The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1885-08-06
Now, as it CHANGED, upon that ship.

Put on, and safely reached the land;
Leaving the gallant ship to sleep
Beneath the raves 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
Inc vessel from q watery grave,
As Fate or Chance would have II, each
Espied within convenient reach
A iife-prese sras oS %bic des us k so SWn-
Can never be relied upon
To hold up safely more than one.
Yet on this life-pressrver both
Seized in an instant, nothing loath;
And all of 1t Brown couldn't clasp
Vas quickly locked in Jones' grasp;
And Jones keen, determined eye
In grim resolve was equaled by
The stern, uncompromising frown
Upon the lofty brow of Brown.
But lest you think that selfish thought
I'm those two noble bosoms wrought,
I Will relate, from first to last,
The high, heroic words that passed
From Brown to Jones, and Jones to Brown,
Dear R sss seo Se saiP ph sas s sSln I. dom1.
And think more nobly of FOUR kindl
ouoth Jones: "Dear Brown. pray do not
IT'S selfish fear that makes me shrink
From yielding up this wretched breath
To save q fellOw-manf from death.
I long TO cry: Dear friend, oh take
This lfe-preserver, for my sakep
Dut tul6, HAS i can QOC 10.
am not free, dear Brown, like you
You may enjoy the bliss divine
OF giving up. your life for mine;
But ali! It's different with me!
] have q wife and children three;
And, for their sake, 1 must control
The generous impulse of my soul.
Nay, with unfeigued alacrity,
This life-preserver I'd resign,
Were my case yours, or your case mineF"
.Dear Jones, your reasons" Brown replied,
ARE good, and can not be denied.
All that POUR words imply is true;
lhave no wife nor child, like you.
But, Jones, 1 have a tie to life
F Ear o stronger do not start than wife
1mean my great .~Cosmogony,'
OF which, as you have doubtless heard,
One volume Is to come-the third.
o, were that mighty task complete
Down to the last corrected Sheet,
Believe me, Jones, to save your life
To your dear family and wife,
I'd yield to you, unmurmuring,
I an. fra trail port to Th K we chnsl
Compared with a Cosmogony?
Or what-confess it. dearest Jones
Arc wives and children's means
TO that loud cry of grief and woe
With which the learned world shall know
That it can never hope to see
"ouite true" sighed Jones. "And yet-and
think, dear Brown, that you forget
@.O A0oky Va
As held in this enlightened age.
Had all the mighty men of old
Kings, scholars, statesmen, heroes bold
suffered untimely taking-of
With measles, Group, or Encouragement,
Think you that this great earth would then
Had Homer die a STRIPPING lad,
Should we have lost the Iiad?
Would ShakeSpere's early, timeleSs death
Have cost us Hamlet, Lear, Macbeth?
The voice of reason nswers No;
Wrong not prolific Nature soI'
Now, II this theory is true,
1t must apply, dear Brown, to you;
And, fearless, you may leave behind
This master-product of your mind
CThough all unfinished, as you say
Assured that, at no distant day,
Another will be found to do
The work so well begun by you;
"Allow mel" struck in Brown.
N'The ship is plainly going down;
And, ere she sinks beneath us, I
Would most decidedly deny
The theory of which you speak.
1t is ingenious, but weak
A vain though pleasing fallacy,
That never has deluded 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 our dear wife, and be
A father to your children threeI"
May, nay!' cried Jones, "you jest, dea
but at this point the ship went down;
Balanced to such q nicely,
So fine, SO subtitle, SO profound,
Tnat Docn held on-and both were drowned
-R0bertSOn TrODbrid0e, in CenttTu.