The Wives Of Brixham

You see the gentle water, How süently it floata, How pautiously, how steadily It moves the sleepy boats; And all the liUIe loops or pearl I strews iloac tbe saml Stesl out as It-isureiy as leaves When summer is at haud. But yon know it can le augry, Aud thunder froui ite rest, Wheu the etonny tauuis of winter Are flying at its breast; And if y u lite to listen, And draw yonr chaira around I'll tll you what it did one niiiht Wheu you were sleeping sound. The merry bats of Brixham Go out to 8earcb Mie seas; A stiunch and stuniy fleet are they, Wtio love a swingin? tireeze; And 'louc the wooils of Devon, And the süver clitfs of Wales. You may see when suinmer evenings fall, The I í trli t upon their sails. But when the year grows darker And gray winds hunt the foain, They go back to little Brixham And ply their toils at home; Am(1 so it chanced. one wiuter"a day, When the wind began to roar, That all the men were out at sea, And all the wives on ahore. Then as the etorm (frew fiercer The women's cheeks grew white;- It was fiercer throuifh tho twilight, Aud fiercest íd the niglit; The stroug clouds set themselves like ice, With uot a star to melt, Aii'l the l!acknesH of the darkness Was something to be feit. Tlm wind, like an assassin, Went on its secret way, And strnck a hundred harks adrift To reel about the hay; They meet, they crath - God keep the men! (xod give a moment's liifht! Tbeie is nothine butthe tumult, And the tempest, and the nighL The men on shore were trembling, Tbey grieved for wbat they knew; Wliat do jou thiok the women did? Love taught thera what to do. Up spoke a wife, " We've beds at home - We'.l burn thera for a light- Give U8 the men and the bare grouud - We want no more to-nighU" They took the graadame's blanket, Wht BhirerM and bade thein go; They took the baby's pillow, Who could not say ihem no; And they heap'd a great fire on the pier, And knew nut all the while If they were heaping a bonfirc, Or only a funeral pile And, fed vvitti precious food, the flame Shone bravely en the black, TUI a cry went through the people, "A boat is coming back!" Staggering dimly through the fog, They see, aud then they doubt - But wben the first prow strikes the pier, Cannot jou hear tbem shout? Then, all along the breadth of flame Dark figures shriek'd and ran, With "Ohild, here comes your father!" Or "Wife, is this your man?" And faint feet touch the welcome stone And stay a little while, Aod kisses drop froui frozpn lips Too tiied to speak or smile. So one by one they struggled in, All that the sea would spare - W will not reckon through our tears The names that were not there; But some went home, wittout a bed, When all the tale was told, Who were tío cold with eorrow Tokuow the night was cold. And this is what the men raust do Who work in wiad and foam, And this is wnat the womeo bear Who watch for thein at home; So when you see a lirixham boat Go out to meet the gales, Thiuk of the love that trawls Like light óon her sails!