But most of all, his Mother dear,
  She who had fainted with her fear,
  Rejoiced when waking she espies
  The Child; when she can trust her eyes,
    And touches the blind Boy. 235

  She led him home, and wept amain,
  When he was in the house again: 
  Tears flowed in torrents from her eyes;
  She kissed him—­how could she chastise? [22]
    She was too happy far. 240

  Thus, after he had fondly braved
  The perilous Deep, the Boy was saved;
  And, though his fancies had been wild,
  Yet he was pleased and reconciled
    To live in peace on shore. 245

  And in the lonely Highland dell
  Still do they keep the Turtle-shell;
  And long the story will repeat
  Of the blind Boy’s adventurous feat,
    And how he was preserved. [23] 250

* * * * *

VARIANTS ON THE TEXT

[Variant 1: 

1827.

  We’ve ... 1807.]

[Variant 2: 

1807.

  How ...  MS.]

[Variant 3: 

1807.

  Aye, willingly, and what is more
  One which you never heard before,
  True story this which I shall tell MS.]

[Variant 4: 

1837.

  In land where many a mountain towers, 1807.]

[Variant 5: 

1807.

  ... could ...  MS.]

[Variant 6: 

1827.

  ... sweetly ... 1807.]

[Variant 7: 

1815.

  You ... 1807.]

[Variant 8: 

1837.

  He’s in a vessel of his own,
  On the swift water hurrying down
  Towards the mighty Sea. 1807.

  He in a vessel of his own,
  On the swift flood is hurrying down 1827.

  Towards the great, great Sea.  MS.]

[Variant 9: 

1815.

  ... ne’er before
  Did human Creature ... 1807.]

[Variant 10:  The following stanza was only in the edition of 1807: 

  Strong is the current; but be mild,
  Ye waves, and spare the helpless Child! 
  If ye in anger fret or chafe,
  A Bee-hive would be ship as safe
    As that in which he sails.]

[Variant 11: 

1815.

  But say, what was it?  Thought of fear! 
  Well may ye tremble when ye hear! 
—­A Household Tub, like one of those,
  Which women use to wash their clothes,
    This carried the blind Boy. 1807.]

[Variant 12: 

1820.

  And one, the rarest, was a Shell
  Which he, poor Child, had studied well;
  The Shell of a green Turtle, thin
  And hollow;—­you might sit therein. 
    It was so wide and deep. 1815.]