Industrial freedom. [volume] (Edison, Wash.) 1898-1???, 1898-07-02
THE BANQUET.
BY WALTER A. RADCLIFFE.

green. They were real giants, robed
in gorgeous apparel of crimson and
silver, and purple and gold.
Autumn had opened the nut-burs,
and as passed beneath the burs he
shook the ripe nuts down upon and
about me.
1t was the harvest time for mouse
and squirrel, and my heart was glad
as [ watched them bearing grain to
their gamers. All the promises of
all the year were fulfilled. Plenty
she had promised and plenty she had
spread beneath Earth's veil of am
Der.
BY the brook that murmured
dreamily as it smiled back at the joy
Gus world above it. through the little
dell where | had so often talked with
the flowers. now asleep forever |
wandered. and as went unused upon
the ways of men. surely" | said,
no man fears hunger now, for even
the mice lack nothing, Through all
the songful spring time and through
all the golden hours of amorous sum
mer they disported themselves.
Theirs has been a love-fcast long and
unbroken by toll, or want, or worry.
and now they take from natures hand
all that they need. Are not men
more than MICE"
Not. so, my son." answered low,
sweet voice close to me, and, turning,
| saw the wand-bearer. Mice know
not how to be selfish" she continued,
but come, and will show you how
men fare in autumn"
She led me by pathway that l had
never before seen, to a great hall.
Music there was beneath its roof, but
it was loud and shrill and discordant,
not low and soft, and sweet like that
which went up into the blue from the
bosom of the forest.
Through the open doors and win
dows rolled wave upon wave of
stragely mingled odors, but nowhere
among them all could | find the
breath of any flower that had ever
known.
We entered. 1t was a great ban
quoting hall, and countless tables
were spread as for a feast. The
guests were already assembled, and a
few, a very few, were eating and
drinking.
why are not all feasting?' asked
the wand-bearer.
Because there is not ROOM" she
answered.
But said |, Il see many vacant
chairs: surely there is no reason why
any should stand"
Then she led me to a table. 1t had
been spread for fifty and Il chair had
been placed for each. All had been
hidden, but only one was seated, only
one was feasting. looked closely at
the chairs and saw that they were all
alike: One was in no wise more COM
Portable than another. The wand
bearer showed me a name written
upon each chair, and the names I saw
were the names of those men who
were standing. | was about to ask
once more why they did not take their
seats at the table when my guide
touched my eyes and | saw clearly
that the chairs were not as they had
at first been.
He who Toasted had blotted the
names so that those who stood could
not read them. After he had thus
done he had written his own name
and set his seal in many places upon
the chairs.
We went from table to table and
all were the same. All had been
spread for many, but only one toasted
at each. Some of those who sat had
written their names upon one humid
red chairs, some upon two hundred,
some upon five hundred, and some
upon a thousand.
Long then | watched them in sad
ness and anger as they Toasted. and
anon | saw them toss crumbs to
those who stood. This they did to
keep them from looking too closely
upon the chairs. Many of the names
were but newly blotted and many who
stood murmured.
Surely some can read" I said to
the wand-bearer,
Surely" she answered; listen"
Even as she said these words 4 man
stepped from his place among the
fasters and spoke so that all might
hear him, and this is what he said:
I'VE came at our mothers bidding
to this feast. Then why do we stand
and hunger? Has she not prepared a
place for us? Truly, she has prepared
a place for us, but some one has stolen
it. ! see our names written upon
these chairs, hut he who eats has
dared to blot them. While we stand
we SANDER her who prepared this