Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1903-1917, 1904-04-27
FRANCE.

AuUh q IdAU4SSS 0uACGA. OA LuU SLCSHs
One time fond daughter of the Christ
ian church.
The first to raise thy voice in her
defense.
Again her direst tyrant who would
snirch.
Her fairest fame. and drive her
none cares whence.
Great land Of Clovis and of Louis,
Saint.
The land OF Joan, warrior, martyr,
maid,
Who shall essay thy tortuous course
to paint
How shall thy lightning changes be
portrayed
Like some frail artistic in dance hall
there
Beside the lolling of the dusty Seine
Thy kisses are for any, who may
dare.
Whose words may chance to chime
with that days vein.
The nations, gazing, feel as those
10 some gay vaudeville IN a bright
cafe.
10 watch chameleon changes, fast
or slow,
10 see the saint or courtesan or fay.
Act first, scene one, the curtain rises.
See
The habitant OF Faubourg Sainte
Germaine.
Tho highest type or aristocracy
Whose line descendeth In unbroken
chain.
She's gone! What have we? Cometh
here ono
TO dance herself into the hearts of
kings,
TO lounge on divans, feast from sun to
SUN,
And "God not we, look to the end of
things!"
She goes. Who's this What face
repellnnt here?
Whose brow is this, so purple black
with hate?
a horrid thing, compound of wrath
and lecr.
The gods avenging fury, fiend or
fate.
The curtain falls. IRIS up. Here's
NOtre Dame.
The old cathedral pile with arches
dim.
Here are crusaders crests and orr
famine
or many who-7what now is Frances
whim?
nortared place,
o altar stones! fall down in wild de-
SPAR.
10 chrismed, incensed God-house CON
secrate.
Behold who stitch throned in yon-
der chair.
The goddess. Reason, that the times
have raised.
This morn she was leman drink
ing wine
With any who her paid, or falsely
praised,
Tonight receiving honors all divine.
she's Off. She's on. In sandals, EN-
pire gown,
And all the trappings OF mushroom
court.
Her hero wears tho olden iron crown;
Renewed the Trianon's gay life and
sport
She danced away, and, somewhere,
caught cloak,
"A cap and flag. All, bon jour, citoy-
enne!
The crown, the sceptre and tho throne
she broke,
And then, like pettish child, would
have again
Act last; scene first; Corneille? Mo
liere?
Sardou? Belasco, Comic, Trag-
ic? What?
A trick to make the watchers stand
and stare?
Euripides or sophocles, or rot?
Enough! O France! What ancient
spell was wrought
Upon thee by some deity adverse?
What hast thou done that never hast
tnou caught
The. boon of peace? Mad restlessness
thy curse.
Like some lone spirit directing out thy
dreid,
And ever seeking that will quench
thy thirst,
rho cup is ever bitter to thy greed,
Thou turnest from it ever, land
accurst.
o land of Louis, Joan, Genevieye!
We'll didst thou cast from out thy
courts the Christ.
How couldst thou our Beloved, dare
to leave
Where Justice now is bartered,
bought and priced?
Nay, that white Christ were better
taken down.
Why should the God OF Justices linz
age bide
Where Justice is no goddess, but a
clown,
Whose subjects mock her, cheat her
and deride?
So. SO. We know a nation long ago
That cast Christ out amid loud
acclaim,
Yet that Galilean conquered high and
low.
And that proud nation Is an empty
name.
MARY AGNES o'goNNOR.
April %, 1904.
Cimarosa, Donnizetti. Leonard, Hos
wig and Rossini. The first difficulty
which presents itself on the Danish
l,ai,t re these yyell-learnEd MASSES ia