SEA PICTURES—FRANCE.

One autumn evening from the west-most steep I watched the daylight passing o’er the deep;— Down from the setting sun the great waves rolled Along its seaward path of molten gold, All the dark ocean rocks like capes of brass Gleamed where the foam had washed them, and the grass Grew glorious with that light, and the long swell Line after line that followed, rose and fell And shattered into frosted gold, the sky Arched splendour over splendour,—isles that lie Of crimson cloudland in pale seas of blue Red bars of flame with one star peeping through, Silent for glory; and the sea’s monotone Grew part with silence;—the great world rolled on And the sun watched along the waves, until The glow died upwards on the western hill, And the shade saddened over all the sea Reaching away, starward away from me Into the twilight and Eternity.

Late evening now, and overclouded skies To-night we shall not see the young moon rise; The twilight deepens, and on either hand The cliffs are lost in mystic shadowland. Only low sound of breakers as they die Pale shimmer of waters and a pale still sky Where darkness gathers on the moving sea, And yet the child laughs light of heart with me! Still deeper now;—one little brown-sailed bark Glides past us seaward, drifting into dark, The only light is on the white sea-foam And the lamp by the crucifix: Come home!

Night grows on the heaving ocean With its ominous white foam flakes, And the dizzy eternal motion Where the crest of the wave line breaks, With surge and swirl on the shingle Blown on by the keen sea wind, Surf waves that recoil and mingle With the hurrying surf behind. Low over the sea line yonder The gathering cloud-ranks form, With a gleam of the sunset under The fringe of the boding storm. Along the dim cliffs hollows The voice of the water moans, Where the wave as it follows follows Tears on at the yielding stones. The last day gleam departed, Wild gusts of a storm blast came, And out of the cloud gloom darted The flash of the lightning flame, And the pale, pale sea grew haggard A moment under the flash, And the line of the dark rocks staggered And reeled from the thunder-crash: Long loudly sullenly pealing It died in the cliffs afar,— And I saw that a woman was kneeling At the cross by the harbour bar.