The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1880-02-26
From the Minneapolis Saturday Evening
Spectator Feb 4th.
A MINNESOTA POET
letter from our Corresponding Editor.1

| A MINNESOTA POET
| letter from our Corresponding Editor.1
The editors of Minnesota are not gen.
orally aware that one of their number
is worthy to be ranked very high among
the poets of our country.
| The man refer to is A. p. Miller, of
the WOrthington ADVANCE, man so
modest and unpretending, and so diff.
dent and backward about the publica.
ton of his poetic productions, that one
must become intimately acquainted
with him to learn of his true worth as
man and a writer.
had met Mr.. Miller several times
and had occasional conversations with
him concerning poets and poetry before
succeeded in drawing him out. He
had copied u number of my poems, and
several letters that I had written for
the Inter-Ocean and Pioneer Press on
subjects in which we were alike inter-
estel, and in this way we we're natural
ly drawn together when I first visited
WorthingtOn. a year ago last Novem-
Der. 1t was not until year later, dur
ing third professional visit to that
city, and while enjoying quiet conf
Dental chat in the ADVANCES anctum,
one Sunday evening, that succeeded
in sounding the depths OF Mr.. Miller's
good cigar-that is, Mr.. Miller was do
ing the smoking, and I the inhaling,
which is the only way ever participate
in the l,,xury-and our conversation,
which had first been of q religious cast,
gradually strayed into the debatable
land between fact and fancy. At last
I said, "Brother Miller, Ihave seen two
or three little fugitive poems of yours,
and wondered If you still INDUCED in
poetry, and if 50. to what extent"
''That reminds me-" he replied, that
have the proof sheet Of poem would
like your opinion Of" And reaching
into his ''editor's drawer,'' he handed
rue poem called Disappointment.
1t was divided under the respective
heads of "Nature,'' ''Song,'' ''Love,"
and ''Religion.' can quote at random,
| as the whole poem is like a ''string of
pearls" from which it is difficult to
choose. Inever, in all my reading, have
found a more grand and beautiful piece
of word painting than the following de-
scription Of the advance, elimination
and retreat Of Il Thunderstorm:
This Summer Night is neither cool nor warm,
But fresh and fragrant from the blessed storm,
Which, still receding through the glorious night,
Lights up the sky with endless sheets OF light,
Sh tup, divergent, from the realms below,
Followed by hnarsc and sullen booms. as though
Some Planet hid exploded and uphured
The splendid ruins through the upper world
All through the afternoon the dreamy day
Swan lisless DER the Earth, and far away
The lazy clouds went lettering round the sky,
Or sat far up and dozed on mountains high;
The green trees dropped the painting cattle lay
In the warm shade and fought the flies away.
Along the worlds far rim and down the sky,
Cloud Panoramas loOmed and glided by,
Rocks, icebergs, mountains, capped with lumin.
Gus snow.
And hundred lowered cities, moving slow!
And then, with banners round the West unfurl
ed,
The great red Sun went down behind the world,
And, eastward, looming DER the hills, Nights
rim,
Like Worlds Ghost, rose i'll delined and dim!
Around the West, in many 'urple:fod,
The delicate textured clouds lay fringed with
AS though the gods hal thrown their cloaks
aside,
For some high pastime played at eventide;
And where the sun went down, the glowing sky
Was all on fire intense and flaming high,
The light burned upward, like some furnace
vast,
Where Heavens ore is into Planets cast,
And then sent forth, each world to take its place,
And spin for'cycles through the realms Of space!
Then when the fire burned down across the
West
Thunder Storm upheaved its golden crest,
Alive with lightning, that, with wondrous freaks,
Played DER the c. oud- built cliffs and mountain
peaks,
AS though the gois on some great work intent,
Into the sky had hcaved Il Continent!
And now, while yetthe sky above was bright
And all Gods worlds, it seemed, had come in
sight,
From out the West there came 4 cooling breeze
Which went about and whispered to the trees
That DER the mountains and the western plain,
Coming this way, there was mighty rain,
And we, who sat beneath the whispering heard
And knew its meaning clear as human word
Then all the glad trees, with the news elatc,
Waved leaves and branches with commotion
great,
AS men hear good news Of some great affair
And wave their hats and handkerclliefs in air!
Anon the storm came on. The lightning
LII oC'> VI Hlc upOn every NIL
The crashing Thunder split tn eternal walls
And rumbcd down the sky like rolling balls,
And gathered all its strength and burst again,
And shook the world from mountain ton to
plain
Down came the rain as though the streams m
high
Had burst their banks and ovcrfiowed the skv:
And sweeping on with mighty rush AMI beat
And roar and tramp of multitudnous feet,
washed OH the world and left it fresh and sweet!
Then passed the Storm and left us such a
night
AS only storms can leave us in their fight
The fresh night-air is musical with bells,
And rich with nameless and delicious smells:
So bland the air that all the sounds seem near
Andturn to music on the quickenel ear:
Even from the hillsides out beyond the town.
The shouts and laughter come distinctly down.
Beyond the hills huge piles of cloud are blown,
And round the heavens in mountainous masses
Shown,
For miles and miles the cloudy ruins lie.
Like broken hills and mountains in the sky,
AS though an Earthquake, reaching from below,
Had crushed world to pieces at a blow!
And clear above me, rising free and high,
sweeps the vast wonder of the endless Sky
Sprlnked with flying worlds that, in their flight,
Shine, like goou men, to give each other light
Thus, in the busy dey, one world alone
VI all the million million worlds is shown,
But in the night, when men have time to gaze.
God draws the curtain and His Heaven displays!
Far Off light shoots down the azure wall,
LAS though an Angel let a star-lamp fall y
| And Gods great High Way through the realms
of space
Runs of to some rem tc and happy place.
| Runs up, pcrchance to His own bright abode
| In the sky's centre for, 50 rich is God
He builds the very High Way to his throne,
| OF worlds more grand and costly than our own:
Enough! Enough! Yet could dwell all
| night,
With never weary and supreme delight,
On Natures beauty and the joys that stir
| The Souls Of those who give their love to her!
| IIndo,. fl,a l,onl re k.Da1:-:~