The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1875-02-20
ON THE TOWN.


Thousands are ont this beautiful night,
They Jostle each other, but shrink from me
Men hurry by with stealthy glance;
Women pass by with their eyes cast down
Even the children seem 10 Know
The shameless girl OF the town
Hated and Stunned, walk the street,
Huntingdon what?" For my prey, It's
said
/ look at It ia different light,
For my nightly shame is my daily bread
My food, my shelter, the clothes wear
Only for this might starve or drown
The world has disowned me; what can do
But live and die on the town?
The world is cruel /; It might be right
10 crush the harlOt, bui grant IL so,
What made her the guilty thing she Is?
For she was innocent once, you know;
Twas love! that terrible word tells all
Ses loved q man, and blindly believed
His VOWS, his kisses, his crocodile tears;
or course the fool was deceiveo.
What had to gain by moments sin
TO weigh in the scale of my innocent years.
My womans shnme, my ruined named,
My fathers curses, my mothers tears
The love OF man. II was something to give
Was 1t worth it? The price was soul-paid
dover.
Did get soul, his soul in exchange
behold mo here on the town
"Your guilt was heavy" the world would
"And heavy, heavy, your doom must be;
For to pity womans fall
Is to Set no value on chastity"
"You undervalue the virgins crown,
The spotless honor that makes me DEAR" d
But ought to know what the bauble is
When the loss of 1t brings me here!
But pity and pardon! Who are you
To talk of pardon, pity, to me?
What ask Is Justice, sir!
Let both be punished or both go free.
II 1t be in woman q shameful thing,
What is 1t in man Now come, be just;
(Remember, she fails through her love for
him, Vn
He through his selfish lustD
Toll me what is don to the wretch
Who tempts and riots in womans fall?
His father curses and casts him off!
His friends forsake? He is scorned of all?
Not he. HIS Judges are men like himself,
Or thoughtless women, who numor with him
up"
Even his mother, who ought to know
The woman nature and how II Is won,
Frames Thousand excuses for him,
Because, forsooth, the man is her son!
You have daughters madam lhe told me so),
then?"
Some mother may have son like yours,
Bid them beware Of men!
l saw his coach In the street to-day
Dashing along on the sunny side,
With q liveried driver on the box;
Lolliag back in her listless pride,
The imp of his bosom took the air;
She was bought in the market where hearts
are sold;
gave myself away for his love
Sne sold herself for his gold I"
Flattered ana feasted. One dark night
Some devil led me to pass his house;
saw the windows blaze of light;
The music whirlcd III maddening sound,
l heard The fall OF the dancers feet;
Bitter, bitter, the thoughts bad,
Standing then on the street.
Back to my gaudy den went,
Marched to iny r6om in grim despair,
Dried my eyes, painted my cheeks,
And liked n flower or Two in my hair!
Corks We're popping, wine was flowing.
seized bumper and tossed II down;
One must do something to kill the time,
And tit ones self for the town.
] meet his boy In the park sometimes,
And my heart runs over toward the child,
A frank little fellow win fearless eyes.
He smiled at me as his father smiled ID.
hate the man, but love the boy,
For | think what my own had he lived
would be. Itf
Perhaps it is he. come back from the dead
To his father, alas! not me
Hut stand too long in the badow, here,
Let me out in the ght again.
Now for insults, blows, perhaps,
And, bitte-er still, my own disdain!
| take my place in the crowd of men,
Not like the simple women see; 4#.
You may cheat them rs much as you please,
You wear no mask with me!
know ye! Under your honied words
There turks n serpent: Your oaths are his,
There's a lustful IRE in your hungry hearts,
gee 1t flaming up in your eyesl
Cling to them ladies, and shrink from me,
Or rail at my bold have you done?
Madam, your husband knows Inc well!
Mother know your son
But go your ways, and III go mine;
Call me opprobrious names If you Will;
The truth Is bitter; think have lied;
"a hsrlot?" Yesl B It a woman Still!
God said of OLD to q woman like M.
400, sin no M ore, or the Bibles lie,
But you, you mangle his meroiful word,
To-"Go and sin till vOu diei"
Die! the word has a pleasant sound,
The sweetest I've heard this many year:
II seems 10 promise AN end to pain.
Any way it will end it--here!
Suppose throw myself into the street7
Before the horses could trample me down,
Some would-be friend might snatch me up,
And thrust me back on the tOwnl
But look, the river! From where stand
see 10, / a aimost hear IL flow;
Down on the dark and lonely pier
1t is but "a slep-I can end my Voc!
A plunge, a splash, and all will be DER,
The death black waters will drag me down
God knows where! But no matter where,
30 am Off the town!