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193
BERTHA. A BALLAD.
“Oh come ye from my own true love?
Oh come ye o'er the sea?
If it be Bertha that you seek,
Speak, Seamen, I am she.
Oh come ye o'er the sea?
If it be Bertha that you seek,
Speak, Seamen, I am she.
“Of Henry's life, of Henry's health,
Of Henry's coming, tell;
And say,—O I shall bless the sound!
Loves he his Bertha well?”
Of Henry's coming, tell;
And say,—O I shall bless the sound!
Loves he his Bertha well?”
194
“Of Henry's welfare, fame, and wealth,
To tell we gladly seek;
But Henry's self to Bertha's ear
His heart's true love must speak.
To tell we gladly seek;
But Henry's self to Bertha's ear
His heart's true love must speak.
“The vessel rides on yonder sea,
In all her summer pride;
And Henry, and his gentle love,
Will meet ere evening tide.”
In all her summer pride;
And Henry, and his gentle love,
Will meet ere evening tide.”
Fair Bertha broke her flaxen thread,
And toss'd her wheel away;
And round her Mother clasp'd her arms,
“Our Henry comes to day!”
And toss'd her wheel away;
And round her Mother clasp'd her arms,
“Our Henry comes to day!”
Her little sister laugh'd for joy;
Loud was her Mother's cry;
And Bertha smil'd, and sobb'd, and smil'd,
With tear-drop in her eye.
Loud was her Mother's cry;
And Bertha smil'd, and sobb'd, and smil'd,
With tear-drop in her eye.
195
Her Mother thank'd the Mariners
With many a courteous word;
And Bertha listen'd eagerly
As first that tale she heard.
With many a courteous word;
And Bertha listen'd eagerly
As first that tale she heard.
“My Henry comes ere evening tide,”
Still sounded in her ear;
“Oh come, and help to braid my hair,
Come, help me, Emma dear!
Still sounded in her ear;
“Oh come, and help to braid my hair,
Come, help me, Emma dear!
“Oh deck me like a gallant bride,
My own true love to see!”
And pleasure danc'd in Emma's eyes,
She sang for very glee.
My own true love to see!”
And pleasure danc'd in Emma's eyes,
She sang for very glee.
“O sister! I am pale and shrunk,
Since my true love departed!
Will he not say, ‘Art thou the maid,
From whom so late I parted?
Since my true love departed!
Will he not say, ‘Art thou the maid,
From whom so late I parted?
196
“I left thee fair and beautiful,
I find thee pale and worn,”—
My Henry, 'tis for thy dear sake,
That I am thus forlorn.
I find thee pale and worn,”—
My Henry, 'tis for thy dear sake,
That I am thus forlorn.
“'Tis pining for thy sight has chas'd
The rose that bloom'd so red;
The lustre of mine eye is quench'd
By tears for absence shed:”
The rose that bloom'd so red;
The lustre of mine eye is quench'd
By tears for absence shed:”
Young Emma held the glass and laugh'd,
“Fly, love-born terror, fly!
See pleasure lights thy blooming cheek,
And happy love thine eye:
“Fly, love-born terror, fly!
See pleasure lights thy blooming cheek,
And happy love thine eye:
“O thou wert ne'er so beautiful!—
Come let us to the shore,
To look for Henry's milk-white sail,
And list for Henry's oar.”
Come let us to the shore,
To look for Henry's milk-white sail,
And list for Henry's oar.”
197
'Twas noon: upon the glassy wave
The zephyrs seem'd to sleep;
And the bright sun-beams danc'd and play'd
Upon the tranquil deep.
The zephyrs seem'd to sleep;
And the bright sun-beams danc'd and play'd
Upon the tranquil deep.
“There is no wind to swell the sail,
He cannot come to-night;
We gaze around for many a mile,
No bark is yet in sight.
He cannot come to-night;
We gaze around for many a mile,
No bark is yet in sight.
“Blow, summer wind, and waft my love,
And bear him to the shore!
