Church and Dory
The pastor prayed; 'mid meek and proud
The whitest heads the lowest bowed ;
And then, while shafts of music swept
Where Sabbath sunbeams softly slept,
The boxes asked from nave to door
The offering of rich and poor.
A lady bent with mien supreme
And gave a coin of gold ; the gleam
Of sealskin's gloss and diamond's spark,
I could not choose but closely mark,
For many ships the sea's wealth bear
To him who sat beside her there.
On this I dwelt, 'till it would seem
My meditation merged in dream,
And dreaming, I in spirit stood
Where the Atlantic's uptost flood
Bore, flutt'ring on each wave that ran
A dory and a fisherman,—
A helpless thing which did suggest
A ribbon on a giant's breast.
Miles up the wind, his ship was moored,
His laden trawl was half secured,
And shrieking sea gulls whirled in wait
To swoop on each abandoned bait;
Cold winter's gems to him adhered,
His plate on coat, his pearls on beard,
And spray the northern gale had cast
Around his feet was frozen fast ;
While ever and anon his eye
Searched the dark banks that gathered nigh,
And then assurance filled his face,
To hear the fog-horn's welcome bass,
Lo! as I gazed a rended cloud
Showed o'er the Book the Angel bowed.
"Recorder O, I cried; "to heaven
"What hath this Sabbath breaker given?
The gesture that conveyed : "Behold!
Thus credited the coin of gold :
”Half unto her in the seal's coat
"And half to him within the boat;
And as the Angel dropped the pen
I heard the pastor's loud, "Amen!