The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-07-21
rHE sH1p IN rHE DEsERr.
BY ~ JoAeUIN MILLER.

They food upon the mountain brow,
The bearded traDpers, hating stooo
QrresOlute, in nettled Ire; lrl tl"
A group from out the cooling WOOD
They z szed right eagerly below.
The flushed sun settled 10 the west
Like som. far hemi phere OF nre;
The sands flashed back like 1elds OF snow.
And yet again they gazed. And now;
Far OF and amt, they saw or guesseu'
Thev eaw beyond the sands, Inc
dim and distant lifting beach
That daring men Nigh dare and reach'
Dim shapes Of TOPPED peaks MIN VII Iv Prne'
And Watered foothills dark ike wine.
Theirleader turned and shook his head.
a11r dare This heII?" Inc men stood still
As leaning on his sferner will;
And then he stopped and turner again.
And held his broad hand 20 DIo"'
Toe far white levels of the plains
Flashed back like pillows. Even Low
H. s,s,cs mid wastes, mid nothingness,
"A ami . becaImed as in distress:
The dim sign passed as suddenly,
And then h eager eyes grew oazru-
IA brouoht his TwO hands TO his lace
Aeain ne raised his head, ana gazed
With flashing eyes and visage nerce
Far ont aud resOlute 10 pierce
Trhe far far faint receding reach
ar space and touch it's farihest oeacn.
He saw but space, nnoonnueu space
Eternal space and nothlhgheSS'
They rested on the deserts lin
OF sand they saw the sun go Gown
Like some round, sinking sic a1lane
Remind them wheeled white peaks OF snow
As they PROCEEDED. Gray and dim,
And ghostIy shapes, bat-wirged and Drown'
And awful objects went ana came
BEFORE them now. They pierced at las1
The deserts middle depths, and 10!
grhere doomed from out the desert vast
A IOnely ship. well built and trim,
And perfect all in hull and mast
No storm had stained 1t any whit,
No seasons set their teeth in II.
The rains, the elem n'si ana a
The moving things that bring decay
nv fair green lands or fairer SET
Had not touched her for centuries.
IOf dale has lost all recko ping
In this lost land, and no new 1hlhS'
Or old, can anyw1se OeIall,
For time goes by the other way
The ages have not any course
Across this untracsed waste. The sky
wears here one blue, uuchaDgtng hue,
Tine heavens one unbendlng mood
THE far still stars, they hitter through
sThe heavens, falling bright and bold
AGAINST the sands IS beams OF gold.
the wi e, white moon forgets her force;
Thever sun rides round and hlgn,
ASH to shun this solitude.
Wbatdreams of god or conquest drew
The oak built soaking TO ths s. seas,
Ere Earth, old Earth unsattsfied,
Rose M and shook man in disgust,
And smote his cities down, and dried
These measured, tOwn-set seas 10 uuStF
Who trod these decks? What captain knew
The straits that led to lands like these3
Rlew south sea -breeze or north sea-breeze?
What spiced winds whistled through this
sailf '
What banners streamed above these seas?
And what stra-ge seaman answered back
20 Othe sea-king's beck and hail,
TnAt blew across his foamy track? ~ 1
Sought Jason here the golden feecef ls'
b., Game Trojan ship or ships OF Greece?
Came decks dark manned rom dusky lnd,
Wooed here by spacious wooing wind;
= Some like grand, sweet woman, wnen
"A great love moves her sonl to men?
Game here strong ships of Solomon
In quest of Ophir by Cathay?
Sit down and dream of seas Withdrawn,
rr And every sea-breath drawn away.
Sit down. sit d Bwn. What is the good
That we go on still fashioning -tt
vGreat Iron ships or walls OF wood;
High masts of oak, or anythingY
Iof all things moving must go by,
The sea lies dead. Behold, this land
sEits des0late in dust beside
Ris snow-white, seamless shroud o. sand;
The very clouds have wept and died:
And only God is In the sky,