 | 'Twixt Kiss and Lip or Under the Sword. By the author of "Women Must Weep," [i.e. F. W. O. Ward] Third edition |  |
23
MAN.
Strong in purpose, strong to dare
All that nobly may be done,
By a brother who would share
Burdens more than meet for one;
Strong to stand by failing friends,
In the anguished hour of need,
Working on to blessed ends,
Beauty of the righteous deed;
Strong to bear another's cross
Bravely, if in victory's van,
If through shock of shameful loss—
Such is Man.
All that nobly may be done,
By a brother who would share
Burdens more than meet for one;
Strong to stand by failing friends,
In the anguished hour of need,
Working on to blessed ends,
Beauty of the righteous deed;
Strong to bear another's cross
Bravely, if in victory's van,
If through shock of shameful loss—
Such is Man.
Tender unto woman, still
Crowned with fortune and with fame,
Bending to imperious will
Others, as in idle game;
Tender to the wanton speech,
Born of folly not of vice,
Curling lips they must beseech,
Who her favours would entice;
Tender to the sister, spoiled
By the praises worse than ban,
Who has but for pleasure toiled—
Such is Man.
Crowned with fortune and with fame,
Bending to imperious will
Others, as in idle game;
Tender to the wanton speech,
Born of folly not of vice,
Curling lips they must beseech,
Who her favours would entice;
Tender to the sister, spoiled
By the praises worse than ban,
Who has but for pleasure toiled—
Such is Man.
True in welfare and in woe.
To the humble as the high,
Whether matched against a foe,
Or attent to orphan's sigh;
True to exiles mute, who miss
Faith in hideous haunts of crime,
Never knew a husband's kiss,
Never hear the church-bell chime;
True to broken spirits, crushed
Out of all their glorious plan,
Which to heavenly flower had rushed—
Such is Man.
To the humble as the high,
Whether matched against a foe,
Or attent to orphan's sigh;
True to exiles mute, who miss
Faith in hideous haunts of crime,
Never knew a husband's kiss,
Never hear the church-bell chime;
True to broken spirits, crushed
Out of all their glorious plan,
Which to heavenly flower had rushed—
Such is Man.
Merciful to frailty most,
To the stricken bleeding heart,
Carried fainting from the host,
Just to sob and die apart;
Merciful to weaker forms,
Sinking in unequal strife,
Tempted, yielding to the storms,
Made of passions into life;
Merciful to souls, that fall
From the ranks wherein they ran,
Marred, but womanly in all—
Such is Man.
To the stricken bleeding heart,
Carried fainting from the host,
Just to sob and die apart;
Merciful to weaker forms,
Sinking in unequal strife,
Tempted, yielding to the storms,
Made of passions into life;
Merciful to souls, that fall
From the ranks wherein they ran,
Marred, but womanly in all—
Such is Man.
| 'Twixt Kiss and Lip or Under the Sword. By the author of "Women Must Weep," [i.e. F. W. O. Ward] Third edition | |