The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1858-09-13
For the Gate City.
From an Unfinished r Dem.

We slowly climbed the mountain road
hasy October afternoon,
The beautiful forests famed and glowed,
The air was swectsr than June.
For who would see, said he, (my friend)
Gods wonder and glory, should go with me
And view at sunset hill, valley, and glen,
with back ground of the sea.
We stood on lofty point Of land
And watched the sun set In the sea,
Thr yales grew dark on either hand
While high in the light stood we.
The towermost points Of diamond crag
Went out like tapers one by one;
Far up the stream q blood-red line
Ran down TO the setting sun.
A single ship all golden-sailed
fiared ap like torch at the mouth OF thu
bay,
Thtn growing DINNER, IL failed, and failed,
And faded quite away.
The wax ening owl with shrilly whoop
Called out the echoes from the dim
The sun-gilt eagle with dirlying swoop
swept down u the mountains rim.
The cHdarn wood, with its sunny edge,
Aud the night in its branches thick and
deep,
frightened awhile thu granite ledge,
Gtew DINNER and went to sleep.
The FIRST faint lights Of the village below
Cleaned slowly cut on the plain afar,
Ana high above, Ger ripple If cloud,
Came forth the lovers star.
OF ilany scenes from east to west
have never seen one fairer than this
Jae bay, the harbcr, the ships at rest
H. the sunset { golden kiss.
The city, rte spires and turrets ablaze;
TIE river in curves, the land in squares;
The day into twilight with boiler rays,
hlow-fadipg, unswares.
The hills with their submits like crowns Of
gold,
shadowy drapefy around their feet;
Tn. sturdy mountains SO grand ard old;
The air so pure and sweet.
"ioi scatters his wonders near and far
He said, che doth neither s,iu: nor spare;
The few see God in the flower and star,
ihc many are unaware"
said, "This eye that secth all
II is no blessing but truly bane
Go s!cep go sleep, with thy face to the wall |
Thy bliss Is only pain.
"Ihere are The sunset glories unfurled;
Here Is the lanseaIc thy feet
Go rake IN thy rapture the muck of the world,
q ID get thee breat to eat.
Thou sawest yon city one flash Of light,
LIS buildings ali Of precious stones;
What was beneath bat crime and night,
Bat death, aud dead men 3 bones.
." For she that wins to death with her lips
Now leads the victim in her bands :,
Young famshsd children down by the ships
Die with up lifted hands.
"I!s rich with his shining chariot wheels
Rolls up 70 his palace song grand street /;
The tartered bsggar totters and reels,
And dies at his very feet.
''The maid with her star.like jewels and eyes
Looks down ID the street through the erys-
tai pane;
The homeless N ,iden, with wild surprise,
Returns her glance again"
~ would not be = he answered, "that one
Who looketh upon this blight world SO;
Got illoth the heavens with bis sun,
With a hand breadth cloud for voc.
"Ihis glorious world Is broad md bright,
A bovs are the stars and below the flowers ;
And littir in shadow, and much in light,
Glide the swift-footed hours.
"And il the sunbeams brightly fall,
Why should We curse the air We breathe.
Blessing DER tombs and tarnish all
With the dust and shadow of DEATH
'tPor IL we tranple the flowers in the sod,
Sudpluck the stars from the bright blue sky
We cast back gifts in the face Of God
IL were better far To die :"
keokuk Scptember 1883