The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-04-27
Eongte'iow's Poem on
2uiLdinq of a lhip.

i"Bui1d me straight,:O worthy A1aster.
Stanch and strong, a goodly vessel.
That shall laugh at all disaster,
And with wave and whirlwind wrestle9'
In the shipyard stood the Master.
With the model of tho vessel.
That should laugh at all disaster.
And with wave and whirlwind wrestle!
Covering many a rood Of ground,
Lay the timber piled around:
Timber Of chestnut and elm. and oak,
And scattered here and there, with these,
The knarred and crooked cedar knees
Brought from regions far away,
From Pascagoula's sunny bay.
And the banks OF the roaring Roanoke!
Aht what a wondrous thing it is
To note how many wheels of toll
one thought, one word. ca. set IN mot1on!
There's not a ship that sails the ocean,
But every climate. every solt,
Must bring its tribute. great or small,
And help to build the wooden vail
Thus with the rising OF the sun
Was the noble task begun.
And soon throughout the shlpSato
bounds
We're heard the intermIng1ed sounds
OF axes and OF mallets, Piled
With vigorous arms on ever side;
Piled so deity and so well,
That, ere the shadows Of evening feu.
The keel Of oak for a noble ship.
Scarfed and bolted. straight and strons'
Was lying ready, and stretched along
The blocks. well placed upon the slip.
Happy, thrice happy. every one
Who sees his labor well begun,
And not perplexed and multiple ri.
BY idly waiting for time and tide!
Day by day the vessel grew.
With timbers fashioned strong and trus.
Stemson and keelson and sternson-kneo.
Till. framed with perfect symmetry.
a skeleton ship rose up to view!
And around the bows and along the side
The heavy hammers and mallets piled,
Till after many a week. at length,
Wonderful for form and strength,
Sublime in its enormous bulk.
Loomed aloft the shadowy hulki
And around it columns OF smoke. up-
wreathing.
Rose from the boiling, bubbling. seething
Caldron, that glowed,
And overfowed
with the black tar. heated for the sheat-
ing,
And amid the clamors
Of Gathering hammers,
He who listened heard now and then
Guild me straight, o worthy Master.
Stanch and strong, goodly vessel,
That shall laugh at all disaster,
e And with wave and whirlwind wrestler
with oaken brace and copper band.
Lay the rudder on the sand.
That. like a thought, should hays coElrul
Over the movement of the whole;
And near it the anchor. whose giant hand
would reach down and grapple with the
land.
And tumovab1e and fast
Hold the great ship against the bel!ou
ing blast!
And at the bows an image stood.
Bv a. cunning artist carved in wood.
with robes Of white. that far behind
Seemed to be f,uttering IN the wind.
1t was not shaped In a classic mould,
Not like Nymph or Goddess Of old,
Or Naiad rising from the water.
But modelled from the Masters daughter!
on many a dreary and misty night.
twill be- seen by the rays OF the signal
light
Speeding along through the rain and the
9sz5 dark
Like a ghost IN its snow-whIte sark.
The pilot OF some phantom bark.
Guiding the Vessel. in its fight.
By path none other knows arIghtl
Behold, at last.
Each tai and taperins mast
Is swung into its place:
3Shrouds and stays
Holding It firm and fastl
Then the Master
With gesture OF command.