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 | City Festivals |  |
FLIGHT OF THE AGED BALLOONIST.
You younger men, who loudly sing
Old marvels night and day,
Now, listen while to you I bring
Wise words from far away.
Old marvels night and day,
Now, listen while to you I bring
Wise words from far away.
In yonder castle is my den:
I dwell a hermit there,
Amid a lot of crazy men,
O'er whom I watch and care.
I dwell a hermit there,
Amid a lot of crazy men,
O'er whom I watch and care.
These crazy men, some of them, too,
Deem they do watch o'er me;
I let them think that thus they do,
So quiet they may be.
Deem they do watch o'er me;
I let them think that thus they do,
So quiet they may be.
I let them guard me through the day,
I do as they have said;
These doctor-maniacs have their way,
Till I be safe in bed.
I do as they have said;
These doctor-maniacs have their way,
Till I be safe in bed.
And then—so soft and still I rise!
I spurn this planet's ground;
My air-ship sails me to the skies,
Where flocks of stars abound.
I spurn this planet's ground;
My air-ship sails me to the skies,
Where flocks of stars abound.
To tell you of the world of lune,
Would take from youth to prime:
Last night I came back from the moon
My fifty-second time.
Would take from youth to prime:
Last night I came back from the moon
My fifty-second time.
And there I found a curious race,
Who, when a man doth fall,
Toil hard to bring him back to place,
Nor trample him at all.
Who, when a man doth fall,
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Nor trample him at all.
Of Mars I have some tales to spare,
Scant credence though you give:
The men who toil the hardest, there,
Most sumptuously do live.
Scant credence though you give:
The men who toil the hardest, there,
Most sumptuously do live.
Word of what I in Saturn saw,
Belief too seldom gains:
The people there who go to law,
Get justice for their pains.
Belief too seldom gains:
The people there who go to law,
Get justice for their pains.
In Jupiter the man race are,
Howe'er by wealth adorned,
Whene'er they fall from Virtue's car,
The same as woman scorned.
Howe'er by wealth adorned,
Whene'er they fall from Virtue's car,
The same as woman scorned.
In Neptune I a story gat
Few earthlings would indorse:
Men treat their bodies well as that
Of any blooded horse.
Few earthlings would indorse:
Men treat their bodies well as that
Of any blooded horse.
In Venus is a sing'lar race,
Who so acuteness lack,
They say the same things to one's face,
They would behind his back.
Who so acuteness lack,
They say the same things to one's face,
They would behind his back.
In Mercury a lady lives,
So to unselfness given,
She asks no pay for what she gives,
Not even a crown in heaven.
So to unselfness given,
She asks no pay for what she gives,
Not even a crown in heaven.
In Uranus, last night, I heard
Of men the same as I,
Who ne'er with look or deed or word
Told any one a lie.
Of men the same as I,
Who ne'er with look or deed or word
Told any one a lie.
Within the nearest fixèd star—
At this the Sky Club made concerted motions,
Grappled the poor old peddler of high notions,
Fished out the key from his coarse, ragged pocket,
And fired him from the club-room like a rocket.
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Grappled the poor old peddler of high notions,
Fished out the key from his coarse, ragged pocket,
And fired him from the club-room like a rocket.
But lo! a new young man, with aspect tragic,
Came through the same door, like a trick of magic;
Two large revolvers in his hands were glistening,
Wherefore the Club began respectful listening.
Came through the same door, like a trick of magic;
Two large revolvers in his hands were glistening,
Wherefore the Club began respectful listening.
A young balloonist of more sense than reason,
Who “went up” every day throughout the season;
And, far from earth, by baskets unobstructed,
A miniature circus of his own constructed;
And though in air well balanced, agile, ready,
On terra firma he was most unsteady;
Which fact was not entirely disconnected
With bibulous methods, which his face reflected.
He'd never wished to join the Sky Club's numbers,
And take part in their stories and their slumbers;
But loved, in slight fits of inebriation,
To burst in, bringing thrills of consternation.
