Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-06-21
Stanley Perkins Chase. Portland.

Stanley Perkins Chase. Portland
The mother. when at Sparta s call her son
Equipped himself for war in Attic field,
Was wont to hand him as her parting
gift,
Ere vet he left his fathers house. a
shield:
And as her eyes sought his with mothers
pride.
For Spartan rigor never quenched her
love,
She bade him kncel and as he took the
To swear to her by all the Gods above
That rather than the foe should take that
His last bright drop of blood he would
OutpOur,
And that he would come back to her with
il,
Or dead be borne upon it to her door.
The years have only changed the outward
form
OF war; it's inward spirit is the same
AS that which fought on Grccian fields of
The strife 'twixt man and man what time
can tame?
For still the brother seeks his brother S
life,
Or worse than life. the means whereby
he lives.
And mightier than the sword the pen to-
day
With cruel strokes the blow to honor
gives.
The weak cries cry for Il champion from
the strong:
The poor. who work in heat of forge
and fire.
Have asked in tones that call an answer
forth,
as not the laborcr worthy of his hire"
Elsewhere has Labor risen unified
And wreakcd its vengeance upon human
life.
In seats of government and public trust
In Senate. court and mart still RACES
strife.
But yet despite the vice. the wrong. the
t'nda,Inted and eternal lives the Right:
And lccions still will own its cause for
And labor for it's triumph with their
might.
Today we face these halls with mcm'ries
fraught.
The faces kind. the laughter and the song,
We leave. strong mother. thy embracing
arms.
And turn our faces onward toward the
thrUng
Of warriors. who know not the peace
within
Thy walls One step-and we. beyond the
bound.
Are swept along amidst the changing din
OF trump and drum. while on the faces
round
The light of combat glows. till we our
selves
Have caught its fiery spirit unaware
With loud hlIzzas We rush into the fight.
And fer the moment memrie fade in air
Today we come to our Mother.
Like the Spartan youths of old:
A sh"athcd sword upon our IONS we GRID
\ band of the brave and bold.
We have come for the last time hither,
Tomorrow fare We afar.
For the cause of the Right has called us
to fight
AS men in the ranks of war.
And the Mother whose name we honor
Gives to every son Il shell:
All her mon have heard her burning
words,
AS at her feet they kneelcd.
That the shield must shine through the
conflict
ITnscarred, mnsullied. bright.
That her eyes may discern now its radi-
Clear through the mists of the night
"'Tis the shield of Truth. BY the Truth
Shape thou thy destiny
No evil can live where this shield once
has shown.
Like the sun breaking forth in the red
IF shall scatter and pierce the foul things
The Truth / have taught thee. unchang-
The Truth and Truth only shall always
endure. So
With slave and with master. with foe
and with frierd.
Tho Great shield of Truth hold firm to the
For the Truth shall make all men free
" 'Tis the shield of Hope. That change
must be borne.
This need not make thee sad.
Were there not any change twould be
cause to mourn.
See Hope in the gladness of all living
In the moor bird that flutters its broken
Tn the crocus that comes almost out of
Tn tho Notwithstanding of flowers that
tn fail and to struggle and again to rise
with n song on the lips and a light IN the
This shirt of youth I have bred in thee.
Keen the shield Hope through eternity.
For Hone shall make all men glad.
"'Tis the shield of Love. and with this
o Youth.
Mako thou the world to be thine.
love unfastens the doors that are barred
Tn love I have cherished thee all through
u,ve horne with thee. chastened thee.
sOothed all thy fears.
Tn the great world without. in battle and
The shield Of Lovc shall keep whoIcs or,n
thy heart.
In all thons shalt meet with, the seen or
unseen.