Vernon Dalhart — The Ship That Never Returned

On a summer day, as the waves were rippling By the soft and gentle breeze Did a ship set sail with her cargo laden For a port beyond the seas. Did she ever return? No she never returned And her fate was yet unlearned Tho' for years and years there were fond ones waiting For the ship that never returned Said a feeble lad to his anxious mother "I must cross the wide, wide sea For they say, perchance, in a foreign climate There is health and strength for me!" 'Twas a gleam of hope in a maze of danger And her heart for her youngest yearned Though she sent him forth with a smile and a blessing On the ship that never returned "Only one more trip," said a gallant captain As he kissed his weeping wife "Only one more bag of the golden treasure And 'twill last us all through life Then we'll spend our days in a cozy cottage And enjoy the rest I've earned" But, alas, poor man, who sailed commander On the ship that never returned