The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1893-05-11
" Gomez RaScOn Deacen"

The terror stricken crew, to escape their
doom,
May mutiny and"-
Gomez RascOn peace!'
Exclaimed the Admiral; thou hast said
enough.
Now. prithee, leave me- | would be alone
Then eagerly Columbus sought sign
In sea and sky and in his lonely heart,
And found, instead Of presageS of hope,
The black and Ominous portents of despair.
The wild winds roared around him and
he heard
Shrlll voices cry, Return! Return! Re-
turn,'
lie thought of Genoa and dreams of youth
Ills fathers warnings and his mothers
prayers,
Coniidng BeatriZ and the prattling babe.
The life and mirth and warmth of old Cas-
tile,
The tempting comfort of the peaceful land,
And sad winds moaned, Return. Return!
Rcturn!''
AS thus he muscd he paced the after deck
And gaZed upon the luminous waves
aStern.
Strange life was in the phosphorescent
foam,
And thro' the goblin glow there came and
went,
Like eltin shadows on an opal sea,
Prophetic pictures of the land he sought.
He saw the end of his victorious quest;
He saw ablaZe on ISaOellaS breast
The gorgeous Antillean Jewels rest,
The islands of the West.
He saw invading Plenty dispOssess
Old Poverty, the land with bounty bless,
And through the wailing caverns or dis
tress
Walk star-eyed Happiness.
lie saw the Bourbon and Braganza prone
For ancient error taTdy to atone,
Giving the plundered people back their
own
And flying from the throne.
He saw an empire radiant as the day,
!IarncsSed to law, but under Freedom 5
sway,
Proudly arise, resplendent in array,
To show the world the way.
He saw celestial peace in mortal guise,
And, filled with hope and thrilled with
high empriSe,
Lifting It's tranquil forehead to the skies
4 vast republic rise.
lie saw beyond the hills or golden corn,
Beyond the curve of Autumn's Opulent
Ceres and Flora laughingly adorn
The bosom Of the morn.
lie saw a cloth of gold across the gloom,
An aIabesque from EvolutiOn's loom,
And from the barren prairies driven
spume
Imperial cities bloom.
He saw an iron dragon dashing forth
On pathways east and west and south and
north.
Uniting fondly III benefcent grth
Remotest ends of earth.
He saw the lightning run an elm race,
Where trade, and love, and pleasure in
tcrlace,
And severed friends in Ariel's embrace
CQmmUning fac6 to face,
lie saw lselief through deadly dungeons
grOpe;
foes turn to brothers, black despair to
hope,
And cannon rust along the grass-grown
slope,
And rot the gallows rope
/ He saw the babes on Labor'S cottage floor
/ The bright walls hung with luxury more
and more,
| And Comfort, radiant with abOunding
store
Wave welcome at the door.
|
! The myriad mill wheels shake the solid
| ground
The myriad homes where iocUnd lQy |!
! found,
And love is throned and crowned.
He saw exalted Ignorance under ban,
Though panOplied i'll force since time
began,
And Science, cOnsecrated, lead the van,
The Providence Of man.
The pictures came and paled and pasSe'
And then the Admiral turned as from
trance,
His lion face aglow, his luminous eyes
! Lit with mysterious fire from hidden suns
Now, Martin, to thy waiting helm again
Haste to Pinta Fill her sagging sails,
For on my soul hath dawned wOndrOu
sight.
Lo, thro' this segment of the watery worl,
Upro>e hemisphere of glorious llfe.-
\ realm of golden grain ana f-aSran
fruits,
And men and women wise and maSterful
Who dwelt at peace in rural cottages
And splendid cities bursting into gloom
Great lotus blossoms on a tiowery sea.
And happiness was there, and brgl
winged hope,
High aspiration, soaring to the stars!
Allu tiCIl liSlIlouSht, ~ -At''@ @'A'i 'H-S -
storm.
\ million faces turned Oh me and smiled
: Now 60 we forward. Fear avaunt
| will abate no atom of my dream,
Though all the devils of the underworl
= Hiss in the sails and grapple to the keel!
=. Haste to the Pinta, Westward keep he
! prov,
For l have had vision full of light
Keep her PROV westward in the sunset
: wake
From this hour hence and let no man loo
! back.
5 Then from the Pinta's foretOp fell a cry,
\ trumpet song Light. ho. Light, h
Light, ho.'