THE TEACHER.
121
Yet I never can think, as I lie,
And so wearily toss,
That by saint, or by star, or by ship,
I am coming across;
And so wearily toss,
That by saint, or by star, or by ship,
I am coming across;
But by light which I know in dear eyes
That are bent on the sea,
And the touch I remember of hands
That are waiting for me.
By the light of the eyes I could come,
If the stars should all fail;
And I think, if the ship should go down,
That the hands would prevail.
Ah! my darlings, you never will know
How I pined in the loss
Of you all, and how breathless and glad
I am coming across.
That are bent on the sea,
And the touch I remember of hands
That are waiting for me.
By the light of the eyes I could come,
If the stars should all fail;
And I think, if the ship should go down,
That the hands would prevail.
Ah! my darlings, you never will know
How I pined in the loss
Of you all, and how breathless and glad
I am coming across.
Steamship Russia, January 22, 1870,
THE TEACHER.
HE people listened, with short, indrawn breath,And eyes that were too steady set for tears
Thus one man's speech rolled off great loads of fears
From every heart, as sunlight scattereth
The clouds; hard doubts, which had been born of death,
Shone out as rain-drops shine when rainbow clears
The air. "O teacher," then I said, "thy years,
Are they not joy? Each word that issueth
