"Out of the Depths." UNKNOWN

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2054, 5 September 1885, Page 6 (Supplement)

"Out of the Depths." UNKNOWN

LioaxiNCi, and thunder, and teinpct 1 And high", over hill and dale, The srulte are blown übour, Hko ohsff, ' All in tho whitening gal* 1 The gulh ara blown about like chs.fi : Tlie blown foam aurga^ free : Christ save the pallors, m A an.! nil, That 3ail to-ni^nt on the sea ! A league or more from the rock-bomvl shore, Where the billow? foam and loap, Lonely and still, the lighthouse stands, Like the figuie of God on the deep. Like the figure of God on the raging sea, Serene, in the shadow and light ; A pillar of cloud by day it stands, And a pillar of fire by night 1 The high seas sweep ; the house stands ptill ; It braves the tempest's power ; God guide the hand that trims the lamp In tho lonely lighthouse tower 1 God guide the hand of the girl that trims, For her father is -well nigh blind ; And he hardly hears; witti his dying eara, The roaring of the wind. " Stay with me, child?" the old maa cried, " And kneel beside my bed ; For faint am I, and like to die : Stay with me, child !" he said. And the maiden clasped her hands in prayor And fervently prayed sho For her father, a low on his dying bed, And her lover, a-far on the sea 1 0 pity the Bailor upon the deep, For never a star have they 1 And the lamp gleam 3 dim through the blinding foam And the clouds of the flying spray-! '• Stay with me, child I" the old man cried, " And kneel beside uiy bed : For faint am I, and like to die : Stay with mo, child 1" he said. But eoft ! what light is thii he sees ? What sound is this he hears ? Well known the light to tUe mariner's eyes, And the sound to the seaman's ears I A light of distress— the minute gun ! Up on his couch he sat : " What light was that, my child ?'' he cried : " Mv child, wlmt sound was that ?" " A ship in distress — a ship on the reef, And tbe terapcet if raging vild 1" " Below the lifeboat lies," he criod, " Haste 1 haßte ! aud go ! my child." " Nay, father, nay : tho' ha I love Out of the depths should cry, Beside thy bed thy child will stand, To teurl thee, till thou die!" He kissed her with his death cold-lips : " The lifeboat lies below: The God of might make strong thine hand 1 My child, I ltd thcegol" A^aiu he saw the flashing light, And heard the booming gun : She looked into his d>ing eyes : "Father, thy will be done." Out — thro' the raging storm she passed : Oat— thro' the blinding night : No more he heard the booming gun, Or 3&v the flashing light. The hurricane howled : the breakers roared : Into the yawning main, Where down to death a hundred sank, One only rose again ! On seas, without a sail to saye — To Rkies, without a star — Onr> only ro3p, with bleeding hands To clutch a broken spar ! Far-off, the lonely lighthouse shone : Upon its ghostly gkam — As in a trance— hu eyes were fired — As in a drowning dream J " No, no," he moaned, " I shall not die, For Chrißt is still with me ! See— see— His shining Spirit oomes, To save me, on the Sea ! "He comes :He stands beside : He bends His loving arms to cave I He drags my drowning body up Out of its dreary grave ! 11 He lifts me from my dreary grave, And takes me to His reafc 1 1 feel His arms about my neck, My head upon Hit breast I "He stoops : Ho saves : I shall not die I" One upward glauce ho threw : He gazed into hia uaviour's eyes — " Kate, darliog 1 Is it you ?" She dragged him from the drowning deep With Love's almighty power : She rowed him thro' the foaming seas, Back to her lonely tower. She wrapt him in her father's cloak : She breathed a fitful prayer : She bore him, with the strength of Love, Up the steep tower-stair I Then softly to her father's side : But lo ! from overhead The Hmplight streamed upon his face, Happy, and calm, and dead. Happy, like one asleep, he lay ; Like one^in a sleep who smiled ; And clasped were his hands as when, Dying, he blesaed his child 1 The lightning ceased : the thunder died : No more the tempest raved: Beside his bed the lovera knelt— The saviour and the saved. And all night long, in the lighthouse tower, When the clouds were blown abroad, The stars shone down on tha quick and the dead — The lighthouse lamps of God I

Samcfij K. Cowan. M A. In the Theatre.