The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1893-05-11
VISION OF COLUMBUS.

n
croffut OF Washington city. 1was read in
Chicago at the dedication Of the Worlds
Fair buildings.
Sadly on Columbus watched the nascent
moon
Drown in the gloomy oceans western deers.
Strange birds that day bad futtered in the
sails,
And strange flowers fioated round the
wandering keel,
And yet no land Aud now. when through
the dark
And angry billows tOesed the caravels
As to destruction, Gomez Rascon came
With Captain Pinzon through the frtnzied
seas,
And to the admiral brought a parchment
scroll,
Saying, Good master; Read this writing
An earnest prayer II Is from all on board.
The crew would iain turn back in utter
fear.
No longer to the pole the compass points;
Into the zenith crops the northern star.
Drop dead on deck beneath the flying
The devils wind blows madly from the
east
Into the land OF Nowhere and the sea
Keeps sucking us adown the maelstrom's
nav.
Francisco says the edge NJ earth Is near
And OF the Erebus we slide unhelmed.
Last Sunday night Diego saw witch
Dragging the Nina by her forechains
west,
And wildly dancing on dolphin's back;
And as she danced the brightest star in
Slipped from Its lash and sprang into the
sea.
Like Lucifer, and left trail OF blood.
] pray thee. master. turn again TO Spain,
Obedient In the omens, or. perchance,
The terror-stricken crew to escape their
doom
May mutiny and"
Gomez Rsscon. peace"
Exclaimed the admiral; Thou hast said
enough
Now, .priihee, leave ne; would be
a.one.'
Then eagerly Columbus sought sign
In sea and sky, and in his lonely heart
Finding instead Of I'resages Of hope
The black and ominoss portents ofdespair.
As thus he unused he paced the aiterdeck
And gazed upon the luminous waves astern.
Strange life was In the phosphorescent foam,
And through the goblin glow there came
and went
Like elm shadows on an opa' sea,
Prophetic pictures ot the land he sought.
He saw the end of his victor Gus quest,
He saw ablaze on lsebelrs breast
A string OF Artillean jewels rest
The islands OF The West.
He saw invading plenty dispossess
Old poverty. the land with bounty bless
And through the wretched cayerns OF dis
treSs
Walk star.eyed happiness.
He saw the Bourbo and Braganza prone,
For ancient error tardy to atone.
Giving tue plundered people back their own
And flying from the throne.
He saw an empire radiant as the day,
Harnessed TO law, but under freedoms
sway,
Proudly arise, respondent in array,
To show the world the way.
He saw the celestial peace in mortal guise
And filled with hope and thrilled with high
emprise.
Lifting it. tranquil forehead to the skies
4 vast republic rise.
He saw beyond the hills OF golden corn,
Beyond the curve OF autumn's opulent horn,
Ceres and Flora laughingly adofn
The bosom Of the morn.
He saw cloth Of gold across the gloom,
An arabesque from evolutions loom.
And from the barren prairie driven spume
Imperial cities bloom.
lie saw an iron dragoon dashing forth
Along an iron thoroughfare-south, north
East, west-uniting in benefcient girth
Remotest ends Of earth
He saw the lightning run an elfin race
Where trade, love, grief and pleasure inter
lace
And absent ones annihilate time and space
Communing face TO face.
He saw relief through deadly dungeoni
grOpe.
Foes turned to brothers black despair I'd
hope,
And cannon rust upon the grass grown
sope
And rot the gallows' rope.
He saw the babes on labor's cottage floor.
The bright wall hung with luxury more
and more.
And comfort. radiant with abounding store.
Wave welcome 10 the door.
lie saw the myriad srindles fiutter round
The myriad homes where jocund 10y is
found
And love is throned and crowned.
He saw exalted ignorance under ban,
Though panolNed In force since time be-
gan,
And science, consecrated, led the van,
The providence of man.
The picture came and pa'ed and passed
away,
And then he said 10 Pnzon in the gloom
Now, Martin. TO Thy waiting helm again:
Haste to the Pinta; westward keep her
Prov
For have had vision full Of light
Keep her PROV westward in the sunsets
wake
From this hour hence and let no man look
back"
FARM WORK RETARDED