THE DELUGE. From "Idylls of The King's Realm."

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 183, 18 December 1886, Page 5

THE DELUGE. From "Idylls of The King's Realm."

(By W. R. Wills )

Tint midnieht winds, with mutter'd woe Gamp hit-bintf through nch crag and felli Theltehinii-RS fia^h'rt. tne thundere rolled, Like- flami* q nrn lstera of hell ; Asd Js»t r- ehook th-> =»nli3 earth .▲s In h9r first convu'aive bi r th. The eea oprofle— and raina beat down, Till vaUeys *ere but oceen graves, An<l ro-»rin- billows lash'd the hills — And o'er the mountains ay eat the waves, JPierce met"ors f^ll with hurried fore, And darkness made more desolate ! Then ro^e the wailing cry of babes, Ano mothers' net- ts were \* ran;; with dread And in their acooie-i of death Ihey kis»en ttm pale lips of their dead ! .Ah ! love, poor heart-. ; and, d>ing, kiss The pale, dead idola of your bliss ! 7ho 1c ver clapped his fair young bride Inbiaat'onfit arms— the lretfuleea But dushed ita nnrelentin^ tide— {Ah ! bride and lover -ank m tbee.) "Then one convulsive ?as» for breath, A bitter wail— a huaii of death ! The cyclone rave:! — the temo<?st mourned A sad sad requiem for tha dead, TCor stirs, no m on, th ew forth their litght, Potf life, und light, and he p - had fled ! Ami but the wail r f ctcrm nv,* rain Told JCature sobb'd. and sobb'd in pain ! And days fl-v? past ; tho wivi s were still. The wi d<wet> Ji\c th-* zephyr's breatb, And from the .»rk a raven went Far o'er tli3 realms of and death ! Tt«ame not buck. ?nd t<soh ,-nd love Cent forth the evf-r raitbf ul aovo. O! «ent!e b' d— thou fnir wood-dovs, Thoa Bh'>it be s >rt on mf-tsage fond Bb th»u a me?K^nErer r- f 3(»ve ; Go forth arid *>rir>K a link— a bond E'tween tho r,o* aiid jr.i-ery. Between tfeo pa t and ' Yet to be." And she returns ; O ! bi ased ark, 'J'hou refuse safe fro^i wi^d ond sea. Ay ! sic r* turr s like wano'nnß sprite, Wit.i weaii d winjr, for rest in taee— iWint ttrk can we bur fi>,d to iet>t, l?ut ia tby love— Oh ! loving breuav ? Ah! sha br ught Lopr— an o'ive branch Sh-: f»«ii<i'y bore across the w-ive, EoiDltm «if doic- and :ov» divino ; A ray of i'fp f-o-n ocean giave— A ■wnif tne t ssi >q nad oust— A relic ot the buried paf t Ths rlcve went forth »g-in— flnd hope Return e a. ana the sad waters tell — And mount ana clad in living green, A lie of love and peace may tell. Sweet Nature -i iled, and tbiew her sheen O'-er burstinß buds aßd fairy bc°e6. Th« wo 1 wah fair, the Bkies aßain Wetfa briaht, Hnd elc uds of c lver hue ISalinel tht? Flo tinK, wein'-like hillß, That sail d the never-eudiDg blue, The son again threw hetit a.'d light, And htarts once sad a^uin were bright.