The mother sees all in her dreaming, And other things too she marked; Then up from her slumber she wakened, So loudly the town dogs barked. There lay her son, to his full length Stretched out, and he was dead; And the light on his pale cheek flitted Of the morning's dawning red. She folded her hands together, She felt as she knew not how, And softly she sang and devoutly, "Ever honored, O Mary, be thou!" * * * * * THE RETURN HOME (1823-24) 1[28] Once upon my life's dark pathway Gleamed a phantom of delight; Now that phantom fair has vanished, I am wholly wrapt in night. Children in the dark, they suffer At their heart a spasm of fear; And, their inward pain to deaden, Sing aloud, that all may hear. I, a madcap child, now childlike In the dark to sing am fain; If my song be not delightsome, It at least has eased my pain. 2[29] We sat at the fisherman's cottage, And gazed upon the sea; Then came the mists of evening, And rose up silently. The lights within the lighthouse Were kindled one by one, We saw still a ship in the distance On the dim horizon alone. We spoke of tempest and shipwreck, Of sailors and of their life, And how 'twixt clouds and billows They're tossed, 'twixt joy and strife. We spoke of distant countries From North to South that range, Of strange fantastic nations, And their customs quaint and strange. The Ganges is flooded with splendor, And perfumes waft through the air, And gentle people are kneeling To Lotos flowers fair. In Lapland the people are dirty, Flat-headed, large-mouthed, and small; They squat round the fire and, frying Their fishes, they shout and they squall. The girls all gravely listened, Not a word was spoken at last; The ship we could see no longer, Darkness was settling so fast. 3[30] You lovely fisher-maiden, Bring now the boat to land; Come here and sit beside me, We'll prattle hand in hand. Your head lay on my bosom, Nor be afraid of me; Do you not trust all fearless Daily the great wild sea? My heart is like the sea, dear, Has storm, and ebb, and flow, And many purest pearl-gems Within its dim depth glow. 4[31] My child, we were two children, Small, merry by childhood's law; We used to creep to the henhouse, And hide ourselves in the straw. We crowed like cocks, and whenever The passers near us drew-- "Cock-a-doodle!" They thought 'Twas a real cock that crew. The boxes about our courtyard We carpeted to our mind, And lived there both together-- Kept house in a noble kind. The neighbor's old cat often Came to pay us a visit; We made her a bow and courtesy, Each with a compliment in it.