The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1889-05-03
THE GOLD THAT GREW BxsHAsrA
TOWN.

From Shasta town to Reddino TOWN
1he ground is torn by miners, dead:
ne manzanita, rank and red,
DDrops dusty berries up and down
.ner grass-grown trails Their silent min
are wrapped II chapparel and vines:
Yet one gray miner still sits down
l"ixt heddlng and sweet Shasta town.
The quail pipes pleasantly. The hare
leaps careless Ger the golden oat
=, rhat grows below the water fnoat;
! ne lizard hasEs IN Sunlight there
me brown hawk swims the perfumed air
Cnirightened through the lifelong day;
And now and then a curious bear
Comes shuniing down the ditch by night,
and leaves some WIDE long tracks Ia CLAW
30 human-llke, 50 stealthy light,
" hers one lone cabin stiIl stoops down
'Iwixt Redding and sweet Shasta town
anat great graveyard OF hopesi of men
mho sought for hidden veins of gold;
~ young men suddenly grown old
" old men dead, despairing when
The gold was Just within their holdl
That Stored land, wherein the light
VI other days CLEANS family still:
somelike the halo OF a hill
That lifts above the falling night;
That warm, red, rich. and human land,
'A-Af
" here one gray miner still sits down.
'IWixt Redding and sweet Shasta townl
II know the vein is here!r he said,
5or twenty years, for thirty years
While far away fell tears on tears
From wife and babe who nourned him dead
No goldl no goldl And he grew old
ana crept to toll with Bonded head.
Amid graveyard OF his dead,
sun seeking for that vein Of gold.
Then 10, came laughing down the years
a sweet grandchildi Between his tears
=! Re laughed. He sst her by the door
~ Inc While he toiled his days toll Ger,
De held her chubby cheeks between
nus nara palms, laughed; and laughing cried.
I on should have seen, have heard and seen
lis lis boy'lsh JOY, his stout old pride,
When toll was done and he sat down
AZ night, below sweet Shasta town.
AT last his strength was gone. ssNo morel
l NINE no more plant me now
a vine and tg-tree; worn and old,
! seek no more my vein Of gold.
but, oh, sigh 10 give it Ger:
1hese thirty years OF toll somehow
u !. seems 50 hard; bat now, no more"
end SO the old man set him down
10 plant, by pleasant Shasta town
ana ~ was pleasant: piped the quail
me : ne Igil ear through The chipmunk stole,
ms Mustered nose and tossv tail
ull buried IN the sEgar-boWl
and purple grapes and grapes Of gold
2"ung sweet as milk White orange-trees
rev, rev Drown with laden honey bees
IN it was pleasant up and down
That Tine-set hill Of Shasta town.
And then that cloud burst camel Ah. mel
! nat torn ditch therel The mellow land
Rolled seaward ike a rope OF sand,
Nor left che leafy vine or tres
u that Eden nesting down
0eio" that moat by Shasta townl
he old man sat his cabins sill.
us gray head bowed upon his knee.
~ ls en- d went forth, sang pleasantly,
y mere burst the ditch the day before
And picked some pebbles from the mi
ne ga man moaned. moaned Ger and DER: 1
ny babe IS dowerless, and
aust iold my helpless hands and diet
~, me what curse comes ever down
~ me ana mine az Shasta townn
Good Grandpa, see.n the glad child said
-nd so leaned softly to his side.
.all Der gold head to his gray head,
ma merry-volced and CHEEKY cried:
5ood Irandpa, do not weep. but seet
We found peck Of orange seedsl
searcned the hill for vine or tree;
lot one,-nst even oats or weeds.
ut, Oh such heaps of orange sesdsf
Come, good Grandpai Now. once Won said
nat Sod IS good- SO this may teach
nAt We must plant each seed, and each
lay grow 70 be an orange-tree.
oE, good Grandpa, please raise your head.
No please come plant the seeds with me-
nd pratriinZ thus, or like to this.
he child thrust her full hands in his
E ssprang, sprang upright as of old.
Is goldi I is gold my hidden vesnl
is gold Tor you, sweet babe. Z is eoldi
e., 600 Is good; we plant againlf
one Old MINER still sits down
pleasant, sunlight Shasta town.