The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1922-03-17
POETRY AT WELSH
Event; WON PRIZE
Literary Production From Rev
n. c. Griffiths; Read At
Eisteddfod
Especial to The Free Press.I

interest all who enjoy reading high grade
literary productions:
NEITHER SHALL THEY LEARN WAR
ANY MORE"
lssiah looked abroad and saw a world,
In which grim war held universal reign.
In that ancient day. passions strong and
usts
Laughed at human suffering woe and
For might was right. the sword the only
In al, great questions and AFFAIRS of state
dove
Nor found tiny branch pom which to
The heavenly dove of peace, good will to
DID Also seek ser the deep sea of war.
A stormy sea Of hate. but sought in vain
4 place Of rest or any home on earth
Whether to East or West. look where he
might
Or. -Sorth or South. grim, bloody. cruel
war
Cgts d all the world. a horrid dismal
bright.
The son of Amor found himself one day.
Within the precincts Of the Temple fair,
And then he saw the glory OF the Lord,
And. in the light transcendant shining
there,
HIS sin is purged, and as the crimson
lIts up the shades Of night from natures
And fills the world with day. Jehovah's
Gave light to lift the darkness from the
Beyond the range of sinful human sight
He saw a distant glowing future day.
A day of glorious beauty and of light.
When war shall cease. and all men and
nations
To the light OF reason. shall ever bring
An questions. and from sea TO sea and
To shore. the Golden Rule shall reign. the
King.
( He Eazed across unnumbered centuries.
Centuries OF blood strife pain and woe.
When every tribe and people and nation
WSS Peach to each hated deadly foe.
Great Empires rise and empires fall. and
Wax great by force, oppression. strife.
and blood.
and each, in turn. weakened reduced,
Is overwhelmed as by mighty hood.
One by one. Assyria. Persia, ancient
md Rome appear upon the stage of time.
Z, Pass on and leave behind crimson trail
= OF hideous. bloody war and every crime.
The Christian centuries. in Beth'lem born.
R1ll on as warlike. bloody. as before
The voice OF seer. prophet sage. falls
dead
on ears deaf by the clang OF arms. the
of Strife. the pride of might. the greed of
The angel song of heavenly peace, good
win,
Brooding Ger a world of war: the shame
Cross where Jesus died. that His death
The demon sin. and bring men back to
Rcdeeming them from selfish pride and
hate;
The Gospel of peace. of joy. and boun-
Tllrrnined by the holy lives of great
And noble saints, the heroism. Of martyrs.
And Christlike virtues OF 4 countless
All these stayed not the blood-red tide of
war.
The pride of name the greed of gold. the
And lust of power. a sinful selfish brood.
An these. like strong Intoxicating wine,
Made men to conscience deaf. to reason
InsensfoIe to the touch of love devine
Shall the seer's vision-a warless world.
Be e'er fulfilled upon this earth Of strife.
Or was it only an irridescent dream
a dream reflected from that glory life:
Where angels dwell and saints immortal
Not meet for the gross atmosphere OF
Poisoned by carnal passions, envy. hate?
A vain and empty dream. and nothing
Declares the man of science. who I'M
BY airy fancies of the heart or mind.
Brings all things to the bar of nature S
Mans part of nature, and thus designed
To be subservient to its laws DEGREES:
That ever he must fight II he would reign
For though brute nature runs the GRIM
OF war. and man may no reprieve OBJ
tain.
without the stimuiant Of war we should
Tn TINA harnTfna walk decad6nt
Unworthy Of our sires' brave and mighty
Unit to bear the weight of future days
A world without War! Impracticable
dreami
Say. the statesmen. OF wide experience
For war il the school Of manly virtues
without which the nation weakens and
The brave soldier. well disciplined and
whose high devotion to his country's
At price Of life. wins universal praise.
Has been the glorious theme OF song and
The browning product OF the evolving
shall we abolish war the very SOIL
where terminated. grew to beauteous
pauntiess courage. chivalry. self-sacri-
y fice.
q That pear the image OIL inc CrOSS ol
Christ?
But to tn inspired seer who walks BY
faith.
led on by reasons light. and well ad'
Devoted to mans redemption from the
Blight of sin. the vision Of world Of
Is 10 evanescent dream. but that far,
or
Divine event. when human hate shall
~ w"r was ever waged t'Il reason first
Tas Aethfoned setting vilest vices free
TO bring about destruction, death. anc
ra,,t worsted reason shall re-fnstated he
S,s~H Judge between the nations; Impair
Rigsteous justice shall be dispensed tc
Az war. the msddest vilest human
sbsT bsnished be forever beyond re-
call.
,-Lo r.oIden Prle. the ideal law divine.
t. whose gentle warmth and whose bril-
rbc ir mnightiest problems ever faced by
N soon dissolved and vanished out Of
In 5Ireef the intercourse If nations.
-. narrow rational concait. nriS-narret
y,o.r,c+szrn Of thousand wars the
u,,u re-s av-n~. d'qcrcdi-nh a-Narned. >