The San Francisco call., 1906-04-15

torture men more or less, but the one
kind to much nobler issues than the
other. These are The Wanton" and.
The Paradox"
THE wANTON
planted rose in the sandy soil of an un-
kept garden bare.
II fastened its roots down deep in the earth
and lifted its head in the air,
IL nung its arms to the summers sky and
opened its heart to the sun,
And seductively pressed its lips 70 the breeze in
JOY Of the deed / had done.
It's crimson heart was red and sweet as the
lips of q I knew.
And I came to Iken the wanton thing 10 her
1t would blush and pant in the SUMS hot ray
and tremble with sweet delight
As the southern wind pressed warm and close
10 It's heart in the sultry night.
II would quver and bend as the passionate
wind pressed close with hot esress.
And nod and sigh as the bees few by and hirt
its scarlet dress
l grew 10 hate its wanton way, despise its
Abhor its maddening sweetness withheld from
none who came
So I crushed its life in my hand one day. in
passion Its roots uptore
And painting in shame and anger gazed on my
unkept ground once more,
/ loudly laughed in savage joy to show the
But pressed my heart with my bleeding hand
TO hide TIE cash Of thorn.
PARADOX
Had you listened when 1 pleaded
Had YOU PAUSED q hesitated
Or one wish OF mine conceded,
Had & wave Of weakness crossed you
Had you yielded had lost you.
Yours was not an easy trial:
Eyermore I hold you dearer
Had your duty less engrossed You,
You were mine and I had lost you.
In the dead and sodden erahers
Where lie passions long forgotten,
Such love a man remembers.
Mid the ruins lying scattered
Stands one idol still unshattered.
Some of the other good ones are:
The Greater Victory" I'm Meditation
Mans Love-" the first three stanzas of
The Poppy which would have made
a most playful little gem of a poem
without any continuation beyond the
three; The Past" which forms an ex-
cellent contrast 10 pair with "A Mans
Love" Don't Worry is a fine, cheer
fully bracing thing. but 1t has two
lines too many. Notwithstanding her
command, Don't you worry" the last
two lines do worry me, and 1 wish the
poet would eliminate or change them.
She has forgotten that one of the
finest definitions of self-destruction
ever given is that suicide is trying to
solve your problem by breaking the
slate" and that the power that makes
for righteousness is stern school
master that will not accept such solu-
tion. The Awakening" is a good one,
and so are Loves Alteration" and
"Fallacies," and The Greater Victory"
In fact it's a volume of good things,
and it's hard TO quit talking about st.
will quote in closing some lines that
seem very suitable to read today-when
Lent is over and abstinence is to give
way TO the grateful enjoyment of all
the goods that life gives. The lines
are a part Of the poem called "Earth's
Lesson"
Why should We not come singing to the throne
With hearts that in ebulliency OF JOY
Seem bursting from their cells, too narrow
The feast is spread and we are asked to dine
What sullenness OF temper does 1t show
To rudely turn from kindly pronered wine
And pass with shielded eyes where splendors
shine.
The Father never meant It should be so.
Sing, sing, fair earth. till every silent throat
Responds unto the life-song Of your sod.
And understanding rolls each swelling note;
And teach US by your sweet simple rote
To smile beneath the kindly smile OF God
Miss Mabel Pitts is native dauEh-
ter. Some of her poems have appeared
in Eastern magazines, and some in local
periodicals. To realize all the promise
there is in her work we must remem-
Der her youth-she is yet in the wee,
sma twenties, and that she has been
writing for only two years. Her friends
and California, may well have radiant
expectations of the future development
of her talents after this bright begin
ming.
CWalter n. Brunt, San Francisco.)