The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-25
WRrTTEn FOR THE CALL BY
ACo0LBR,rH

Sweet with the odors Of balm and spice
From the laureled summit of Tamalp pals,
And cool from the wooded slopes and dels,
Where Sausalito sinks and swells
To the green. far inland, blew the wind
Over the deck Of the Golden Hind,
Where, at anchorage. still, she lay.
The goodly ship in the goodly bay.
Wanderer she through lengths Of days
Over the wild, wide water ways;
Luled in the laps of Gains, and blown
By fierce gales from zone to zone.
From shores Of the rising to setting sun,
Ever and steadily and on
While the stanch commander paced her deck,
Dauntless alike Of foe and wreck,
Dreaming the door to find
To the tabled wealth of the farther Ind,
Or the Spaniard's treasure that gittered far
Under the beck of his fortunes star.
Now, in the rest that was hers at need,
Lazily rocked like water weed
On the waters bosom, the vessel lay
With anchor dropped and the worn sails furled
By the strange new shores of strange new world.
And the stout Sir Francis looked away,
From where in his hammock he drowsed at ease
In the cool, soft breath of the inland breeze
To the long, low sand dunes sloping down.
Billows of gold and pillows OF brown,
A bronzed to the white sea S edge,
And the strong, bold bluffs and the farther hedge
OF hills that rose till the amethyst
OF crest and hollow was lost in mist.
But not with the vision before his eyes
Were the captains thoughts and his hearts desires
Not with the Indian chants and fires;
Not with the kiss OF the lands soft breath;
Not with the shore OF the outer bay
Wherein, with the prayers that brave men pray,
The sacred shield OF the Christian faith
Was set in the name of Elizabeth;
But, with the precious store that lay
In the strong ships hold, the goodly prize,
Gold and Jewels and broideries,
Fruit of the battles. fought and won,
With the TREASURED laden galleon,
Whose Spanish sailors could tell no tale
OF nglsh ship or of wreckng gale.
He dreams of the day when the vessel, back
Over the weary water-track,
Shall rest in the narbor of home once more,
With gold and fame :or his EngIand's shore,
Whose proud, great Queen shall honor him.
And the hNro's eyes grew strangely dim
AS he looks Within on the Devon hills
His pulse, impatient, throbs and thrills
AS he sees in the twilight, still and fair,
The gentle watcher awaiting there,
With tiuttering heart like 1uttering doves
The one sweet woman his stout heart loves
Strange, but the last night wind that blew
Bore the blossom scents that his boyhood knewl
And suddenly, solemnly, sweet and clear,
What sounds are those i'll his wondering ear?
The bells OF Tavistock ringing here?
He sprung from the hammock! What vision rose
mi vya
In long procession and solemn tread,
By the back-robed, priesty figure led2
There in the tower by the long white wall
Swayed the bell OF that silvery call,
And the dwellings cluster, dove-like brood,
There, where the Indian wigwams stood
But the captain choler rose amain
For 10! the banner of royal SPAIN
Ana he glanced where his iron war-dogs Law
Couched and ready to bite and bay.
Again! what power has wrought this spell
In the fair, young land he had loved so we'll?
What weird enchantment before his eyes
Shaped these fantastic mimicries?
For, 10! as he looked the picture passed.
And wonderful city. strange and vast,
With tower and tuTret, and massive DOME
Sprung, like dream, from the waters foam.
Through the avenues, stretching wide,
Far and farther on either side,
Moved, incessant, the motley throng
With Babel murmur of speech and tongue;
And hither, and thither. and far away,
In and out Of the beautiful bay
Were sails and spars from the nethe7most seas:-
And the masts, where the vessels rode at ease
Stood like forest of stately trees
And over all in the steady air
STRAINED banner diviney fair:
For the rose and pearl of the dawn were there.
And the blue OF the skys serenest day,
And the stars of night in its azure layl
Never, ah, never beneath the sun,
So fair flag had he looked upon!
But love and pride for his own land swelled
In bis loyal breast and his heart rebelled
And the gruff chief swore with firm round ooth
By George and the Dragon'-nothing 10th
BY his brave mems lives and his brave mems deot,
This land is Englands ,-Elizabeth's!
Flag nor color of other powers
Shall faunt DER lands or seas of ours.n
And he looked to water, and looked TO land
And grasped his sword with an eager hand
And his face grew fierce and the battle-scarred
Warriors breath came hoarse and hard
Then spake the ships bold minister,
Chaplain Fletcher: "Your pardon, sirI
Id anger and dire distress you seemed,
+! MINK my captain you slept and dreamed"
ana tne Sea King, scanning the waves afar,
Lone and barren of sail or spar,
AND the shores by the Inbound mist half hid,
Made answer, slowly, II think did,"