Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1871-11-17
Selectfn Ioetry.
From the Boston Congregationalist.
"THE DESCENT OF MAN.o
A Monkeys Indignation Meeting.
BY MRS. MARY SPRING WALKER.

The show was over, the crowd had gone.
The white tent CLEANED in the setting sun
For the jam, and heat, and horrid din,
There was silence, and GOODNESS, and peace
within
Each wretched beast, who all the day long,
Mocked, and stared at, and jeered at by tn
throng.
Poked at by parasols stirred with stick,
Weary, and sore, disgusted, and sick,
Was only too glad in his corner to creep,
And lose for while, all his sorrow in sleep.
Only deep sound now and then,
Came from the African lions den.
For the noble beast had forgotten his pain,
And in dreams was treading the jungle again
The bars of his cage rose straight and high,
In lofty palm trees against the sky,
And the narrow space of prison floor,
Stretched to the length of his native shore.
King of the forest, free and brave,
One hour he wandered-then woke-a slave.
In the monkeys cage meeting was called
There were officers chosen, and duly installed
An ancient baboon having taken the chair,
Stated the object that had brought them there
''My children" he said, Sin this aged breast
Love for my kind has long found rest.
To keep our honor and good name bright,
Mine is no narrow and selfish aim,
Monkeys love of every name.
In the baboon, chimpanzee, and ape, see
Fair offshoots from one family tree.
Smooth or hairy, great or small,
Long tailed, or short tailed, love them all.
And l keenly feel disgrace and shame,
Offered, oh monkey, to your good name,
For one of the two-legged tribe called men,
"A fellow with plausible tongue and pen)
Is trying to prove, with bluster and fuss,
That he, and his race, descended from us.
Think oft monkeys The ill-mannered throng
Awkward in gait, and silly of tongue,
At so much head, strutting round at our show
(What precious small heads on the top of ther
grow,)
Coming, say, here to cape and to stare,
Our beautiful forms with their own to compare
Then fastening home, their ancestry to trace
And father on as the degenerate race.
Were the theory true, tbs the monkey "des
Alas what fall would be there, my friends,
Oh say, ye balloons, shall we tamely sit dow
Or hurl back this insult with righteous scorn
This meeting is called to consider the question
Please give it, dear children, your earnest at
tention."
An angry chatter their emotion expressed.
The feeling was deep, tho plainly suppressed
And the monkey next called on, the stand t
take,
Was too much excited his speech to make.
Till he turned upside down, and hung by hi
tail,
And threw three fipfaps over the rail,
Stood twice on his pyramidical head,
Then rising, refreshed, looked about him an,
said:
"My injured fellow monkeys,
l haven't words to tell
The grief and indignation
That In this bosom swell.
What have we done, my brethren,
To merit the disgrace,
Of peopling all creation
With this apostate race?
Why, mankind's s daily follies
Are enough to make one rave.
Did you ever see monkey
So like fool behave:
Did you ever catch a monkey ",
Coloring his hair?
Do we stick stove pipes on our heads,
Tight boots and chokers wear2
Do we buy tickets to show,
The elephant to see?
And strut about, and make remarks
On better folks than we?
Drink fusil OIL and strychnine.
A vile weed chew and snuff?
Slander our neighbors, sell our votes,
Or ballot boxes stuff?
Do monkeys sgo on benders,
Or sue for divorce?
Did you ever meet monkey
Forever talking 'horse?'
Do monkeys run for Congress,
Or to lawyer go?
Eat pork, or cheat the printer?
Cheering and cries of-No.)
Then since to ape their follies,
No well-bred ape inclines,
And all our faults in contrast,
Seem harmless monkey Shines
Whatever their beginning,
'Tis plain enough to see,
The key to all their nonsense,
Is found not in monkey
The speaker sat down mid tremendous applause
Howling and screeching and clapping of paws
Which was only succeeded by silence, when,
The chairman declared, they acted like men.
At this singing rebuke, every monkey wa
His tail 'twixt his legs, and his eyes on tn
And was ready to listen subdued and meek,
When the poet-orator rose to speak,
'tBreathes there an ape with soul so dead
Who never to himself hath said,
l am a monkey bred and born?
w hOSC oouI WOulu ldll W UuTu VIII Ire,
His veins run wild with liquid fire,
At insult on his birthright thrown?
ayes, there are such, you'll find them where
Shrill discord fills the tortured air,
In some vile organ grinders van.
Sunk by companionship so low,
Watching them both, you scarce shall know,
Which is the monkey, which the man.
"But we are formed of other mould
Oh, say, my friends, shall it be told
Manhood from monkeyhood comes down?
We hate the dreadful thought, but most
We hate the man who makes his boast
Of monkey blood mixed with his own.
"Ah, could we the bold miscreant chase
Back to our ancient dwelling-place,
Swift retribution would we plan;
From tall tree we'd drop him down,
And every monkey looking on,
Should study ':The Descent Of Man,
There were others to speak, but the hour wa
late,
So the President rose and closed tie debate.