Till floating o'er the grassy sea Then some looked up into the sky, And where the lordly steeple shows. They said, "And why should this thing be? What danger lowers by land or sea? They ring the tune of Enderby! "For evil news from Mablethorpe, Of pirate galleys warping down; For ships ashore beyond the scorpe, They have not spared to wake the town: But while the west bin red to see, I looked without, and lo! my son Came riding down with might and main: He raised a shout as he drew on, "Elizabeth! Elizabeth!" (A sweeter woman ne'er drew breath my son's wife, Elizabeth.) Than "The old sea wall (he cried) is down, The rising tide comes on apace, And boats adrift in yonder town Go sailing up the market-place." He shook as one that looks on death: "God save you, mother!" straight he saith; "Where is my wife, Elizabeth?" "Good son, where Lindis winds away, With her two bairns I marked her long; And ere yon bells began to play With that he cried and beat his breast; And up the Lindis raging sped, So far, so fast the current drave, The heart had hardly time to beat, Before a shallow seething wave Sobbed in the grasses at our feet: The feet had hardly time to flee Upon the roof we sat that night, The noise of bells went sweeping by; I marked the lofty beacon light Stream from the church tower, red and high A lurid mark and dread to see; And awesome bells they were to me, That in the dark rang "Enderby." They rang the sailor lads to guide And I my son was at my side, And yet the ruddy beacon glowed; And yet he moaned beneath his breath, "O come in life, or come in death! O lost! my love, Elizabeth." And didst thou visit him no more? Thou didst, thou didst, my daughter dear; The waters laid thee at his door, Ere yet the early dawn was clear. Thy pretty bairns in fast embrace, That flow strewed wrecks about the grass, That ebb swept out the flocks to sea; A fatal ebb and flow, alas! To many more than mine and me: But each will mourn his own (she saith). And sweeter woman ne'er drew breath Than my son's wife, Elizabeth. I shall never hear her more By the reedy Lindis shore, "Cusha! Cusha! Cusha!" calling, Ere the early dews be falling; I shall never hear her song, "Cusha! Cusha!" all along, Where the sunny Lindis floweth, Goeth, floweth; From the meads where melic groweth, When the water winding down, Onward floweth to the town. I shall never see her more Where the reeds and rushes quiver, Stand beside the sobbing river, “Leave your meadow grasses mellow, Mellow; mellow; Quit your cowslips, cowslips yellow; Come up, Lightfoot, rise and follow; From the clovers lift your head; Come up, Jetty, follow, follow, Jetty, to the milking shed." Jean Ingelow And shortly after Uncle Jack had finished, the train drew into Halifax station. TO THE PUPIL: 1. Melic (měl ik) means moor grass. 2. "The Brides of Enderby" is an old English song. 3. Write five words having the suffix ous. Place after each its meaning. TO THE TEACHER: This work should be examined by you as you walk about the room, while individual pupils recite as you call upon them. |