Thomson was born c. 1851 in Jura, Argyll, Scotland and
died on the 16th of December 1905 at Thornhill Lodge Falkirk, Stirling,
Scotland, aged 53 years. The cause of her death was phthisis pulmonalis
(TB).
Cecile Ann MacNeill Sword, [Governess] aged 29 years, married George
Thomson (Gardener) aged 30 years, on the 9th of December 1881 in St
Giles Edinburgh, Scotland. George Thomson was born on the 30th March
1851 in Bellie, Moray, Scotland to George Thomson [Salmon Fisher] and
Elizabeth Jamieson who married in Bellie on the 29th of December, 1849.
Cecile's father was Robert Sword (Gardener) who was born in 1823 in
Ettrick, Selkirkshire, Scotland, and died on the 29th of January 1900 in
Wilton, Roxburgh, Scotland, aged 77. The cause of his death was
Pneumonia.
Cecile's mother was Mary McKenzie who was born in Fort William, Argyll,
Scotland, and died on the 31st of July 1880 in Selkirk, aged 60. The
cause of her death was dysentery.
Cecile's paternal grandparents were William Sword [Forester] and
Christina Brydon, and her maternal grandparents were Duncan McKenzie
[Merchant] & Mary Henderson.
Robert Sword married Mary McKenzie on the 13th of November 1846 in
Dunoon And Kilmun,Argyll, Scotland.
They had the following
family: [Births prior to 1855 not registered in the Old Parochial
Records.]
Christina c. 1846
Duncan c. 1848
Cecile c. 1851
Mary c. 1852
Margaret c.1854
William born 1856
Here are two poems to
read here...
MUSIC AND POETRY (1882)
by Mrs Cecile Ann MacNeill (Sword) Thomson (1851-1905)
Ennobling music, highest art;
Dear poesy—sweet sisters twain—
Without thy charms the human heart
An earth-bound groveller might remain.
O remnant of fair Eden's bliss,
Devotion's offering, meet for Heaven,
Thou sweet'ner of life's bitterness,
Thou priceless gift to man, God-given.
Orient light that radiates
Coruscant beams through heart and mind--
Hail love divine, that delegates
Exultant music to mankind.
************************
MOONLIGHT MEMORIES (1882)
by Mrs Cecile Ann MacNeill (Sword) Thomson (1851-1905)
When Luna's soft and silvery light
O'er nature casts a mystic spell ;
When brightly gleam the gems of night,
And whispering breezes secrets tell.
Tis in this still and peaceful hour
Our thoughts on fancy's pinions soar ;
And memory wakes with magic power
Recalling scenes in nights of yore.
The bye-gone years in misty haze
Fleet cloud-like past before the mind,
Revealing to our wistful gaze
The joys of youth left far behind.
And through these years the golden chain
Of love and friendship glitters bright :
Each shining link portrays again
A face once gazed on with delight.
In fancied forms they seem so near,
We, half-forgetting, think to clasp
In fond embrace those held so dear
Or meet their hands in fervent grasp.
Delusive dream, for nevermore
Shall some, once dear to us, return :
Their feet now tread the golden shore
Where ever lasts the nightless morn.
A few in distant climes now roam,
And years have fled since last we met ;
With strangers some have found a home,
And in new loves, our love forget.
But yet on moonlight nights like this
'Tis pleasant to retrace anew
Our paths through life, and warmly bless
Those constant ones who still are true.
We have a
copy of her book which you can download here |
