Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-10-11
LEYELLLNG.

LII E1LLII Gs
The Emperor of China had something on his
mind;
It had struck him that distinctions, such as
everywhere you find,
Of wealth and rank are most unfair. as well as
most unkind.
So he said to his Prime Minister, ''This shall
no longer be;
For why my friends and brothers should go
bowling down TO me,
When am no whit better, I really cannot
see!"
The worthy old Prime Minister was infinitely
shocked;
His head he shook astutely, and his eyes he
wisely cooked,
As he said with deepest reverence, ''AIy lord
has surely Knocked
'rHereditary wisdom, hereditary truth! ="
''Hereditary chopstieks :" the Emperor cried,
''Good sooth
As sensibly might you adore hereditary youth!
''This thing shall have trial; you viii write,
my friend, straightway,
My imperial proclamation, that from this very
day
Rank and riches shall be equaI!'' With a ges-
ture of dismay
The Minister bssought him, ''1Iy lord, I crave
one boon;
I viii write the proclamation; I can have it
done by noon.
But I beg you to defer it; not to try it quite so
soon.
Not until we make this trial take six men
who equal be
AS to rank and age and learning, and convey
them over sea,
To an island uninhabited, and leave them
there quite free;
"And in three years return there, and if you
Precisely as we left them. that day three
years ago,
AS to wealth and rank and pow, T, let the world
your edict knOw!"
The Emperor assented, second thoughts are
always best,
And the vision of himself discrowned, IN
ranked and disposgessed
OF all imperial privilege, was rather fiat, at
best.
be,
Shipped to the distant island and left entirely
free.
How they Jared, the three years over, the En-
peror went to see.
He was met by a professions in gaudy litter
sat
One Of the six, distinguished by a button on
his hat;
He was carried by four bearers and herald
shouted that
He was Ruler of the island. Said the Emper-
or, ''What is this ?
How, ask, has my arrangement gone so ut
terly amiss?
There is something hidden from me; I must
fathom it wis !"
Twas a simple explanation, for the Ruler made
it plain;
He had worked and planned 50 wisely for
himself, the rest were fain
To intrust him with their business, and to make
the greater gain.
Then he gave each one a title, Agent, Umpire,
Lawyer, Judge,
Waterman; these we're their appointments,
and they found they dared not bulge
Without his royal edict; and they did not seem
to grudge
This assumption Of authority; it saved them
from much care,
The first was the Prime Ministers the rest
agreed to share
The life of simple subjects and the royal
throne to bear.
That was all; the Emperor listened silently and
thoughtfully;
Then he said to his Prime Minister ''Since
rank, it seems, must be,
I suppose the rank I stand in may as well be-
long to me
''As to another: Seasons must be equal in then
And heat; all rivers equal in length; the noun
Gains old
OF equal height, ere all men are equal as tc
gold,
"And rank and power. Return we to our EN-.
pire leaving these
To play at king and subject, since the playing
seems to please!
I, too, will play my part out, though perhaps
with less of ease ="
MARGARET VANDEGRIFT.
AfIDAJC nnnTOn