The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-08-06

u
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 afiOat
With cask, spar, life-preSeryer. boat
NIn short, whatever came to hand,D
Put Off, and safely reached the land;
Leaving the gallant ship to sleep
Beneath the waves nine fathoms deep.
Now, as it chanced, 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 Il wetery grave,
As Fate or Chance would have it, each
Esp'ed within convenient reach
Something that both desired to own
A life-preserver. which, it's known,
Can never be relied upon
To hold up safely more than one.
Yet on this life-preSerVer both
Seized in an instant, nothing lOath;
And all of it Brown couldn't clasp
Was 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
In those two noble bosOms wrought,
/ will relate. from first 20 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 well in mind,
And think more nObly of your kind!
Quoth Jones: "Dear Brown, pray do not
think
'Tis selfish fear that makes me shrink
From yielding up this wretched breath
To save fellowman from death.
long TO cry: Dear friend, oh take
This life-preserver, for my saker
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 mci
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 alacrity,
This life-preserver id resign,
Were my case yours, or your case mine"
~'Are good. and can not be denied.
All that your words imply is true;
have no wife nor child, like you.
But, Jones, have a tie to life
Far stronger do not START than wife
Or child, though dear, could ever be:
mean my great 'CoSmogony,'
Of which, as you have doubtless heard,
One volume is to come-the third.
D. were that IN ghtY task complete
Down to the last corrected sheet,
Believe me, Jones. to save your life
To your dear family and wife,
ID yic.d to you. unmurmuring.
This frail support TO which we clingl
put what are wlfe and children three
Compared with COsmogony2
Or What-confeSs il. dearest Jones
Are many wives and children's mOans
10 that loud cry of grief and woe
With which the learned world shall know
That il can never hope to see
The long-expected Volume Threer'
''ouite true" sighed Jones. And ye3-aEd
think. dear Brown, that you forget
The theory of Average
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 whOoping cough,
Ihlnk you that this great earth would then
Have nourished only common men2
Had Homer died a STRIPPING lad,
Should we have lost the Iliad?
Would Shakespere'S early, timeleSs death
Have cost us Hamlet, Lear. Macbethl
The voice of reason answers: No;
Wrong not prolific Nature sor
Now, if this theory is true,
1t must apply, dear Brown, to you;
And, fearless, you may leave behind
This masterproduct of your mind
cfhough all unfinished. as you say,)
Assured that, at no distant day,
Another will be found to do
The work so well begun by you;
But i"
"Allow met" 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
vain though pleasing fallacy,
That never has dcluded 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 three!"
"''Nay, nay!' cried Jones, you jest, dear
Brown -
But at this point the ship went down;
The arguments of both. you see,
Balanced to such nicely,
So fine, so subtitle. so profound,
That both held On-and both were drowned!
Robertson TTOlc5ridge, IN Century.