Poems (Osgood)/The Life-Voyage

by Frances Sargent Osgood

THE LIFE-VOYAGE.

a ballad.

Once in the olden time there dwelt,
 Beside the sounding sea,
A little maid—her garb was coarse,
 Her spirit pure and free.

Her parents were an humble twain,
 And poor as poor could be;
Yet gayly sang the guileless child,
 Beside the sounding sea.

The hut was bare, and scant the fare,
 And hard her little bed;
But she was rich! A single gem
 Its beauty round her shed.

She walk'd in light!—'twas all her wealth—
 That pearl, whose lustrous glow
Made her white forehead dazzling fair,
 And pure as sunlit snow.

Her parents died! With tears she cried,
 "God will my father be!"
Then launch'd alone her shallop light,
 And bravely put to sea.

The sail she set was virgin-white,
 As inmost lily leaf,
And angels whisper'd her from Heaven,
 To loose it or to reef.

And ever on the dancing prow
 One glorious brilliant burn'd,
By whose clear ray she read her way,
 And every danger learn'd:

For she had hung her treasure there,
 Her heaven-illumined pearl!
And so she steer'd her lonely bark,
 That fair and guileless girl!

The wind was fresh, the sails were free,
 High dash'd the diamond spray,
And merrily leaping o'er the sea,
 The light skiff left the bay!

But soon false, evil spirits came,
 And strove, with costly lure,
To bribe her maiden heart to shame,
 And win her jewel pure.

They swarm'd around the fragile boat,
 They brought her diamonds rare,
To glisten on her graceful throat,
 And bind her flowing hair!

They brought her gold from Afric-land,
 And from the sea-king's throne
They pilfer'd gems, to grace her hand
 And clasp her virgin zone.

But still she shook the silken curl
 Back from her beaming eyes,
And cried—"I bear my spotless pearl
 Home, home to yonder skies!

"Now shame ye not your ocean gems
 And Eastern gold to show?
Behold! how mine outburns them all!
 God's smile is in its glow!"

Fair blows the wind, the sail swells free,
 High shoots the diamond spray,
And merrily o'er the murmuring sea
 The light boat leaps away!

They swarm'd around the fragile bark,
 They strove with costlier lure
To bribe her maiden heart to shame,
 And win her jewel pure.

"We bring thee rank—we bring thee power—
 We bring thee pleasures free—
No empress, in her silk-hung bower,
 May queen her realm like thee!

"Now yield us up the one white pearl
 Tis but a star, whose ray
Will fail thee, rash, devoted girl,
 When tempests cloud thy way."

But still she smiled a loftier smile,
 And raised her frank, bright eyes,
And cried—"I bear my vestal star
 Home, home to yonder skies!"

The wind is fresh—the sail swells free—
 High shoots the diamond spray!
And merrily o'er the moaning sea
 The light boat leaps away!

Suddenly, stillness broods around,
 A stillness as of death,
Above, below—no motion, sound!
 Hardly a struggling breath!

Then wild and fierce the tempest came,
 The dark wind-demons clash'd
Their weapons swift—the air was flame!
 The waves in madness dash'd!

They swarm'd around the tossing boat—
 "Wilt yield thy jewel now?
Look! look! already drench'd in spray,
 It trembles at the prow.

"Be ours the gem! and safely launch'd
 Upon a summer sea,
Where never cloud may frown in heaven,
 Thy pinnace light shall be!"

But still she smiled a fearless smile,
 And raised her trusting eyes,
And cried "I bear my talisman
 Home, home to yonder skies!"

And safe through all that blinding storm
 The true bark floated on,
And soft its pearl-illumined prow
 Through all the tumult shone!

An angel, guided through the clouds
 By that most precious light,
Flew down the fairy helm to take,
 And steer the boat aright.

Then died the storm upon the sea!
 High dash'd the diamond spray,
And merrily leaping light and free,
 The shallop sail'd away.

And meekly, when at eve her bark
 Its destined port had found,
She moor'd it by the mellow spark
 Her jewel shed around!

Wouldst know the name the maiden wore
 'Twas Innocence—like thine!
Wouldst know the pearl she nobly bore?
 'Twas Truth—a gem divine!

Thou hast the jewel—keep it bright,
 Undimm'd by mortal fear,
And bathe each stain upon its light
 With Grief's repentant tear!

Still shrink from falsehood's fairest guise,
 By flattery unbeguiled!
Still let thy heart speak from thine eyes,
 My pure and simple child!