Panting beneath the goad, Dragged down the weary, winding road 240 And, naked and bare, To feel the stress and the strain Of the wind and the reeling main, Whose roar Would remind them for evermore Of their native forests they should not see again. And everywhere The slender, graceful spars Poise aloft in the air, And at the mast head, 250 White, blue, and red, A flag unrolls the stripes and stars. Ah! when the wanderer, lonely, friendless, In foreign harbours shall behold That flag unrolled, "T will be as a friendly hand Stretched out from his native land, Filling his heart with memories sweet and endless! All is finished! and at length Has come the bridal day 260 Of beauty and of strength. To-day the vessel shall be launched! With fleecy clouds the sky is blanched, Slowly, in all his splendors dight, The great sun rises to behold the sight. The ocean old, Centuries old, Strong as youth, and as uncontrolled, Paces restless to and fro, 270 Up and down the sands of gold. His beating heart is not at rest; With ceaseless flow, His beard of snow Heaves with the heaving of his breast. He waits impatient for his bride. With her foot upon the sands, Decked with flags and streamers gay, 280 In honor of her marriage day, 290 Her snow-white signals fluttering, blending, Ready to be The bride of the gray, old sea. On the deck another bride The prayer is said, The service read, The joyous bridegroom bows his head Down his own the tears begin to run. 300. The worthy pastor The shepherd of that wandering flock, Leaping ever from rock to rock Spake, with accents mild and clear. Of the sailor's heart, 310 All its pleasures and its griefs, And lift and drift, with terrible force, "Like unto ships far off at sea, And climb the crystal wall of the skies, As if we could slide from its outer brink. It is not the sea that sinks and shelves, That rock and rise With endless and uneasy motion, Now touching the very skies, Now sinking into the depths of ocean. To the toil and the task we have to do, The Fortunate Isles, on whose shining beach Then the Master, With a gesture of command, Waved his hand; And at the word, Loud and sudden there was heard, The sound of hammers, blow on blow, She starts, she moves, - she seems to feel The thrill of life along her keel, And, spurning with her foot the ground, She leaps into the ocean's arms! And lo! from the assembled crowd How beautiful she is! How fair She lies within those arms, that press Of tenderness and watchful care! Through wind and wave, right onward steer! Are not the signs of doubt or fear. Sail forth into the sea of life, O gentle, loving, trusting wife, Prevail o'er angry wave and gust; Something immortal still survives! Thou, too, sail on, O Ship of State! With all the hopes of future years, Our hearts, our hopes, are all with thee, Our faith triumphant o'er our fears, Are all with thee, are all with thee! THE EVENING STAR. JUST above yon sandy bar, As the day grows fainter and dimmer, Lonely and lovely, a single star Lights the air with a dusky glimmer. |