New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-02-26
MISTICK kREWE OF COMtS
THE PAGEANT OF 1878
THE ANIMAL KINGDOM
ITS ACTUAL REPRESENTATION
DaRWJWs ORIGIN OF THE SPECIES

| DARWINS ORIGIN UF hE SfEtiES
And now came '!our Cousin Comu..'
whose advent had been so lOng shrouded
| in mystery, TO visit his Royal Highness, and
| led the van Of the animal kingdom. With
| banners, torches and triumphant music, he
| advances with his train to in2ugurate the
| close of the reveis of the day.
At eight o'clock Lafayette Square wa. :
| blaze of light from the torches and reflect
ors of the attendants of Comu. All out
side barbarans were excluded, and the ex.
ponents OF the Master Darwin ranged them
selves around the hollow square. Then the
music of the band of the Nineteenth Intan
try broke upon the ear, the lights began to
move, the creatures os Eden geG
themselves on the dictation OK the moo ern
philosopher. animated logic came forth to
prove the creation false. the gates are
opened, the triumph of realistic reason adj
vanCe,, the wand OF Comus waves. and the
Mi.tick krewe come forth.
First appeared an altar bearing, amid
the blaze of light and perfumes OF burning
incense, one eingle sentence. which pro
claimed that tho DARN. mortal whose
penetrating search had reached beyond
the Garden OF Eden and found the first
man "linked' by grosser ties than any
that thi. unique genius had ever dreamed,
was the presiding genius OF the mystic
spell.
OH mighty Darwin, monarch OF an sases
Adjoining tins or long forgotten ages.
Whose magic touch ope's portals paleo9ic
And skaters seals of periods geologic
Before whose search the mysteries OF crea ton
Dissolve like mists OF mOrni q eXhsatiOn-
Who thread the line OF life to natures germs.
10 ind God image Ia ancestral worms
We ,ich in faith and warm In strong affection.
For the great creed OF natural selection,
Convinced that MANTLE modern Institutions
owes his proud place TO lawsOf evolution
Vow, come, great sage, a living grand memorial
or mans descent through lineage "arbOreai.
''Hha misc ug links'-thoSe pre-. historic sireS
Whose loves and lIvess sondegin. race adm II IS
The winged car of "Comus," hOating on
clouds famed by gentle winds, passed after
the altar. Here sat the ruler o.. the
pageant. whose sceptre had summoned
from the four quarters OF the globe one
hundred OF his followers. devoted to the
mighty Darwin. No lesser lights could
claim their allegiance. 10. unless the per.
fumed clouds over the altar contained the
invisible protoplasm, Huxley. the author
OF the Origin OF the Species" reigned
supreme. with none TO dispute his right.
Strain. OF inspirin. music Gang the
praises OF the day. and announced the
coming of our most remote ancestor o. the
genus protczoan.
When all was soit and chaos ruled the spheres
Back thro' the shadows OF unfathomed year,
Lies first spark faint flashed thro' yess night.
And quiVeriug fell on the rude ZOaphyte.
Before this revered father OF our race
stslked hi. squire, Equns Asinus, who bore
aloit the banner OF his lord. He. first OF
asses, proudly served the germ Of man.
Close upon tn. heel. OF the pioneer Of
life was the squire Of sponge. whose master
now i. mans morning friend and eye opener
After sponge the next in grade, the raii-
at--, each with his squire before him with
his banner. follow.
'Old soaker," sponge, tei, the cena! glow.
Mid cora castles. reared in depths below,
Where brave sea pcttirs waved care-sinI anna
To Cu!ras5ed p0lyYs, e!am0ureC of their charms
And now these sub-kingdoms, whose fee
Die lie has charms for them even though
they have 10 spine. and various members
lead from a common centre ike the sparks
from Chinese pin wheel. give place to the
soft. seductive m0llusca 10 whom man
shows his appetite for the link" they make
whenever funds permit.
Where the molu.c, fierce with y,stnins tires.
T'ftFll MAJ 1lX hall Ia fa4r
And peITIwinkles smOOth he'd their coats O. mHn
TO court endearments from the woOIng snail:
There warmed TIE spark in It's rustaceaG oyi
TIL shrimpS, enraptursd on its sweetness fed.
fmpassioned HOLSTERS clasped seductive claws.
And Jealous crabs suceumbed 20 hymen's !aw..
GranGrr grow the links. and from the
realm. OF Neptune. attended by the ever
present ASS. with his banner. procldiminG
the lord 20 whom lie owes his duty. come
the iinny tribe with their brother articu.
lates in arms.
Gut k!ndlin. lnOre--'he pisci:e tribe prevails.
Its lncandesceIce gAnds the dophn's scales.
Transforms sea dragons into signing SWANS.
And distract. sherphcads with bewitching pains
The II wing fish then on ward watts the spars.
Til lOvr!Vrn passion. thrill she cruel shark.
Another asinine .quire. with the banner
Of the veitehrate.. presents Old Leviathian.
whose appearance as a ''link' seriously
threatens his domestic peace. who comes to
I'll. surface for his breath and blows.
And .weetcs. transports swell the mighty deep.
To where IL" whales UXoIieus vgils keep.
The tabled realm. OF mythology send the
son Of Jupiter and Amphitrite 10 follow the
mermaid OF the NOrsemen and mingle with
the ;ny.r:cUrate-, with many attendant
asses.
SIN brip'l.,, ytt-,hr s,u...';s .row a. length.
With ntrmald grace. aud wi'h Triton strength:
The ,adpole vlI.sia II from the ocean f1or
IN" broad backed turtle bears it on to sh0r'.
Where su, king ieechcs draw It's baby signs,
Ma sto,id frogs trsnshxee with mute surprise.
The tropic waters send the benevolent
alligator 10 welcome the pot-bel!j"d visitor
from the frozen foe:
"hiI- Cdualis wake witt. new born JOY .la;e.
AAt roarS the walTIs. Eager foi his mate.
.and now the spar. OF life has taken .
long. leap. aul
n rertil. torn. then creeping from the BANK
f" 'iIci! walls IA" s-a and bounds tine morasS oank
FRS: NE essential asa, and then repre-
-entativcs o: all the snaky tribe:
VS. sa'sg. lustsr lights til. s"rpcnt's track.
40 blush IN DeaEty Ou ChameleOu'S back.
Nith ardent flame it til 5 the scorpions eyes,
With rainbow hue. the meek lguasa dyes,
!ntiI. .t LAST, in sunshine. wealth UnrOlle3.
.hc sslaluaHu'r cd. with mp.t.a gold.
The wand Of tpmu. her. presents a hit
ferent form Of lite. The fruits of our great
mother earth. sustaining The spark whose
gradual evolution has reached the ;.ei.l.
o. = spina. column and train.
Eefulcen. ncw-its yivityiug ray.
Spread far and ~ldc-see'l IN tn. ;.sss. * maze.
IN crimson carrots piercing mother -l.th.
Ia emerald pinas yielding fragrant birth.
FestOOued bananas with their giores shine.