The third road was the fair high way, trod by the good and great. I cried aloud to that vast crowd, and told my hapless fate. They hurried all through door and wall and shut Convention’s gate. I beat it with my bleeding hands: they must have heard me knock. They must have heard wild sob and word, yet no one turned the lock.

Oh, it is very desolate, on Virtue’s path to stand, And see the good folks flocking by, withholding look and hand.

And so with hungry heart and soul, and weary brain and feet, I left that highway whence you came, and sought the sinful street.

O prudent one, O spotless one, when good folks speak of me, Go, tell them of the roads I came; the road ways fair, and three.

p. 14A BALLADE OF THE UNBORN DEAD

p. 14

They walked the valley of the dead; Lit by a weird half light; No sound they made, no word they said; And they were pale with fright. Then suddenly from unseen places came Loud laughter, that was like a whip of flame.

They looked, and saw, beyond, above, A land where wronged souls wait; (Those spirits called to earth by love, And driven back by hate). And each one stood in anguish dumb and wild, As she beheld the phantom of her child.

Yea, saw the soul her wish had hurled Out into night and death; Before it reached the Mother world, Or drew its natal breath. p. 15And terrified, each hid her face and fled Beyond the presence of her unborn dead.

p. 15

And God’s Great Angel, who provides Souls for our mortal land, Laughed, with the laughter that derides, At that fast fleeing band Of self-made barren women of the earth. (Hell has no curse that withers like such mirth.)

‘O Angel, tell us who were they, That down below us fared; Those shapes with faces strained and grey, And eyes that stared and stared; Something there was about them, gave us fear; Yet are we lonely, now they are not here.’

Thus spake the spectral children; thus The Angel made reply: ‘They have no part or share with us; They were but passers-by.’ ‘But may we pray for them?’ the phantoms plead. ‘Yea, for they need your prayers,’ the Angel said.

p. 16They went upon their lonely way;  (Far, far from Paradise); Their path was lit with one wan ray From ghostly children’s eyes; The little children 

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