THE LAST SURVIVOR FROM THELIFE-BOAT
Beneathhis pillow, hid awayFrom careless sight, the nurses say,And safe from any stranger’s view,As miser might some treasure rare,So does he guard, with jealous care,A baby’s shoe.And evermore by day and night,With burning eyeballs fever-bright,This wan survivor of the seaScans each blank, closing wall in turn,In dim endeavor to discernIf sail there be.And then the weary sigh that slipsSuspiring from those parching lipsNo heart may hear nor bleed therefor!As, with hot tears that fall like rain,He soothes a dying baby’s painAnd o’er and o’erCroons snatches of soft lullabiesTo empty arms held cradle-wise.—O human heart-break, love and grief!God pity him in his distress,Ev’n as the sea was pitilessBeyond belief!God comfort, as with straining breath,Unheeding either life or death,Yet still with faint unwitting smile,His fingers fondly seek and foldThe little sea-stained shoe, and holdAnd stroke the while.
Beneathhis pillow, hid awayFrom careless sight, the nurses say,And safe from any stranger’s view,As miser might some treasure rare,So does he guard, with jealous care,A baby’s shoe.And evermore by day and night,With burning eyeballs fever-bright,This wan survivor of the seaScans each blank, closing wall in turn,In dim endeavor to discernIf sail there be.And then the weary sigh that slipsSuspiring from those parching lipsNo heart may hear nor bleed therefor!As, with hot tears that fall like rain,He soothes a dying baby’s painAnd o’er and o’erCroons snatches of soft lullabiesTo empty arms held cradle-wise.—O human heart-break, love and grief!God pity him in his distress,Ev’n as the sea was pitilessBeyond belief!God comfort, as with straining breath,Unheeding either life or death,Yet still with faint unwitting smile,His fingers fondly seek and foldThe little sea-stained shoe, and holdAnd stroke the while.
Beneathhis pillow, hid awayFrom careless sight, the nurses say,And safe from any stranger’s view,As miser might some treasure rare,So does he guard, with jealous care,A baby’s shoe.
Beneathhis pillow, hid away
From careless sight, the nurses say,
And safe from any stranger’s view,
As miser might some treasure rare,
So does he guard, with jealous care,
A baby’s shoe.
And evermore by day and night,With burning eyeballs fever-bright,This wan survivor of the seaScans each blank, closing wall in turn,In dim endeavor to discernIf sail there be.
And evermore by day and night,
With burning eyeballs fever-bright,
This wan survivor of the sea
Scans each blank, closing wall in turn,
In dim endeavor to discern
If sail there be.
And then the weary sigh that slipsSuspiring from those parching lipsNo heart may hear nor bleed therefor!As, with hot tears that fall like rain,He soothes a dying baby’s painAnd o’er and o’er
And then the weary sigh that slips
Suspiring from those parching lips
No heart may hear nor bleed therefor!
As, with hot tears that fall like rain,
He soothes a dying baby’s pain
And o’er and o’er
Croons snatches of soft lullabiesTo empty arms held cradle-wise.—O human heart-break, love and grief!God pity him in his distress,Ev’n as the sea was pitilessBeyond belief!
Croons snatches of soft lullabies
To empty arms held cradle-wise.
—O human heart-break, love and grief!
God pity him in his distress,
Ev’n as the sea was pitiless
Beyond belief!
God comfort, as with straining breath,Unheeding either life or death,Yet still with faint unwitting smile,His fingers fondly seek and foldThe little sea-stained shoe, and holdAnd stroke the while.
God comfort, as with straining breath,
Unheeding either life or death,
Yet still with faint unwitting smile,
His fingers fondly seek and fold
The little sea-stained shoe, and hold
And stroke the while.