The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-29

Burdette ns n Poet.
When Robert ]. Burdette writes book
of poetry the world knows just what 10 ex-
Smiles Ycked With Sighs'' is as god an
exponent OF the authors peculiar talents
as anything that he ever wrote. 1t is q
slim volume with many illustrations, con
tairdng verse which is just like Mr.. Bur
dette's prose. redolent OF American life in
boarding house, country village. and rail-
way car A good deal OF this verse is nom
sense-fairly agreeable and amusing non
sense nevertheless. The reader who likes
Mr.. Burdette will find himself grinning
over nearly every page; but the reader
who does not would better not take the
book up at all, because 1t will make him
Disguised with human nature.
Having warned intending purchasers just
what the volume is, it is not amiss to quote
a few samples Of It's more characteristic
offerings.
SCHOOL TAKES UP.
The boys have come back to school
And me;
And conflict OF riot and rule
The whispered joke and the stealthy grin,
The clingi1g wax and the crooked pin.
All me!
Ny profile chalked on the outer walls.
Dear mel
And the ceiling succeed with paper balls
see;
The shutting feet on the gritty floor,
The inky face at the schoolroom door,
The vicious pinch and the muffied roar
An mel
The question brisk and the answer slow
All mel
The 81 furgit' and the 81 dun no.
An mel
"'N four times seven is twenty -nine:"
'''N' Rome is a town on the River Rhine;"
NJ George is verb n agrees with wine;"
Dear me!
Grimace and giggle grin and wink
Dear mel
Buzz hum, and whisper-who can think?
Oh, mel
Wouldn't it be a better rule
To let the boy grow up 4 fool
Rather than send him back to school
And ne?
Here is another:
THE PUTTY MAN.
You may reason with fool until his muddled
brain grows clear,
You may teach idiot to think il you will
But all the WISDOM all the patience, ever learned
planned
Can't teach lesson to the man who will not
understand.
You can teach a pig the ALPHABET. reckon, if
you try,
parrot may be taught to read; man may
learn to fly;
It's possible that men may learn to twist rope
of sand.
But the angels couldn't teach the man who VIII
not understand.
Some patient men have trained the restless winds
to tow ships;
The deaf man hears you talk by the motion Of
your lips
And men have broken feas to harness-wor@ed
them four in hand,
But omniseience cannot train the man who will
not understand.
The spiders teach US how to put up screens
against the flies,
And blind men teach their teachers how to see
without their eyes;
Each living thing in all the world has answer
cd some demand.
Except the man who doesn't want to learn to
understand.
The granite rock will shatter at the one and
hundredth blow;
The April sun will smile away the mountain drift
of snow;
The lightning bolt will split in twain the tough
est oak on land,
But nothing shakes the putty man who will
not understand.
FROM cold and sullen flint the steel can waken
sparks Of fire,
Bright Freedoms torch the slaves dumb soul
with courage will inspire
The miser throws away his gold at Duty's stern
command;
But nothing thrills the man Of dough, who viii
not understand.
He's there, just where he's always been, and
there he's going to stay,
Through time and half eternity, forever and
day;
Re will not throb, nor quiver. nor thrill. nor
stand, nor fall,
that is all.
I reckon when at last Old Time has run his long,
long race,
And the Universe Gop5 crashing of in endless,
staTless space
There's just one thing that won't be in the trans
formation grand
The putty man-he'n see it all, but will not
understand
indianapolis: The Bowen-Merriu Com
pany)