The Republican journal., 1913-10-16

ems, you couldn't pin him down to noun |
tains and city walls for moment. He'd
| fly right off to those little Greek boys
around the old Acropolis at Athens, and
to those -brown-faced little Arabs
down in French Africa. He's got struck
on them, and once in a while he'd stop
and ask where he was at, etc, 1t was
round II p. m. when he got to the Canto,
and he had to canter to get there.
The Canto was on the 'Village Lyce-
UNI, reciting features and phases of
discussion that was had in the Dale for
ty to fifty years ago on the question,
Whatever is is right" the affirmative
being supported by outsiders, and the
negative by insiders. or the beautiful
young Lords and Knights of the Dale.
"HoN better could ones wits food come
Than in the village Lyceum?
What glowing lights could brighter shine
In massive quadrilateral line,
Within the school-house plain and bare.
! Filling the seats room to spare
With scholars in the central square
One disputant from without is desig-
mated as
ia bacheloric man,
Content to live where life began,
| But in didactics swift to gage,
And contest vigorously to wage
On matters of domestic grace,
And problems of our wayward race
| Mighter the pen than is the sword
Natures great truth, than is the word
Written of old by seer and soul
Touched by the spirits burning coal.
| More misery superstition brings
Than Mars gore-reeking banner filings.
| Such questions afirmatively
| He argued witt avidity,
With eager ear waiting the call
Of question open unto ALL
Seconding him with mighty power,
Another rose, granite tower
| nth words like winds that forests rend
gestures like waves when naves strand.
Another, coming from the plains,
Argued their cause in rounded chains
VI eloquence and wit and gibe
And tantalizing diatribe,
Last of this speculative group,
very eagle in his swoop,
But buzzard- like in noise and greed
10 prey upon worthy creed
One loosed tongue of youth and fire
mourning Boguesdales' righteous ire"
Then the poet muses. in great solem-
nifty:
"Methinks the sprghts sometimes arose
Out of their weird and rapt repose;"
Sir Thomas wrote in lines of light;
Esquire True strobe Ger the bridge at night.
Prescott again Swallowed the pine;
fogg swayed the flagstaff out of line:
And all the took Gil chill,
That froze the tiume ard stopped the mill
But sires spirits live in sons,
AND loyal blood in true veins runs;
The Knighthood and nobility
That this domain is yet to see
Is training for the hard put test.
'Gainst infdels will hurl its zest,
AND tree the Dale from south to north
vi all the clamorous rocks of wrath.
Now list. and in simple lay
| will make known to you the wav
our Lords and Knights became adept
la argument that truth hath kept.
Youths fires burned bright on worthy hearths.
The boys and girls trod virtues paths
Their daily thought was to excel
In things that were bespoken we'll.
The evenings quiet candle light
Fell on their faces warm and bright
grouped IN some large ancestral room.
Like the mig MT cereus full in bloom,
Engaged in intellectual FRAY
A presage of the coming day.
When many questions of the time
In Theyd decked with argument sublime,
They babe the infdels engage.
In schoohouse assemblape.
A contest on their cherished themes
1hreadpare with age, gaping with seams"
Well the opponents came,
"They shook the schoohouse with tbo;r +r,.. ,
The plaStering started overhead.
The window panes shook all around
The deep SHOWS melted from the ground.
The great fire burning in the hearth
Threw out its cracking glare of wrath
Among the youths and maids of bloom
lhey look their places in the room
Like grim old oaks on virgin land.
So gnarled, the woodman let them stand
After lot of organization and pre-
limlnaries they got limbered up on the
burning question, "Whateyer is ia
right" And so-"the argument began.
Touching the rise and fall of man.
Citing the stars sweet mystery,
And flow of rivers to the sea,
The growths upon the noble hill
The powers that control mans will.
Claiming however life be spent,
No debt was due, no credit lent"
young Lord raised note of loud alarm
against the thought of laxity
On mans accountability
He pointed to the lofty height
Where human powers have taken flight
And to the degradation low
To which an erring one may go,
And wondered if the power Divine
Would to that depth drop plummet line
And true wall that spurned base,
Label perversity grace"
Then one on the affirmative
-"gauged the world askew.
That In such way Gods purpose grew,
10 discipline our powers Alright
And make US the true sons of light
And questioned if our reasoning terse
Would not upset the universe"
mo, no." was young Lords retort,
AS long as this man can exhort,
And utter forth his winsome word
He'd claim the right to counsel God.
Another for the affirmative.
-dwelt on little things,
Birds have their beaks and bees their stings.
Preying on one another's goods
And buzzing freely in the woods
lis right to sample fruit at night,
lis right to fly your neighbours kite
And it is quite natural way
10 let ones tongue wag all the day,
Zone of our youths replied in kind
No stings so poignant the mind,
Tnnk. 3D.