Said the harp to the breeze, Oh, breathe as soft As the ring-dove cooes from its nest aloft.

I am full of a song that mothers croon When their wee ones tire of their play at noon.

Though a harp may feel ’tis a silent thing Till the breeze arises and bids it sing.

Said the wind to the harp, Nay, sing for me The wail of the dead that are lost at sea.

I caught their cry as I came along, And I hurried to find you and teach you the song.

Oh, the heart is the harp, and love is the breeze, And the song is ever what love may please.

p. 99THE PENDULUM

p. 99

[In Edgar Allan Poe’s story, ‘The Pit and the Pendulum,’ the victim is bound hand and foot, face upturned to a huge, knife-edged pendulum which swings back and forth across his body, the blade dropping closer to his heart at each swing.]

Bound hand and foot in the pit I lie, And the wall about me is strong and high; Stronger and higher it grows each day, With maximum labour and minimum pay; And there is no ladder whereon to climb To a fairer world and a brighter time. There is no ladder, there is no rope, But the devil of greed has given a hope. He swings before me the pendulum—Vice; I know its purpose and know its price, And the world’s good people all know it, too, And much they chatter and little they do. I have sent up my cry to the hosts of men Over and over and over again: p. 100But should I cry once to the devil, ah, he Would hurry to answer and set me free. For Virtue to Virtue must ever call thrice, But once brings an answer when Virtue calls Vice.

p. 100

Bound hand and foot in the pit I lie While the pendulum swings and the days go by.

p. 101AN OLD-FASHIONED TYPE

p. 101

For ‘Mabel Brown’ I never cared  (My rightful name by birth), But when the name of Smith I shared, I seemed to own the earth, (I wrote it without ‘y’ or ‘e’— Plain ‘Mrs. Jack Smith’ suited me.)

My happiest hour, as I look back On times of great content, Was when folks called me ‘Mrs. Jack,’  Though ‘Mrs. Smith’ was meant. It was the pleasure of my life To hear them say: ‘That’s Jack Smith’s wife.’

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