"The Hospital Ship "

Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, Volume VIII, Issue 4, 1 October 1915, Page 162

"The Hospital Ship "

Vessel of Mercy, speeding o'er the deep, May God thy pathway from all peril keep, And may thine advent, like the morning star, Be hailed with joy on foreign shores afar, Vessel of Mercy ! How sweet the mission meted out to thee ! Thy freight is Faith, and Hope and Charity With all things needful for the wants of those Who, fighting bravely, fall before their foes — Vessel of Mercy ! May all who serve within thy sacred walls Be pure and holy, swift when Duty calls, Eager to bind the wound, to soothe the smart, And carry comfort to the aching heart — Vessel of Mercy J The Red Cross Banner, floating o'er the tide, May it be reverenced on every side ; No shot nor shell to mar the sacred peace Of those who conn to thee for rest and ease^ — ■ Vessel of Mercy !

S"vyeet type of Christ art thou, thy Cross a Sign Of helpful mercy like a spark divine ; Christ's Cross the Soul's, thine the body's friend. To both we look, to both with reverence bend— Vessel of Mercy ! And when the last, mad battle rage is o'er, And no more sounds the thunder of the gun, May Peace with fluttering -wings around thee soar, Whispering, " Well done Vessel of Mercy ! " C. Alexander. ''Holly Lea/ Christchurch, July 2nd, 1915. [This poem was dictated by the author while recovering from a serious illness by which she was overtaken while working constantly and energetically on the equipment for the Hospital Ship Maheno.]