 | Morning Songs |  |
63
THE TEMPEST.
We have ofttimes heard in our childhood,
While perched on some old settler's knee,
Fanciful tales of the forest;
And tales of the briny sea.
While perched on some old settler's knee,
Fanciful tales of the forest;
And tales of the briny sea.
How the hunter that trudged through the wood-land,
Returned when the sun's gleam was low,
Of drear battle-fields 'neath the moon light
Where fell the friend and the foe
Returned when the sun's gleam was low,
Of drear battle-fields 'neath the moon light
Where fell the friend and the foe
The tales of the sea, they were many;
Of her sailors, her ebb and her flow,
Of the many ships lost in the tempest,
In the days of the far long ago.
Of her sailors, her ebb and her flow,
Of the many ships lost in the tempest,
In the days of the far long ago.
Among the tales that were startling,
Time upon time to me told,
There is one of a most dreadful tempest;
That rages o'er mortal man's soul.
Time upon time to me told,
There is one of a most dreadful tempest;
That rages o'er mortal man's soul.
It dawns with sin's tempting pleasure
In the morn, when the soul first awakes;
And thunderous clouds, thickly gather,
While storms on the weary soul breaks.
In the morn, when the soul first awakes;
And thunderous clouds, thickly gather,
While storms on the weary soul breaks.
64
The bulwark of life which surrounds it,
'Neath torrents of torture and gall,
'Neath storm-winds of direst temptations,
To oft they are shaken, they fall.
'Neath torrents of torture and gall,
'Neath storm-winds of direst temptations,
To oft they are shaken, they fall.
While thicker and dark, grows the tempest,
As the day advances we're told,
The fierce, dreadful winds of temptation,
In torrents they charge on the soul.
As the day advances we're told,
The fierce, dreadful winds of temptation,
In torrents they charge on the soul.
The deluge of sin's reenforcements,
With scepter, and missel, and dart,
Joins in with the host of marauders;
In destruction they seek for the heart.
With scepter, and missel, and dart,
Joins in with the host of marauders;
In destruction they seek for the heart.
The soldiers grow baffled and weary,
While stifling smoke shadows the air,
The wounded among them are many;
The dying ones groan in despair.
While stifling smoke shadows the air,
The wounded among them are many;
The dying ones groan in despair.
Ere long, when hopes were most vanished,
A cry, but not in despair,
Comes forth from a new reenforcement;
With shouts of defiance, a prayer.
A cry, but not in despair,
Comes forth from a new reenforcement;
With shouts of defiance, a prayer.
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The baffled ones gather about them,
To banish their fear and their dread;
Forthwith to the rampart they follow
The bearer's cross 'bove their heads.
To banish their fear and their dread;
Forthwith to the rampart they follow
The bearer's cross 'bove their heads.
Away flies the evil pursuers,
From the sight of that standard 'tis told,
The thick clouds of gloom and of darkness,
Fall back from their charge on the soul.
From the sight of that standard 'tis told,
The thick clouds of gloom and of darkness,
Fall back from their charge on the soul.
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