He told of sundry new achievements clever,
Of the high calling they had left forever;
The many feats he had performed, though youthful,
All voiced in words unqualifiedly truthful;
He told of things these veterans, ere exempted
From all attempts, had never once attempted;
Of mounting up and sailing through the breezes,
Hung, not to baskets, but to frail trapezes;
Of summersaults, handsprings, etc., turning,
While earth and all such trivial matters spurning;
Of parachutes, to which, with vigor clinging,
He came down like a skylark from its singing;
And more things, calculated to make jealous
Some helplessly conservative old fellows.
Who “went up” every day throughout the season;
And, far from earth, by baskets unobstructed,
A miniature circus of his own constructed;
And though in air well balanced, agile, ready,
On terra firma he was most unsteady;
Which fact was not entirely disconnected
With bibulous methods, which his face reflected.
He'd never wished to join the Sky Club's numbers,
And take part in their stories and their slumbers;
But loved, in slight fits of inebriation,
To burst in, bringing thrills of consternation.
He told of sundry new achievements clever,
Of the high calling they had left forever;
The many feats he had performed, though youthful,
All voiced in words unqualifiedly truthful;
He told of things these veterans, ere exempted
From all attempts, had never once attempted;
Of mounting up and sailing through the breezes,
Hung, not to baskets, but to frail trapezes;
Of summersaults, handsprings, etc., turning,
While earth and all such trivial matters spurning;
Of parachutes, to which, with vigor clinging,
He came down like a skylark from its singing;
And more things, calculated to make jealous
Some helplessly conservative old fellows.
At last a scarred balloonist faced the stranger,
In spite of imminent projectile danger,
And, with a look profoundly analytic,
Assumed the sombre functions of a critic,
And said: “This upstart 's one of the possessors
Of ways unvouched for by his predecessors!
The idea of an artist young 's pursuing
Things different from the things we have been doing!
His feats are new, and therefore inartistic,
And worthy no attention eulogistic.
And 'mid our walls, which helplessly enclose him,
I do hereby for membership propose him;
And to suspend the rules, so 's to begin it—
Our voting for him—in about a minute;
And with blackballs, t' increase the information
Of this young jackanapes of innovation.”
In spite of imminent projectile danger,
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Assumed the sombre functions of a critic,
And said: “This upstart 's one of the possessors
Of ways unvouched for by his predecessors!
The idea of an artist young 's pursuing
Things different from the things we have been doing!
His feats are new, and therefore inartistic,
And worthy no attention eulogistic.
And 'mid our walls, which helplessly enclose him,
I do hereby for membership propose him;
And to suspend the rules, so 's to begin it—
Our voting for him—in about a minute;
And with blackballs, t' increase the information
Of this young jackanapes of innovation.”
The o'er ambitious youth, with breath suspended,
This solemn voting with wide eyes attended;
Saw himself from a company rejected,
To which he'd never wished to be elected;
It was a thing that staggered his reflection—
This cold, unasked-for process of rejection;
The weight of precedence upon him bearing,
Depressed his spirits and destroyed his daring;
He soon sustained a low, crushed, humbled feeling,
And crept out, as if he had been caught stealing;
His body and his spirit both benighted,
And feeling that his whole career was blighted.
This solemn voting with wide eyes attended;
Saw himself from a company rejected,
To which he'd never wished to be elected;
It was a thing that staggered his reflection—
This cold, unasked-for process of rejection;
The weight of precedence upon him bearing,
Depressed his spirits and destroyed his daring;
He soon sustained a low, crushed, humbled feeling,
And crept out, as if he had been caught stealing;
His body and his spirit both benighted,
And feeling that his whole career was blighted.
The Club then stretched, and yawned, and stretched—each vieing
With all the others, in relief-charged sighing;
Made fast the door, by chairs and tables aided,
As tightly as it could be barricaded;
And went on, harvesting the regular glories
Of the old-fashioned balloon-basket stories.
With all the others, in relief-charged sighing;
Made fast the door, by chairs and tables aided,
As tightly as it could be barricaded;
And went on, harvesting the regular glories
Of the old-fashioned balloon-basket stories.
| City Festivals | |