A MARK TWAIN POEM,

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 864, 9 July 1910, Page 11

A MARK TWAIN POEM,

The Cleveland "Plain Dealer" prints a hitherto unpublished poem by Mark Twain, supplied by Mrs.. Severance, who says: ... "Mark Twain has not been known' as a writer of verse, though -some of his .poems have been published. Tho accompanying line-s are copied .directly from his manuscript. They .-were, written by him a few days before the Quaker City reached New York on her return voyage, November, 1867. Occasionally a letter to the 'Alta Californian,' afterward incorporated into 'Innocents Abroad,' had been read aloud by him to Mrs. Fairbanks and myself, so that their humorous character was understood by us. I had just sharpen-, ed a lialMozeii pencils for him, as. I had frequently done before, and, handing them to him, I remarked: 'Now, these .are ready for you to make- fun of us; I wish you would write something sober to bo put in the 'Atlantic Monthly," for ,instance.' A day . later lie brought this poem to mo as his personal adieu": Tho stars- and lines are as Mr. Clemens wroto them: — GOOD BYE. Their voyage done, the fleet that ploughed Together: o'er the main Spread their broad'sails and speed away; - No more to meet again! And one shall dance o'er tropic seas, And under . splendid skies.

And flout like a dream through purple haze , And tho. sunset's, golden > Or swim in a. glory of amber: light, Under the mellow moon' . • - And drink tho odours that 'steal on the night From tho zone of eternal June! And anchored at last by the beautiful isles That garland those tranquil seas, Shall fold her white wings and fall asleep In tho hush of an endless peace.

And one shall go forth in the pride of her -strength, l : 1 With tho northern blast to play. Where tho storm-bird shrieks o'er the billowy waste In a driving mist of spray. And the spume-flakes fly from the plung- • ing prow ' ' Far down on the whistling wind, And blend their snows with tho foamy wako : That follows far behind: And the sullen gloom of the brooding sky Hangs low its awful pall And darkens the' tossing world beneath, Wher6 the winking foam-crests crawl!

The thunder peals and'the good ship reels Under the-tempest's spell,. And tho lightning's, glaro on the murky .night liike the fateful fires of hell!

Ah, woe to the ship, and woe to the crew! (Watcher,- pour thy tears like rain!)' . For they shall go down in .storm and night, ' .• ■ ' And be seen no more of men! ,

Lo! other/ships of that parted'fleet Shall suffer • this . fate or that: One shall bo wrecked, another shall sink, On ground on treacherous flat.' Some shall be famed in many lands As good ships, fast and fair, And some strangely disappear, lien know not, when'or where.

As the years roll on, tho parted maycatch Glimpses of former' mates Fading iiway. on Ocean's verge . Where night on the gloaming waits:

But never, ah, never, while Time shall last Shall they greet again on Ocean's waste Or by the friendly shore, The goodly fleet that (Tndured so long, In sisterly concord, calm, and stormsIs parted forever more! You cannot but read my riddle aright— "lis well! Let one pass strangely out of sight, His mato go down in storm and night: Sail YOU in tropic seas of lightFarewell !