Project Gutenberg's Winning the Wilderness, by Margaret Hill McCarter

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Title: Winning the Wilderness

Author: Margaret Hill McCarter

Illustrator: J. N. Marchand

Release Date: December 12, 2008 [EBook #27505]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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WINNING THE WILDERNESS

In all the story of the world of man,
Who blazed the way to greater, better things?
Who stopped the long migration of wild men,
And set the noble task of building human homes?
The learned recluse? The forum teacher?
The poet-singer? The soldier, voyager,
Or ruler? 'T was none of this proud line.
The man who digged the ground foretold the destiny
Of men. 'T was he made anchor for the heart;
Gave meaning to the hearthstone, and the birthplace,
And planted vine and figtree at the door.
He made e'en nations possible. Aye, when
With his stone axe he made a hoe, he carved,
Unwittingly, the scepter of the world.
The steps by which the multitudes have climbed
Were all rough-hewn by this base implement.
In its rude path have followed all the minor
Arts of men. Hark back along the centuries,
And hear its march across the continents.
From zone to zone, all 'round the bounteous world,
The man whose skill makes rich the barren field
And causes grass to grow, and flowers to blow,
And fruits to ripen, and grain turn to gold--
That man is King! Long live the King!
--Mrs. J. K. Hudson.

[Illustration: They sought the trail and followed it westward
in the face of the wind]

WINNING THE WILDERNESS

By

MARGARET HILL McCARTER

Author of "The Price of the Prairie," "A Wall of Men,"
"The Peace of the Solomon Valley," "A Master's Degree," etc.

Illustrations By

J. N. MARCHAND

Chicago

A. C. McCLURG & CO.