Page:The Poets and Poetry of the West.djvu/518

502 OBED J. WILSON. [1850-^60. I fear not all thy terrors, Death, I dread not even thee; Thou canst but take its citadel And set the spirit free ; Free to commence its endless round Of usefulness and bliss, Where sin and sorrow never come. In fairer worlds than this. But I do fear the slavery Of passions deep and dark, That drive us on o'er gulfs of vice, As winds the helmless bark : Till on some lone and stormy sea The worthless wreck goes down, With tempests raging round it. And beneath a clouded sun. LIFE— A JOURNEY. "All aboard ! " Conductor shouted ; To the engineer he spake ; Then were loosed the fettered flanges From the shackles of the break : Loud and shrill the whistle sounded; Slowly out the long train moves ; Stoutly play the shining pistons. Up and down the oily grooves. Faster, faster, breathes the charger. Which nor time nor load can tire, With his iron limbs and muscles, And his breath of steam and fire ; Him with brazen bands they've harnessed. And have fettered to the car. And bravely and right gallantly He bears us now afar. How his mane of sable blackness. With the fire-sparks intertwined. As he rushes grandly onward, Back is thrown along the wind ! Faster, faster, and yet faster, Plunges on our iron steed. Tramping, with his tread of thunder. Over upland, plain, and mead. Winding round the base of mountains, Penetrating ancient woods, Vaulting valleys, wild and gloomy. Threading prairie solitudes : Racing thus for miles unnumbered. We outstripped the lagging gale ; On, and on, and on, foi" hours, Rattling o'er the ringing rail. Thundering down across the country. Came another train as fleet, Dashing on to make connection. Where converging courses meet : Soon we reached the intersection, Whistles sounded, stopped each train, Friends exchanged brief salutations, — "All aboard ! " — away again ! Again away our trains went speeding, Freighted with their wealth of life ; Onward to their destination, Bearing love, and hope, and strife ; Hearts with grief and anguish laden, Bosoms filled with dumb despair. Loud-voiced mirth and bright-eyed laugh- ter, Sober thought and anxious care. Such is life, a rapid journey, Thus to death we hurry on, Thus we meet and thus are sundered. Come in haste, in haste are gone ; Thus our paths are intersecting, Thus we part to meet no more. Speeding down diverging pathways To death's dim and solemn shore. None can loiter, none can tai'ry ; Infancy, and youth, and age. Ever restless, all are speeding On this unknown pilgrimage. 0, may Virtue, sweet and holy, O, may Faith, the gentle one, Fit us for the Better Country, When our journeyings here are done !