Its dreamlike desolation lay.
What years of toil and sacrifice
Between him and that moment rise ! *
Yet time that moment doth defy,
A fragment of eternity.
As then, he sees the eager crowd.
Half hidden by a misty shroud,
In costume quaint, press to the beach ;
Once more the friendly hand they reach,
Once more, with childlike speech and smile,
They bid him welcome to their isle.
He sees his meek, young wife, again
Covered with changeful blushes, when
They hail her by the tender name
Of 'mother,' † and her blessing claim.
Now to the cottage, garnished fair
For the new pastor, they prepare
* For an account of the arrival of a Hallig preacher in his parish, see
Appendix V.
† The pastor's wife is always called mother, and they say to her, "We
have come to invite mother to our christening, if mother has no objection.
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