The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-08-08
ALTRUISM.
4 TALE.


TALE.
The Lovely Mary, on her way
From Singapore to Boston Bay,
Had clOudlesS skies ana glorious weather,
With favOrng winds for days together;
And everything was going well,
When, near the Cape, it so bcfCll
That with most decided shock,
The Lovely Mary-struck a rock.
She sank; but as the night was clear,
The ocean calm, an island near
All who could keep themselves aflOat
With CaSk, spar, life .pUcScrVCr, boat
On short, whatever came to handD
Put off, and safely reached the land
Leaving the gallant ship to sleep
Beneath the waves nine fathOms deep.
Now as it CHANGED upon that ship,
Returning from an Eastern trip,
Two scholars sailed, of great renOwn,
Jones, and the yet more famous Brown;
And when twas plain that naught could save
The vessel from waterY grave,
As Fate or Chance would have it, each
ESpicd within convenient reach
something that both desired to own
llfC-prCScrVer, which, It's known,
Can never be relied upon
To hold up safely moro than one.
Yet on this lifc-preSCrver bOth
Seized in an instant. nothing lOath;
And all of it Brown cOuldnt clasp
Was quickly locked in Jones grasp;
And Jones keen, determined eye
In grim resolve was equaled by
gHsr stern IIucom prom sing frown
Upon the lofty brow of Brown.
But lest you think that selfish thought
in those two noble bOsoms wrought,
| will relate. from first to last,
The high, heroic words that passed
From Brown to Jones, and Jones to Brown,
While the good ship was going down.
Dear Reader bear them we'll in mind,
And think more nobly OF your kind!
Quoth Jones: Dear Brown, pray do not
think
IT'S selfish fear that makes me shrink
From yielding up this wrctchCd breath
To save Il fcllOw-man from death.
| long to cry: Dear friend, oh take
This life-pUcSerVcr, for my sake!
But this, alas. | can not do:
! am not free, dear Brown, like you.
You may enjoy the bliss divine
OF giving up your life for mine;
But an, It's different with mr.!
! have wife and children three;
And, for their sake, | must control
The generous impulse of my soul.
Yet trust me. Brown, most willingly,
Nay, with unfeigned aacrity,
This lfe-prcscrVCr d resign,
were my case yours, or your case mine"
Dear Jones, your reasons" Brown replied,
Are good, and can not be denied.
All that your words imply is true;
1haVc no wife nor child, like you.
But, Jones' | have Il tie to life
Far stronger do not starb than wife
Or child, though dear could over be:
] mean my great 'COsmOgouy.'
OF which, as you have doubtless heard,
One volume is to cOme-the third.
., were that ighty task complete
Down to the last corrected sheet
Believe me, Jones, to save your life
To your dear family and wife,
"a yield to You, Unmurmurng,
This trail support to which we cling!
But what are wife and children three
Compared with Il COSmOgOny?
Or What-cOnfeSS it, dearest Jones
Are MANY wives and children'S means
[
With which the learned world shall know
That it can never hope to see
The lOng-eNpected Volume ThrCC:"
Quite true" sighed Jones. "And yet-and
yet
think dear Brown, that you forget
me theory OF Average
AS held in this enlightened age
Had all the mighty men of old
klngs, scholars. statesmen, heroes bold
suffered untimely taking-OH
With measles, Group or whOOping-cOugh
Think you that this great earth would then
Have nourshed only common men?
Had Homer died STRIPPING lad
Should we have lost the Iliad?
Would Shakespere'S early. timclcss death
Have cost us Hamlet, Lear, MacbethI
The voice of reason answers: No;
Wrong not prolific Nature so!
Now, if this theory is true
1T must apply, dear Brown, to you:
And, fearless, you may leave behind
This maSter-prOduct of your mind
Though all unfinished. as You saw
Assured that. at no distant day
1nOther will be found to do
The work SO well begun by you;
But -"
, "Allow me- struck in Brown.
THE ship is plainly going down;
And, ere she sinks beneath us,
Would most decidedly deny
The theory of which you speak.
1t is ingenious, but weak
A vain though pleasing falacy,
That never has dcludCd me.
Besides, the theory, if true,
Applies with equal force to you;
For, dearest Jones, if you are drowned,
Doubtless another will be found
To comfort your dear wife, and be
a father to your children thrco."
May nay" cried Jones, you jest, dear
Brown -
But at this point the ship went down;
The arguments of both, YOU see,
Balanced to such Il nicely.
So fine, so subtitle, so profound,
Ihat both held On-and both were drowned ,
Robertson IF0Ubridge in Century.