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THE CRY OF THE LAWFUL LANTERNS.
HUMBLY DEDICATED TO THE OPPONENTS OF NATIONAL EDUCATION.
A people dwelt in darkness,
In gloom and blinding night,
Till some grew tired of candles
And dared to long for light;
When straight the establish'd lanterns
Were stirr'd with hate of day,
And loud the lawful rushlights
In wrath were heard to say,
O have you not your lanterns,
Your little shining lanterns!
What need have you of sunshine?
What do you want with day?
In gloom and blinding night,
Till some grew tired of candles
And dared to long for light;
When straight the establish'd lanterns
Were stirr'd with hate of day,
And loud the lawful rushlights
In wrath were heard to say,
O have you not your lanterns,
Your little shining lanterns!
What need have you of sunshine?
What do you want with day?
Then loud the people murmur'd
And vow'd it wasn't right,
For men who could get daylight
To grope about in night;
Why should they lose the gladness,
The pleasant sights of day?
But still the establish'd lanterns
Continued all to say,
O have you not your lanterns,
Your nice old glimmering lanterns!
What need have you of sunshine?
What do you want with day?
And vow'd it wasn't right,
For men who could get daylight
To grope about in night;
Why should they lose the gladness,
The pleasant sights of day?
But still the establish'd lanterns
Continued all to say,
O have you not your lanterns,
Your nice old glimmering lanterns!
What need have you of sunshine?
What do you want with day?
But people loathed the darkness,
And dared at last to say,
You old establish'd rushlights
Are good things in your way;
But are you, candles, sunlight?
You, lanterns, are you day?
Then loud the lawful lanterns
Did answer make and say,
O be content with lanterns,
Your good old-fashioned lanterns!
You really want too much light;
Don't ask again for day!
And dared at last to say,
You old establish'd rushlights
Are good things in your way;
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You, lanterns, are you day?
Then loud the lawful lanterns
Did answer make and say,
O be content with lanterns,
Your good old-fashioned lanterns!
You really want too much light;
Don't ask again for day!
At last the crowd's deep murmur
Grew gathering to a roar,
And that they would have daylight,
In lanterns' spite, they swore;
And fear was on all rushlights,
And trembling and dismay;
Alas, alas for lanterns!
The people heard them say;
O woe—O woe for lanterns!
What will become of lanterns!
Alack, they will have sunshine!
Alas, there will be day!
Grew gathering to a roar,
And that they would have daylight,
In lanterns' spite, they swore;
And fear was on all rushlights,
And trembling and dismay;
Alas, alas for lanterns!
The people heard them say;
O woe—O woe for lanterns!
What will become of lanterns!
Alack, they will have sunshine!
Alas, there will be day!
And as the tempest thicken'd,
Aloud they shriek'd in fright,
O once let in the sunshine,
And what will be our light?
We shining lights in darkness,
Shall nothing be in day—
O don't admit the sunshine!
Keep out the daylight, pray!
O don't put out your lanterns!
Your own old little lanterns!
O do without the sunshine!
O don't let in the day!
Aloud they shriek'd in fright,
O once let in the sunshine,
And what will be our light?
We shining lights in darkness,
Shall nothing be in day—
O don't admit the sunshine!
Keep out the daylight, pray!
O don't put out your lanterns!
Your own old little lanterns!
O do without the sunshine!
O don't let in the day!
The day came in; but prophets
Do say, 'tis certain quite,
That long through coming ages
Will lanterns hate the light;
That to our children's children,
In sorrow still they'll say,
Oh for the time of darkness,
Ere lanterns pass'd away!
Why laid they by us lanterns?
Their fine, their good old lanterns!
We're sure its bad, this sunshine,
This horrid glare of day.
Do say, 'tis certain quite,
That long through coming ages
Will lanterns hate the light;
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In sorrow still they'll say,
Oh for the time of darkness,
Ere lanterns pass'd away!
Why laid they by us lanterns?
Their fine, their good old lanterns!
We're sure its bad, this sunshine,
This horrid glare of day.
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