An' now the main eccentrics start their quarrel on the sheaves. Her time, her own appointed time, the rocking link-head bides, Till-hear that note ?-the rod's return whings glimmerin' through the guides. They're all awa! True beat, full power, the clangin' chorus goes Clear to the tunnel where they sit, my purrin' dynamoes. Interdependence absolute, foreseen, ordained, de creed, To work, Ye'll note, at any tilt an' every rate o' speed. Fra skylight-lift to furnace-bars, backed, bolted, braced an' stayed, An' singin' like the Mornin' Stars for joy that they are made; While, out o' touch o' vanity, the sweatin' thrust block says: "Not unto us the praise, or man-not unto us the praise!" Now, a' together, hear them lift their lesson-theirs an' mine: "Law, Orrder, Duty an' Restraint, Obedience, Dis cipline!" Mill, forge an' try-pit taught them that when roarin' they arose, An' whiles I wonder if a soul was gied them wi' the blows. Oh for a man to weld it then, in one trip-hammer strain, Till even first-class passengers could tell the meanin' plain! But no one cares except mysel' that serve an' understand My seven thousand horse-power here. Eh, Lord! They're grand-they're grand! Uplift am I? When first in store the new-made beasties stood, Were Ye cast down that breathed the Word de clarin' all things good? Not so! O' that warld-liftin' joy no after-fall could vex, Ye've left a glimmer still to cheer the Man-the Arrtifex! That holds, in spite o' knock and scale, o' friction, waste an' slip, An' by that light-now, mark my word-we'll build the Perfect Ship. I'll never last to judge her lines or take her curve— not I. But I ha' lived an' I ha' worked. All thanks to Thee, Most High! An' I ha' done what I ha' done-judge Thou if ill Losh! Yon's the "Stand by" bell. Pilot so soon? His flare it is. The mornin'-watch is set. Well, God be thanked, as I was sayin', I'm no THE MIRACLES. I SENT a message to my dear A thousand leagues and more to herThe dumb sea-levels thrilled to hear, And Lost Atlantis bore to her. Behind my message hard I came, And nigh had found a grave for me; But that I launched of steel and flame Did war against the wave for me. Uprose the deep, by gale on gale, He broke his teeth along my rail, I stayed the sun at noon to tell I read the storm before it fell And made the better haste of it. Afar, I hailed the land at night— The towers I built had heard of meAnd, ere my rocket reached its height, Had flashed my Love the word of me. Earth gave her chosen men of strength (They lived and strove and died for me) To drive my road a nation's length, And toss the miles aside for me. I snatched their toil to serve my needsToo slow their fleetest flew for me I tired twenty smoking steeds, And bade them bait a new for me. I sent the lightnings forth to see Where hour by hour she waited me. Dawn ran to meet us at my goal Ah, day no tongue shall tell again!— And little folk of little soul Rose up to buy and sell again! |