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68
The Old Pole Star
Hezekiah Pung! Why not-if it weren't
I took in the situation from the gully, being
for that twinkle of light which stood for
in a blue shirt and gloriously happy over
civilization? In a whimsical impulse she
a fortune found with the East ahead, I
held out her hand to him.
thought I ought to do the classical thing;
"Really, it's not Pung. Possibly you've
and-well, much as I love the desert, little
heard of the Grahams of Taunton. One
old New York is good enough for me, if-
of them was something of an actor in the
if
"
class of '01," he observed. "You see, when
She did not withdraw her hand.
Scribniers
gan 1908
THE OLD POLE STAR
By Edith Wharton
BEFORE the clepsydra had bound the days
Man tethered Change to his fixed star, and said:
"The elder races, that long since are dead,
Marched by that light; it swerves not from its base
Though all the worlds about it wax and fade."
When Egypt saw it, fast in reeling spheres,
Her Pyramids shaft-centred on its ray
She reared and said: "Long as this star holds sway
In uninvaded ether, shall the years
Revere my monuments-" and went her way.
The Pyramids abide; but through the shaft
That held the polar pivot, eye to eye,
Look now-blank nothingness! As though Change laughed
At man's presumption and his puny craft,
The star has slipped its leash and roams the sky.
Yet could the immemorial piles be swung
A skyey hair's breadth from their rooted base,
Back to the central anchorage of space,
Ah, then again, as when the race was young,
Should they behold the beacon of the race!
Of old men said: "The Truth is there: we rear
Our faith full-centred on it. It was known
Thus of the elders who foreran us here,
Mapped out its circuit in the shifting sphere,
And found it, 'mid mutation, fixed alone."
Change laughs again, again the sky is cold,
And down that fissure now no star-beam glides.
Yet they whose sweep of vision grows not old
Still at the central point of space behold
Another pole-star: for the Truth abides.
Document source description
This file contains poems and letters dedicated to Robert Peary and the 1909 expedition to the North Pole. Also included are poems relating to Frederick Cook and his claim of reaching the North Pole first.
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"ocrText": "68\nThe Old Pole Star\nHezekiah Pung! Why not-if it weren't\nI took in the situation from the gully, being\nfor that twinkle of light which stood for\nin a blue shirt and gloriously happy over\ncivilization? In a whimsical impulse she\na fortune found with the East ahead, I\nheld out her hand to him.\nthought I ought to do the classical thing;\n\"Really, it's not Pung. Possibly you've\nand-well, much as I love the desert, little\nheard of the Grahams of Taunton. One\nold New York is good enough for me, if-\nof them was something of an actor in the\nif\n\"\nclass of '01,\" he observed. \"You see, when\nShe did not withdraw her hand.\nScribniers\ngan 1908\nTHE OLD POLE STAR\nBy Edith Wharton\nBEFORE the clepsydra had bound the days\nMan tethered Change to his fixed star, and said:\n\"The elder races, that long since are dead,\nMarched by that light; it swerves not from its base\nThough all the worlds about it wax and fade.\"\nWhen Egypt saw it, fast in reeling spheres,\nHer Pyramids shaft-centred on its ray\nShe reared and said: \"Long as this star holds sway\nIn uninvaded ether, shall the years\nRevere my monuments-\" and went her way.\nThe Pyramids abide; but through the shaft\nThat held the polar pivot, eye to eye,\nLook now-blank nothingness! As though Change laughed\nAt man's presumption and his puny craft,\nThe star has slipped its leash and roams the sky.\nYet could the immemorial piles be swung\nA skyey hair's breadth from their rooted base,\nBack to the central anchorage of space,\nAh, then again, as when the race was young,\nShould they behold the beacon of the race!\nOf old men said: \"The Truth is there: we rear\nOur faith full-centred on it. It was known\nThus of the elders who foreran us here,\nMapped out its circuit in the shifting sphere,\nAnd found it, 'mid mutation, fixed alone.\"\nChange laughs again, again the sky is cold,\nAnd down that fissure now no star-beam glides.\nYet they whose sweep of vision grows not old\nStill at the central point of space behold\nAnother pole-star: for the Truth abides."
}