"A lord tells the lady he loves that he is going in a journey that will take several years. After a time, he longs to see her. He returns whereupon he hears of her death, and dies of grief." [Wikipedia]. A number of recordings of the song are available online.

Courtesy, The Walters Art Museum

She was the wife of William Smith Slater, one of two brothers who took over their father's mill in Slatersville.