THE LIFE VOYAGE—A BALLAD.
Reading edition
———
BY FRANCES S. OSGOOD.
———
Once in the olden time there dwelt,
Beside the sounding sea,
A little maid—her garb was coarse,
Her spirit pure and free.
Her parents were an humble twain,
And poor, as poor could be;
Yet gaily sang the guileless child,
Beside the sounding sea.
The hut was bare, and scant the fare,
And hard her little bed;
But she was rich! A single gem
Its beauty round her shed.
She walked in light!—’twas all her wealth—
That pearl whose lustrous glow
Made her white forehead dazzling fair,
And pure as sunlit snow.
Her parents died! With tears, she cried,
“God will my father be!”
Then launched alone her shallop light,
And bravely put to sea.
The sail she set was virgin-white
As inmost lily leaf,
And angels whispered her from Heaven,
To loose it or to reef.
And ever on the dancing prow
One glorious brilliant burned,
By whose clear ray she read her way,
And every danger learned:
For she had hung her treasure there,
Her heaven-illumined pearl!
And so she steered her lonely bark,
That fair and guileless girl!
The wind was fresh, the sails were free,
High dashed the diamond spray,
And merrily leaping o’er the sea
The light skiff left the bay!
But soon false, evil spirits came,
And strove, with costly lure,
To bribe her maiden heart to shame,
And win her jewel pure:
They swarmed around the fragile boat,
They brought her diamonds rare,
To glisten on her graceful throat,
And bind her flowing hair!
They brought her gold from Afric-land;
And from the sea-king’s throne,
They pilfered gems to grace her hand
And clasp her virgin zone.
But still she shook the silken curl
Back from her beaming eyes,
And cried—“I bear my spotless pearl
Home, home to yonder skies!
“Now shame ye not your ocean gems
And Eastern gold to show?
Behold! how mine but burns them all!
God’s smile is in its glow!”
Fair blows the wind, the sail swells free,
High shoots the diamond spray,
And merrily o’er the murmuring sea
The light boat leaps away!
They swarmed around the fragile bark,
They strove, with costlier lure,
To bribe her maiden heart to shame,
And win her jewel pure.
“We bring thee rank—we bring thee power—
We bring thee pleasures free—
No empress, in her silk-hung bower,
May queen her realm like thee!
“Now yield us up the one, white pearl!
’Tis but a star, whose ray
Will fail thee, rash, devoted girl,
When tempests cloud thy way.”
But still she smiled a loftier smile,
And raised her frank, bright eyes,
And cried—“I bear my vestal star,
Home, home to yonder skies!”
The wind is fresh—the sail swells free—
High shoots the diamond spray!
And merrily o’er the moaning sea
The light boat leaps away!
Suddenly, stillness broods around,
A stillness as of death,
Above, below—no motion, sound!
Hardly a struggling breath!
Then wild and fierce the tempest came,
The dark wind-demons clashed,
Their weapons swift—the air was flame!
The waves in madness dashed!
They swarmed around the tossing boat—
“Wilt yield thy jewel now?
Look! look! already drenched in spray,
It trembles at the prow.
“Be ours the gem! and safely launched
Upon a summer sea,
Where never cloud may frown in heaven,
Thy pinnance light shall be!”
But still she smiled a fearless smile,
And raised her trusting eyes,
And cried—“I bear my talisman,
Home, home to yonder skies!”
And safe through all that blinding storm
The true bark floated on,
And soft its pearl-illumined prow
Through all the tumult shone!
An angel, guided through the clouds,
By that most precious light,
Flew down the fairy helm to seize
And steer the boat aright.
Then died the storm upon the sea!
High dashed the diamond spray,
And merrily leaping, light and free,
The shallop sailed away!
And meekly, when, at eve, her bark
Its destined port had found,
She moored it by the mellow spark
Her jewel shed around!
Would’st know the name the maiden wore?
’Twas Innocence—like thine!
Would’st know the pearl she nobly bore?
’Twas Truth—a gem divine!
Thou hast the jewel—keep it bright,
Undimmed by mortal fear,
And bathe each stain upon its light
With Grief’s repentant tear!
Still shrink from Falsehood’s fairest guise,
By Flattery unbeguiled!
Still let thy heart speak from thine eyes,
My pure and simple child!