Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1911-08-23

l IN EfCh HnAu = tootcs rim W faAns
| One was rudy and red ~ blood.
| And one Was clear - the crystal flood.
Said the Glass OF Wine to his paler brother:
sLet us tell tales of thepast to each other"
II can tell Of banquet and revel and mirth
Where was king, for ruled in might;
And the proudest and grandest souls on earth
Fell under my touch. ~ though struck with
blight.
From the heads OF kings have torn the
crown:
From the heights of Fame have hauled men
down.
81 have blasted many an honored name;
l have taken virtue and given shame,
/ have tempted the youth with sip, taste.
Far greater than king ami.
Or any army under the sky.
II have made the arm of the driver fail,
And sent the train from its iron rail.
have made good ships go down at sea,
And the shrieks OF the lost were swes, to me.
Fame, strength, wealth, gs=iaz before me fall
And my might and power are over all.
"Hol Hol pale brother laughed the wine.
Scan you boast Of deeds great miner
Said the 0lsss Of Water; II cannot boast
Of king dethroned or n murdered host;
But can tell Of hearts that were sad
BY my crystal drops made light AM glad.
.of thirsss / have quenched, and brows
have laved;
OF hands have cooled and souls / have
saved
have leaped through the valleys and
dashed down the mountain,
Slept through the sunshine and dripped from
the fountain.
have burst my cloud-fetters and dropped
from the sky,
And everywhere giaddened the Landscape and
eye.
81 have eased the hot forehead Of fever and
pain;
/ have made the pArched meadow grow fer.
tile with grain;
! can tell Of the powerful wheel OF the mill,
That ground out the -four and turned 1t my
will:
I can tell Of manhood, debased BY you,
That have uplifted and crowned anew.
II cheer, help, I strengthen and aid,
i gladden the hearts Of man and maid:
I set the chained wine captive free,
And all are better for knowing me-"
These are the tales they told each other,
The glass Of wine and its paier brother,
As they sat together. filed to the brim,
On the rich mans table, rim to rim.
Ella Wheeler Wiicor.
Dear NJ. b. Friends.
The poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox Ia
presents the contrast between the forces
of good and evil as applied to the temper
ance question, very clearly. No one can
deny its truth. II any other poison was
put upon the market-a poison which
steals money and brains from their posses
or. poison that often is used TO nerve the
arm OF the murderer for his 9ruesome work;
poison that 10 the means Of filing our
aims houses and penitentiaries with the
poor and the criminal-if such q poison
was for sale, how soon would methods be
adopted to put 1t out OF the reach Of those
it would harm.
Ifliquor il r good thing TO have, why, in
time Of great stress in cities, like that Of
the earthquake in San Francisco or the
late fire in Bangor-are special pains taken
to keep the saloons closed and allow no
intoxicants to be sold? The chief danger
that backward step may be taken in
Maine is that those who themselves do not
believe in ''free rum" may not realize the
fact that every vote counts, and the be-
levers in prohibition for Maine s.expect
every man to do his duty
Let me say here that no other editor Of
THE AMERICAN is responsible for the
statements in this column except Aunt
Madge.
1t gives me much pleasure to welcome
into our family this new niece, who has
long been valued friend of mine.