THE SEA-CHILDREN.

COLE YOUNG RICE.

"Oh, mother, I layA-dreaming one dayBy the wreck of the Alberdeen,And I heard a singingUnder the seaOf children swinging—Their hair was green!—In seaweed swings, and they called to me—Oh, mother, they called to me"—"Hush, hush thee, my child!Thy prattle is wild,For the children that dwell in the seaAre the fishes swimmingAmid white shellsWhose pearly hymningBut echoed to theeThe strangled songs of the sinking swells—My child, 'twas the song of the swells.""And, mother," they said"Come to us!—oh, dreadNot the waves tho' they fret and foam;They're far, far overUs while we playBeneath the coverOf our sea-home,All day, all day o'er the beds of the bay!Oh, mother, the beds of the bay!""Hush, hush thee, my child!"—But strangely he smiledAs he gazed at the weird-lit waves.For he heard a singing—"Come to us, come!"He saw them swingingIn crystal caves,And cried, "I'm coming! I'm"—ah, how numbHis death-dewy lips—how numb!

"Oh, mother, I layA-dreaming one dayBy the wreck of the Alberdeen,And I heard a singingUnder the seaOf children swinging—Their hair was green!—In seaweed swings, and they called to me—Oh, mother, they called to me"—"Hush, hush thee, my child!Thy prattle is wild,For the children that dwell in the seaAre the fishes swimmingAmid white shellsWhose pearly hymningBut echoed to theeThe strangled songs of the sinking swells—My child, 'twas the song of the swells.""And, mother," they said"Come to us!—oh, dreadNot the waves tho' they fret and foam;They're far, far overUs while we playBeneath the coverOf our sea-home,All day, all day o'er the beds of the bay!Oh, mother, the beds of the bay!""Hush, hush thee, my child!"—But strangely he smiledAs he gazed at the weird-lit waves.For he heard a singing—"Come to us, come!"He saw them swingingIn crystal caves,And cried, "I'm coming! I'm"—ah, how numbHis death-dewy lips—how numb!

"Oh, mother, I layA-dreaming one dayBy the wreck of the Alberdeen,And I heard a singingUnder the seaOf children swinging—Their hair was green!—In seaweed swings, and they called to me—Oh, mother, they called to me"—

"Oh, mother, I lay

A-dreaming one day

By the wreck of the Alberdeen,

And I heard a singing

Under the sea

Of children swinging—

Their hair was green!—

In seaweed swings, and they called to me—

Oh, mother, they called to me"—

"Hush, hush thee, my child!Thy prattle is wild,For the children that dwell in the seaAre the fishes swimmingAmid white shellsWhose pearly hymningBut echoed to theeThe strangled songs of the sinking swells—My child, 'twas the song of the swells."

"Hush, hush thee, my child!

Thy prattle is wild,

For the children that dwell in the sea

Are the fishes swimming

Amid white shells

Whose pearly hymning

But echoed to thee

The strangled songs of the sinking swells—

My child, 'twas the song of the swells."

"And, mother," they said"Come to us!—oh, dreadNot the waves tho' they fret and foam;They're far, far overUs while we playBeneath the coverOf our sea-home,All day, all day o'er the beds of the bay!Oh, mother, the beds of the bay!"

"And, mother," they said

"Come to us!—oh, dread

Not the waves tho' they fret and foam;

They're far, far over

Us while we play

Beneath the cover

Of our sea-home,

All day, all day o'er the beds of the bay!

Oh, mother, the beds of the bay!"

"Hush, hush thee, my child!"—But strangely he smiledAs he gazed at the weird-lit waves.For he heard a singing—"Come to us, come!"He saw them swingingIn crystal caves,And cried, "I'm coming! I'm"—ah, how numbHis death-dewy lips—how numb!

"Hush, hush thee, my child!"—

But strangely he smiled

As he gazed at the weird-lit waves.

For he heard a singing—

"Come to us, come!"

He saw them swinging

In crystal caves,

And cried, "I'm coming! I'm"—ah, how numb

His death-dewy lips—how numb!


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