Library of the best American literature / Containing the lives of our authors in story form, their portraits, their homes, and their personal traits, how they worked and what they wrote; choice selections from eminent writers, embracing great American poets and novelists, foremost women in American letters, distinguished critics and essayists, our national humorists, noted journalists and magazine contributors, popular writers for young people, great orators and public lecturers

by Unknown

No sound save the rush of the river;

While soft falls the dew on the face of the dead—

The picket’s off duty forever.

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A LIFE ON THE OCEAN WAVE.

BY EPES SARGENT.

Born 1813; died 1880. The following beautiful and popular song, sung all over the world, like “Home, Sweet Home,” is by an American author. It is one of those bits of lyric verse which will perpetuate the name of its writer longer, perhaps, then any of the many books which he gave to the world.

LIFE on the ocean wave,

A home on the rolling deep;