'I almost feel the leaping waves, The wet spray on my hair, The salt breeze singing in the sail, The kind arms, strong as iron-mail, That held me safely there.
'I'll tell thee:--On some shore I stood, Or sea, or inland bay, Or river broad, I know not--save There seemed no boundary to the wave That chafed and moaned alway.
'The shore was lone--the wave was lone-- The horizon lone; no sail Broke the dim line 'twixt sea and sky, Till slowly, slowly one came by, Half ghostlike, gray and pale.
'It was a very little boat, Had neither oars nor crew; But as it shoreward bounded fast, One form seemed leaning by the mast-- And Norman's face I knew!
'He never looked nor smiled at me, Though I stood there alone; His brow was very grave and high, Lit with a glory from the sky-- The wild bark bounded on.
'I shrieked: "Oh, take me--take me, love! The night is falling dread."-- "My boat may come no nearer shore; And, hark! how mad the billows roar! Art thou afraid?" he said.
'"Afraid! with thee?"--"The wind sweeps fierce The foamy rocks among; A perilous voyage waiteth me."-- "Then, then, indeed, I go with thee," I cried, and forward sprung.
'All drenched with brine, all pale with fear-- Ah no, not fear; 'twas bliss!-- I felt the strong arms draw me in: If after death to heaven I win, 'Twill be such joy as this!
'No kiss, no smile, but aye that clasp-- Tender, and close, and brave; While, like a tortured thing, upleapt The boat, and o'er her deck there swept Wave thundering after wave.
'I looked not to the stormy deep, Nor to the angry sky; Whether for life or death we wrought, My whole world dwindled to one thought-- _Where he is, there am I_!
'On--on--through leaping waves, slow calmed, With salt spray on our hair, And breezes singing in the sail, Before a safe and pleasant gale, The boat went bounding fair:
'But whether to a shore we came, Or seaward sailed away, Alas! to me is all unknown: O happy dream, too quickly flown! O cruel, cruel day!'
Pale Helen lived--or died: dull time O'er all that history rolls; Sailed they or sunk they on life's waves?-- I only know earth holds two graves, And heaven two blessed souls.
Within the past few years, a system of foreign exchanges has been perfected in this country, by which the smallest sum of money can be remitted either way across the Atlantic, with perfect security and the greatest dispatch. Drafts are drawn as low as 1s. sterling, which are cashed in any part of Great Britain or the United States. This, to emigrants who wish to bring over their money without fear of loss, or to residents here who wish to remit small sums to their relatives or friends in Europe, to enable them to come to this country, is of vast importance, as it guarantees them against loss; that is, when the drafts are good. This is, therefore, the great point at issue. To obtain drafts of undoubted credit and security is the first thing to be considered. There are dozens of drawers on both sides of the Atlantic, all of whom have their friends, who place more or less confidence in the character of the bills drawn. We have no doubt they are all sound and solvent. We know nothing now to the contrary. The drafts can be obtained in any city in the Union, for any amount, from 1s. sterling upwards, drawn upon some place in Europe; and drafts can be obtained in various European cities payable in any city of the United States.--_Abridged from the New York Herald._