Flow, summer wave, and bring my love,
Where we shall part no more!
And bear him to the shore!
Flow, summer wave, and bring my love,
Where we shall part no more!
“And I will bribe ye, wave and wind,
With flowery coronet;
And you shall wear my maiden crown,
And I my true love get.”
With flowery coronet;
And you shall wear my maiden crown,
And I my true love get.”
198
She took her garland from her hair,
And flung it on the sea;
The garland fell on the distant wave,
And floated gloriously:
And flung it on the sea;
The garland fell on the distant wave,
And floated gloriously:
The snow-white spray hung in the flower,
Like dew-drops of the morning;
The Sun's bright ray play'd on the wreath,
With gems each bud adorning.
Like dew-drops of the morning;
The Sun's bright ray play'd on the wreath,
With gems each bud adorning.
The light wave rippled on the shore,
And kiss'd her feet so fair;
The rising breezes fann'd her cheek,
And lifted up her hair:
And kiss'd her feet so fair;
The rising breezes fann'd her cheek,
And lifted up her hair:
And the low whispering of the breeze,
The murmuring of the Sea,
They seem'd to speak to Bertha's ear,
We'll bear thy love to thee.
The murmuring of the Sea,
They seem'd to speak to Bertha's ear,
We'll bear thy love to thee.
199
“Is't not a vessel, sister, say,
That breaks yon level line?”
“Oh no! 'tis but a dusky cloud,
Where Sky and Ocean join!
That breaks yon level line?”
“Oh no! 'tis but a dusky cloud,
Where Sky and Ocean join!
“Seest thou not, Bertha, how it spreads,
And darkens as it goes?
Feel'st thou not now the gathering gale,
How fearfully it blows?
And darkens as it goes?
Feel'st thou not now the gathering gale,
How fearfully it blows?
“Would that the wind were hush'd again,
And calm the summer sea!”
“Cease, trembler, cease! I woo the breeze
It wafts my love to me;
And calm the summer sea!”
“Cease, trembler, cease! I woo the breeze
It wafts my love to me;
“Still, still, upon the foaming Sea,
The sun-beam gaily dances;”—
“Sister, the bright orb drinks the wave;
And threateningly it glances!”
The sun-beam gaily dances;”—
“Sister, the bright orb drinks the wave;
And threateningly it glances!”
200
At Evening darker grew the sky;
And higher toss'd the wave;
Poor Bertha's only prayer was now,
“Great God, my Henry save!”
And higher toss'd the wave;
Poor Bertha's only prayer was now,
“Great God, my Henry save!”
The loud storm howl'd; the lightning flash'd,
And blaz'd upon the Ocean;
And Bertha thought, upon the wave,
She saw a vessel's motion;
And blaz'd upon the Ocean;
And Bertha thought, upon the wave,
She saw a vessel's motion;
Again across the dark sea glanc'd
That blue and forked light;
There toss'd the bark! she never saw
So horrible a sight!
That blue and forked light;
There toss'd the bark! she never saw
So horrible a sight!
Between each deafening thunder-clap,
Roll'd faint the signal gun;
Till one loud shriek came on the blast,
To tell that all was done.
Roll'd faint the signal gun;
Till one loud shriek came on the blast,
To tell that all was done.
201
Again the lightning flash! no bark
Bertha's sad glances meet:
Another comes; her true love's corse
Is laid at Bertha's feet.
Bertha's sad glances meet:
Another comes; her true love's corse
Is laid at Bertha's feet.
Deck, maidens, deck the bridal bed!
And strew them o'er with flowers!
And plant a red rose at the head,
Watered with virgin showers!
And strew them o'er with flowers!
And plant a red rose at the head,
Watered with virgin showers!
And sing soft dirges o'er their tomb,
All who such fondness prove!
Yet mourn ye not fair Bertha's doom;
She died with her true love.
All who such fondness prove!
Yet mourn ye not fair Bertha's doom;
She died with her true love.
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