Who Will Send or Go?

I wan­dered just at ev­en

Beside the sound­ing sea;

The whis­per­ing winds of Heav­en

Their sto­ry told to me;

The east wind said

I’m hast­ing

From tro­pic Gang­es’ wave;

Where child­ren they were cast­ing

Within a wa­te­ry grave.

A soft wind whis­pered

Who will send or go

To teach the hea­then

Jesus’ love to know?

The north wind told its sto­ry

With one swift an­gry blast

Of In­di­an of­fer­ings go­ry

It saw

in rush­ing past;

Where far off north­ern na­tions

In for­ests dark and deep

With fear­ful in­can­ta­tions

Their hea­then vi­gils keep.

The south wind said

I’m tell­ing

Of po­lar south­ern night;

When an­gry surg­es swell­ing

The dark­ened souls af­fright;

I saw no of­fer­ing burn­ing;

No in­cense filled the air;

No souls to God were turn­ing;

No gods they wor­ship there!

The ev­en­ing winds passed o’er me

The an­gry north­ern blast

Across the sea be­fore me

Went hast­ing

far and fast;

The ze­phyrs ceased their wail­ing

And in my heart

I heard

This pro­mise

nev­er fail­ing

The earth shall know the Lord!