A DREAM.

Inangahua Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1271, 14 May 1883, Page 2

A DREAM.

_^_ — + "Our life is twofold. Sleep hath it's own world, a boundary between the things, misnamed Death, and Existance. " "I had a dream, which was not all a dream." Methought a curious onlooker I stood And watched a contest, desperately fought Between two hostile armies, both were led By skilful, cautious, wary generals, And in the vanguard of each army, rode The leaders; One, a perfect stranger seemed ; Methought I ne'er had seen his face before, But Truth seemed stamped on every lineament, And his broad brow the- mark of genius bore, And when he spoke, from his bold lips there fell Such a rich stream of fervid eloquence • That even his opponents felt the spell, And longed to r'ght for such a noble chief. "A change came o'er the spirit of my dream." The other leader, had a gallant mien ; A smiling, gay exterior, but his hand Outstretched incessantly, appeared to ache, ■ As if it had grown weary of the touch, Of all the palms he'd rashly vowed to shake "From Larry's Creek, straight down to Brunnerton." He too harangued his hearers, but his voice Expression gave to such weak utterance Such sophistries, such feeble arguments ; So superficial ; So illogical, That it evoked scarce one applauding cheer E'en from the ranks of his most zealous friends. "A change came o'er the spirit of my dream." This second leader seemed so popular Methought I asked, from whence does he derive The power to sway a fickle multitude ? And a low voice replied, from party strife And petty, mean, degrading jealousies Divided into faction, people grow Too blind, too deaf, to recognise the ring Of the true metal from the baser coin There was a time, not very long ago ; When this same bland and gracious aspirant Treated with ill-disguised contempt and scorn Some of the very men, wlto now consent To be the stepping-stones by which he seeks to mount Towards the pinnacle lue longs, to reach. (Those whom the cap tits, are at liberty to wear it. ) "A change came o'er the spirit of my dream." Methought that on a certain day and hour These two opposing parties met and. fought, Such a hot, sharp encounter then took place ; I could not wait the close; I turned and fled While ignorance was bliss, I could net wait to see Which side was victor, which was vanquished. Hcoftou, May 10, 1883.