Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-01-18
1.-THE CuP OF PRIDE"
(By Edwin Markham author OF "Th'
Man With the Hoe."l

(By Edwin Markham. author Of "Th,
Man With the Hoe')
Young Celestinus, prince of Rome.
Driven by the Spirit. left his home
Left lordly palaces and lands
To find Il cavern in the sands.
For ne had turned in terror when
Savonarola. CRYING 10 men.
And touched by Loves great anger, hurried
His judgment thunders on the world
Then fell the house of pride for him;
Then shined the path of Seraphim.
His shirt of hair, his holy book
And one tall cup We're all he took
One car,en cup whose lettering told
OF his princely race and their deeds of Old
So out by Films seven tall palms.
With sound Of penitential psalms,
And aching knees and HASTINGS long.
He strove to purge away the wrong
His deeds had hea ped in those wild year
When he had sown the seed of tears.
. But not alone with prayer and praise
Did Celostinus build his days.
He led a;ar a little stream
To glass the dawn and the starry beam
He scooped each day the sandy hole
That held well-water as a bowl.
To gladden. the comics in their play
And hearten the camels on the way.
He made the stream that was so lean
A winding path of trembling green.
Where vine-leaves lifted and white pease
And barley for the wind to tease.
There at his lonely cavern door.
There on his hard hut friendly floor.
Worn travellers stopt on the way to eat
OF dates and honey and wild goats meat.
Here camel-men and pilgrim band
Found comfort in weary land
AS Celestnus gave them ease
And washed their feet upon his knees
But he always brought with secret pride
The carven cup from its niche inside
Thinking the guests might his story trace
And learn that he came of lordly race:
And say. as they saw his feet unshod
How much he has given UP for God!'
And yet in his prayers the hermit cried,
Lord have ! purged away my PRIDE
Am | little and humble in Thy sight.
And moving hourly toward the Light"
And God was listening to this. and glad;
TIN at tho end of a happy year,
He turned to the angel Arabad;
go. FOR this child Is very dear
Go TO the sands this soul to save
SO came one night to the hermit's cave
a pilgrim with starry eyes and grave
Quickly the hermit smoothed a seat
Spread for the traveller bread and meat,
Pouring the goats milk foaming and cold
Into the cherished cup of gold,
The goblet carven with curious grace
To tell the glories of his race
Their births, their deaths, their princely
reigns.
Their daring deeds. their splendid pains.
Softly they talked with bite and sup
YET spoke no word of the hoastful cup.
Bit 10. In the hush of the desert night,
When sleep on Celestinus fell.
There shned round the pilgrim mystic
light.
And he rose and took from the hermits
cell
The lordly goblet loved too we'll
And bore II away in his camel-pack
And faded to air on the desert track.
But he sent on the hermits soul dream
That threaded the dark like starry beam,
Bringing these words from the worlds
extreme:
"Your goblet, brother. must destroy,
As we take from child a perilous toy.
Let go Of the past, both deed and date:
Only your own act molds your fate
Only the man you are to-day
Counts when the Judgment angels weight"
From the Christian Herald.
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