 | Tales in Verse for Young People |  |
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THE SAILOR'S WIFE.
A TALE OF THE SEA.
Heaven keep the wives of seamen,
And bless their children small,
For they have power to cheer us,
If sorrow should befall!
And bless their children small,
For they have power to cheer us,
If sorrow should befall!
I'll tell you how the thoughts of them
Once saved a ship in need,
As if they'd been the seraphim
That had of us good heed.
Once saved a ship in need,
As if they'd been the seraphim
That had of us good heed.
A stout ship was the Halcyon,
As ever sailed the sea;
The crew that manned the Halcyon,
Were thirty hands and three.
As ever sailed the sea;
The crew that manned the Halcyon,
Were thirty hands and three.
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I was the good ship's purser,
The ocean was my joy—
The waves had been my playmates
When I was but a boy.
The ocean was my joy—
The waves had been my playmates
When I was but a boy.
The master of the Halcyon
Was good as he was bold;
Let the name of William Morrison
Throughout the world be told!
Was good as he was bold;
Let the name of William Morrison
Throughout the world be told!
We heaved the Halcyon's anchor
On the twenty-first of May,
And from our wives and children
With sorrow went away.
On the twenty-first of May,
And from our wives and children
With sorrow went away.
My wife was bonny Betsy,
Both trim and true was she;
We called the good ship after her,
When next we went to sea:
And how this glory chanced to her
I'll tell ye presently.
Both trim and true was she;
We called the good ship after her,
When next we went to sea:
And how this glory chanced to her
I'll tell ye presently.
With her I left two children,
More dear than mines of gold—
Another dark-haired Betsy,
And a boy scarce two years old.
More dear than mines of gold—
Another dark-haired Betsy,
And a boy scarce two years old.
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Said I, “My bonny Betsy,
These idle tears restrain;
The happy day will soon come round,
When we shall meet again!
These idle tears restrain;
The happy day will soon come round,
When we shall meet again!
“So, fare-ye-well, my jewels!”
Said I, in feigned glee,
For I feared the pain of parting
Would make a child of me.
Said I, in feigned glee,
For I feared the pain of parting
Would make a child of me.
We went on board the Halcyon
On the twenty-first of May,
And with a fresh and prosperous gale
From England bore away.
On the twenty-first of May,
And with a fresh and prosperous gale
From England bore away.
We were bound unto the islands
In the South Pacific Sea;
And many a day, and many a week,
We sailed on prosperously.
In the South Pacific Sea;
And many a day, and many a week,
We sailed on prosperously.
But then a dreadful malady
Broke out among the crew;
The ocean-waves rolled heavily,
And the hot wind scarcely blew!
Broke out among the crew;
The ocean-waves rolled heavily,
And the hot wind scarcely blew!
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'Twas on a Monday morning,
When first the plague appeared,
About the latter days of June,
When the equinox we neared.
When first the plague appeared,
About the latter days of June,
When the equinox we neared.
The brave men gazed in sorrow,
The weak men in despair—
As the reaper in the harvest-field,
Death drove his sickle there!
The weak men in despair—
As the reaper in the harvest-field,
Death drove his sickle there!
They died within the hammock,
They dropped from off the shroud;
And then they 'gan to murmur,
And misery spoke aloud.
They dropped from off the shroud;
And then they 'gan to murmur,
And misery spoke aloud.
When at the helm the helmsman died,
All care of life seemed gone;
We sat in stupid anguish,
And let the ship drive on.
All care of life seemed gone;
We sat in stupid anguish,
And let the ship drive on.
We looked upon each other
In terror and dismay;
We feared each other's company,
And longed to get away.
In terror and dismay;
We feared each other's company,
And longed to get away.
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But death was in the vessel,
And death was on the sea;—
Said they, “We'll launch the long-boat,
And so part company.’
And death was on the sea;—
Said they, “We'll launch the long-boat,
And so part company.’
In all we were but thirteen men;
And with that sluggish wind,
Six of our number put to sea,
And seven remained behind.
And with that sluggish wind,
Six of our number put to sea,
And seven remained behind.
In vain the captain urged them
By the vessel to remain;
But woe had made them reckless,
And they answered not again.
By the vessel to remain;
But woe had made them reckless,
And they answered not again.
We saw throughout that weary day,
A westward course they bore;
But we lost them on the morrow,
And never saw them more.
A westward course they bore;
But we lost them on the morrow,
And never saw them more.
Our captain sat among us,
As he for long had done,
And cheered with comfortable words,
When comfort else was none.
As he for long had done,
And cheered with comfortable words,
When comfort else was none.
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Said he, “My brave companions,
Still let us nobly strive,
And for our wives and children,
Keep fainting hope alive!
Still let us nobly strive,
And for our wives and children,
Keep fainting hope alive!
“There was one, the bonny Betsy,
With a child in either hand—
I saw her tears at parting,
As she stood on the strand.
With a child in either hand—
I saw her tears at parting,
As she stood on the strand.
“We all have wives in England—
Come, yield not to dismay:
Let's give a cheer for Betsy,
And do the best we may!
Come, yield not to dismay:
Let's give a cheer for Betsy,
And do the best we may!
“Ye shall live to smile at sorrow!—
Brave hearts, let's down with pain
Please God, we'll bring the Halcyon
To England once again!”
Brave hearts, let's down with pain
Please God, we'll bring the Halcyon
To England once again!”
So spoke good William Morrison,
His tears but half repressed;
And all rose up, as if renewed,
And vowed to do our best.
His tears but half repressed;
And all rose up, as if renewed,
And vowed to do our best.
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It seemed the plague had left us,
And we were strong men all,
When we thought on those who loved us,
Our wives and children small.
And we were strong men all,
When we thought on those who loved us,
Our wives and children small.
And soon upsprung a cooling gale,
A cool gale and a strong;
And from those deadly latitudes
The good ship bore along.
A cool gale and a strong;
And from those deadly latitudes
The good ship bore along.
We were but seven mariners,
And yet we were enow;
And we cheered for bonny Betsy,
With every rope we drew.
And yet we were enow;
And we cheered for bonny Betsy,
With every rope we drew.
They looked on me with kindness,
As on we gaily moved;
For each man in my Betsy
Beheld the wife he loved.
As on we gaily moved;
For each man in my Betsy
Beheld the wife he loved.
Heaven bless the wives of seamen,
And be their children's stay,
For they have power to cheer us,
When we are far away!
And be their children's stay,
For they have power to cheer us,
When we are far away!
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And so we made our voyage
Across the southern main,
And brought that gallant vessel
To England safe again.
Across the southern main,
And brought that gallant vessel
To England safe again.
They named her there the “Betsy,”
Before the second trip;
And I'll abide beside her,
As long as she's a ship!
Before the second trip;
And I'll abide beside her,
As long as she's a ship!
Now let us cheer for joy in store,
For sorrow that is gone,
And for my bonny Betsy
And Captain Morrison!
For sorrow that is gone,
And for my bonny Betsy
And Captain Morrison!
| Tales in Verse for Young People | |