Unrecorded.

The splendors of a southern sun         Caress the glowing sky;     O'er crested waves, the colors glance         And gleaming, softly die.     A gentle calm from heaven falls         And weaves a mystic spell;     A glowing grace that charms the soul--         Whose glory none can tell.     Oh, warm sweet treasures of a sun         Of endless fire and love;     Those dying embers are the flames         From heavenly fires above.     Unto the water's edge they creep         And bathe the seas in red;     Then die like shadows on the deep         With glory cold and dead.     A ship--a lone, dark wanderer         Upon the southern seas,     Speeds like a white-faced messenger         Before the dying breeze.     Her masts are tipped with amethyst,         A splendor all untold;     A crimson mantle wraps her round,         Her sails are made of gold.     The light wind dies--she slowly drifts,         Then stops--an idle thing;     While sunset clouds around her prow         A dreamy grandeur fling.     And eyes upon her deck look forth         With looks of longing pain;     A hundred sunsets they would give         Dear home to see again.     But see! a shadow as of night         Spreads o'er the crimson sky;     Like doomed and lifeless forms of earth         The clouds in heaven lie.     A silence falls--the ship stands still,         A fated thing of earth;     Then like a child of sin and wrong         The storm is given birth.     Oh! struggle well ye gallant crew         With storm and wind and wave;     For there are helpless women here         And children, too, to save.     Quick--sailors do your duty well--         And man the life-boats, too;     For soon the rocks will strand the ship,         And pierce her through and through.     See! like a woman turned to stone         A weeping mother stands;     Her heart seems like seems like some frozen thing--         She wrings her trembling hands;     Within her arms she holds a child         With frightened wond'ring eyes;     Below--the waters pitiless--         Above--the angry skies.     Beside her stands a fair young girl         With eyes that flash and quiver;     They are the only ones still left,         These three that moan and shiver.     But soon a voice shouts back the words--         Through all the deaf'ning roar:--     A strong hand grasps the trembling girl,         "There's room for just one more."     "Stay, stay," she cries with whitened face         "Why should I fear to die?     Oh, take this woman by my side,         Nor stay to question why.     She has a dear one 'mongst your crew,         She is a mother, too;     I am alone--I fear not death,         If this you'll only do."     The sailor grasped the mother's hand,         She turned and kissed the maid;     The tears of pity filled her eyes         Yet not one word she said.     The maiden stood with outstretched hands,         All hope indeed was gone;     And yet she stood with fearless heart,         Undaunted and alone.     "Oh, God, the heart that knows your love         Will never need to fear;     A priceless gem lies on my face,         The mother's grateful tear."     The lightnings swept across the ship,         The darkness wrapped her round;     Above the thunder of the storm,         There came no other sound.     The morning broke--the storm had fled,         The wreck was washed away;     And calmly now as yesterday         The sea in splendor lay.     The noble heart that throbbed with life         Lay fathoms deep below:     And what lies buried in that heart         The waves alone can know.