The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-13
CURRENT VERSE.
The Drute.

ThrousI his might men work their Wills
They tave howeled out the hills
For food to keep him tciling in the cages they
have wrought;
And they fling him, hour by hour
Limbs OF men to give him power;
Brains OF men to give him cunning; and for
dainties to devour,
Childrens souls, the little worth; hearts OF
women, cheaply bought.
He takes them and he breaks them. but he gives
them scanty thought.
For. about the noisy land.
Roaring. quiveiing meath his hand,
His thoughts brood fierce and sullen or laugh
in lust of pride
Ger the stubborn things that he
Breaks to dust and brings to be:
Some he nightly establishes, some aings down
utterly;
There is thunder in his stride. nothing ancient
When he hales the hills together and brides
up the tide.
Quietude and loveliness
Holy sights that heal and bless,
They are scattered and abolished where his iron
hooi is set:
When he splashes through the brae.
Silver streams are choked with clay,
When he snorts, the bright cliffs cTumble and
the woods go down like hay;
He LARS in pleasant cities, and the haggard
squalid mid their new-got riches soot-begrimcd
and desolate.
They who caught and bound him tight
Laughed cxu ant at his might.
Saying: .'Now behold the good time comes, for
the wearicst and the least!
We will use this lusty knave;
No more need for men TO slave;
We may rise and look about Us and have knowl-
edge, ere the grave"
But the Brute said in his breast: It'll the mills
/ grind have ceased.
The riches shall be dust Of dust, dry ashes be
the feastl
"on the strong and cunning few
Cynic favors | will strew;
1 will stuff their NAV with overplus until their
spirit dies:
From the patient and the low
/ will take the joys they know;
They shall hunger after vanties, and still an
Madness shall be on the people. CHASTITY jealOuses
arise;
Brothers blood shall cry on brother up the
dead and empty skies.
81 will burn and dig and hack
Till the heavens suffer lack;
Cod shall feel a pleasure fail him. crying to
his cherubim,
Who hath flung yon mudhall there
Where my world went green and fairF
1 shall laugh and hug me. hearing how his senti-
IT'S the Brute they chained to laborl He has
made the bright earth dim.
Store of wares and pelf plenty. but they got no
good Of him. ~
So he plotted in his rage;
So he deals it. age by age.
But even as he roared his curse still small
Voice befell;
To- still and pleasant voice
Babe them none the less rejoice,
For the Brute must bring the good time on;
he has other choice
He may struggle, sweat. and yell, but he knows
exceeding we'll
He must work them out salvation ere they send
him back to hell
All the desert that he made
He must treble bless with shade.
In primal wastes set precious seed Of rapture and
of pain;
All the strongholds that he built
For the powers of greed and guilt,
He must strew their bastions down the sea and
choke their towers with silt;
He must make the temples clean for the gods
to come again,
And lift the lordly cities under skies without
stain.
In a very cunning tether
He must lead the tyrant weather;
He must loose the curse OF Adam from the worn
neck OF the race;
He must cast out hate and fear.
Dry away each fruitiess tear
And make the fruitful tears to gush from the
deep heart and clear.
He must give each his portion, each his
pride and worthy place;
He must batter down the arrogant ana LIL the
weary face;
On each vile mouth set purity, on each low fore
head grace.
Then, perhaps, at the last day,
They will whistle him away.
Lay a hand upon his muzzle in the face of God,
and say;
Honor, Lord. the Thing tsmedi
Let him not be scourged blamed.
Even through his wrath and ferSeness was thy
fierce wToth world reclaimed
Honor thou thy servants servant; let thy justice
now be shown"
Then the Lord will heed their saying, and the
Brute come to his own,
'Twixt the Lion and the Eagle, by the arm-post
of the throne.
William Vaughn Moody, in the Atlantic.