 | Rhymes with reason and without |  |
135
A SWEET REVENGE.
[_]
It is a glorious privilege that a poor fellow, without a cent in his pocket, enjoys, to pitch into the rich with a will, without a fear of being hit back. The following may be of this spirit; but, alas! there is much in the world to warrant the belief in its truth. We have adapted the title of the poem to the above idea.
There lived a man,—no matter where or when,—
A man of note and mightiness was he;
He bore control among his fellow-men,
And wealthy was on land and on the sea.
A man of note and mightiness was he;
He bore control among his fellow-men,
And wealthy was on land and on the sea.
He houses reared, and lived in grand estate,—
Had servants trembling wait for his command;
His heart with vast possession was elate,
And honors thickly pressed on every hand;
Had servants trembling wait for his command;
His heart with vast possession was elate,
And honors thickly pressed on every hand;
And white-winged ships rushed far to do his will,
And men were toiling for him in the mart;
His word could loose the wheels of many a mill,
His mandate cause the streams of trade to start.
And men were toiling for him in the mart;
His word could loose the wheels of many a mill,
His mandate cause the streams of trade to start.
136
Withdrawn his smile, and banks refused their aid;
Frowned he, and happy faces anxious grew;
A potentate within the realm of trade,
One only motive in his life he knew:
Frowned he, and happy faces anxious grew;
A potentate within the realm of trade,
One only motive in his life he knew:
He lived for money,—bartered all for dross,—
No holier motive moved his sordid soul;
His only fear was wakened for its loss,—
His only knowledge lay in its control.
No holier motive moved his sordid soul;
His only fear was wakened for its loss,—
His only knowledge lay in its control.
And thus he lived. Benevolence ne'er shone,
In one blest act, to mark his selfish way;
No pity smiled in him, that might atone
For avarice there which held unceasing sway.
In one blest act, to mark his selfish way;
No pity smiled in him, that might atone
For avarice there which held unceasing sway.
But equal fate, at last, ends rich and poor!
Disease, that knows not station, bowed him down;
The rich man's wealth could not its lord secure
From ills that fall in anguish on the clown.
Disease, that knows not station, bowed him down;
The rich man's wealth could not its lord secure
From ills that fall in anguish on the clown.
He died. The grave closed o'er his hoary head,
And lying marble gleamed above the sod,
On which the passing scoffer sneering read,
“An honest man's the noblest work of God.”
And lying marble gleamed above the sod,
On which the passing scoffer sneering read,
“An honest man's the noblest work of God.”
Yet, further than earth's narrow bounds we go,—
To man the power of prophecy is given;
He sees that soul, so proud in wealth below,
Of mean account among the hosts of heaven.
To man the power of prophecy is given;
He sees that soul, so proud in wealth below,
Of mean account among the hosts of heaven.
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The beggars of the earth who sought his aid,
And turned unpitied from his door away,
Stand in those heavenly courts in light arrayed,
Where his weak vision may not dare to stray.
And turned unpitied from his door away,
Stand in those heavenly courts in light arrayed,
Where his weak vision may not dare to stray.
Too late he mourns facilities misspent,
As retrospect his life-chart doth unroll;
He sees that adding earthly cent to cent
Was forging fetters for his weary soul.
As retrospect his life-chart doth unroll;
He sees that adding earthly cent to cent
Was forging fetters for his weary soul.
| Rhymes with reason and without | |