The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-07-27
BY AN ATOM.

ginson, Mr.. Forsyth, (who lectured in Portland
last year on British Inda) Mrs. Julia Ward
Howe, Mr.. Alcott, Rev. Mr. Bartol. Mrs. Lou
Use Chandler Moulton, Mr.. Abbott, Mrs. Che
ney, Miss Peabody, Mr.. G. P Cranch, SC.
comprising wide variety of mental and per-
sonal qualities That the parties concerned are
inclined 70 laugh rather than be angry over the
criticism may be inferred from the fact that it
is copied by the Index, which in some sense
may be called their organ.l
Dear friends crave attention to some facts that
About club called '.Radical," you haven't heard
before.
Got up to teach the natlon was this newght feder-
alton.
To teach the nation how to think, to live, and to
adore,
should explorer
Only this, and nothing more.
And first dear friends the fact is Pm sadly out of
And may fail in doing justice to this literary bore.
But when do begin it, 1 don't think twill take
To prove there's nothing in it Gas you've doubtless
heard befOre),
But free religious wrangling club-of this Pm very
Only this, and nothing more!
Twas very cordial greeting one bright morning of
their meeting,
Such eager salutations were never heard before.
After due deliberation the importance of the
caslon,
To begin the organization Mr.. Pompous took the
With air quite self-complacent, strutted up and
AS he'd often done before!
With air of condescension, he bespake their close
attention
To an essay. from Wiseman. versed in theologc
He himself had had the pleasure OF short glance at
the treasure,
And in no stinted measure said we had treat in
store;
Then he waved his hand to wiseman, and resigned
Only this, and nothing more.
Quick and nervous short and wiry, with look pro-
Mr.. Miseman now stepped forward, and eyed
darkly DER;
Then an armchair, quaint and odea, gay with coors
green and golden,
By the pretty hostess rolled in from its place beside
the door,
Was offered to the reader in the centre of the floor
And he took the chair, be sure.
Then with arguments elastic, and voice and eye
Mr.. wiseman into flinders the Holy Bible tore;
And he proved. beyond question, that the God of
Moses mention,
Was fraudulent invention of some Hebrews, three
or four,
And the Son of Gods ascension an imaginary soar!
Only this, and nothing more.
Each member then admitted that his part was well
For his strong impassioned reasoning had touched
them to the core;
He felt sure as he surveyed them through his specs,
that he had "payed" them,
And was proud that he had made them all astonshed
by his lore;
Not continental cared he for the fruit such lessons
So he bowed and left the floor.
Then Colonel, cold and smiling, with stately air
beguiling,
Who punctuates his paragraphs on Viewpoints sound
ing shore,
Said his friend was wise and witty and yet it seemed
pity
In the ancient superstitons of the blessed days of
yore.
This he said and something more.
Orthodoxy he lamented, thought the Christian world
demented,
Yet still he felt reverence he read the Bible DER;
And he thought the modern preacher, though poor
stick for teacher,
Or a broken reed like Beecher, ought to have his
claims looked DER;
And the tyranny of SCIENCE was indeed. he felt
quite sure,
Our danger more and more.
His remarks our pulses quicken, when British Lion,
thing and more,
Said he loathed such moderation; and he made his
That in spite ofa creation he found no God to ADORE
And his voice was like the ocean as its surges loudly
roar.
Only this, and nothing more.
Then LADY fair and faded, with carewOrn look and
As though she saw the glory of the coming Lord no
more
Crushed the British Lions roaring by reverent out
pouring
OF faith forever soaring unto heavens golden door;
She was listened to intenty by each member on the
floor,
For. her genius they adore.
But the interest now grew lukewarm; for an ancient
Concord bookworm,
With authoritative tramping, forward came and took
the floor,
And in Orphic mysticsms talked oflight and life and
And the Infinite baptsms on transcendental shore,
And the concrete metaphysic till we yawned in an
guish sore;
But still he kept the floor.
The rare and radiant Alden that he begged us to
adore;
His smile was beaming brightly and his soft hair
Round face fair and slightly as pious priests of
And we forgave the arguments worn out years be.
For we loved this sanity bore
Then matron made for kisses in the lovelest of
And with eyes that shone more brightly than the dia-
monds that she wore,
Spoke in tones of lutte like sweetness words of such
exceeding fitness,
Phrases Of such happy neatness that we clapped
And we thought "Some women's Hearts, were
made for all men to adore,
As with grace she left the floor.
Then lively little charmer, noted as dress-re-
Because that mystic garment called chemiloon she
Said she had no "views'' of Jesus and therefore
would not tease us,
But that she thought 'twould please us to look her
figure DER,
For she wore no hustles anyDsere; and corsets she
felt sure
Should squeeze her Nevermore.
This pretty little pigeon said of course the true
Demanded ease of body before the mind could soar;
But that no emancipation could come unto our ma
Until the aggregation of the clothes that women
wore
Were suspended from the shoulders and smooth
Plain behind, and plain before,
Her remarks were full of reason, but little out of
season,
And the proper tone of talking Mr. Fairman did re-
store,
When he sneered at priests and preaching and in
dorsed The Index teaching,
And with philanthropic screeching said he sought
forevermore
The light of and freedom into darkened minds
Truly this,-but something more
Then with eyes as bright as Phebus, and hair dark
Erebus,
A maid with stunning eyeglass next appeared upon
the floor;
In her aspect she looked regal, though her words
were few and feeble,
But she vowed his logic legal and pure golden
ore,
And Endorsed The Index editor in every word he
swore;
And then said-nothing more.
Then a tall and red-faced member large and loose
and somewhat limber
(And though his creed was shaky he the name of
Bishop bore
Said that if he lived forever he should forget, ah
never,
The Radicals SO clever in Boston by the shore.
But bore bad gold in his 'ead bust stop his saying
more,
And we all cried out encore.
The kindergarten mother clucked an answer to this
brother,
And her curls kept bobbing quan tly from the Queer
head-dress she wore;
And another mdgnus corpus, with figure like
Tn