VERSES OLD AND NEW.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 811, 7 May 1910, Page 9

VERSES OLD AND NEW.

RENUNCIATION. I took me blocks of space and time, ■1 took the ocean depths sublime, And maide a ditch and wall; The wall-it stood four-square and high, its turrets seemed to touch the sky, ■The sea enclosed it all. I crossed in Lore's own ferry-boat. Then let it drift along the moat; I burnt the bridge-planks few. .Within were all 1 prized . till now .... Earth's pleasure loaf, its wine and . , . I thou, The flowers I loved and knew. ►-L.A.C., in the "Westminster Gazette." !J , . ■ . r- : • CHRIST AND WOMAN. ! No flower of love in your wide world today • , 1 Blossoms, save from the love-seeds I flung ; • away,' . ■ . . I Upon the breezo. of Palestine. . New life to woman—this it was I gave. She passed with me the portals of tho . grave, . • V .And rose with her white hand in mine. —George Barlow, in "The Pageant of Life.',' . ' : .'. THE HOUSE OP BEOKEN SWOEDS.' Untenanted the place, to casual eyes, And 6ilent; but anon began afar Onset of armed feet, and thunders rolled (Thunders .or.' battle),. and a hand unseen, ■ Lifted a veil, and Lo! 'a marching host Swept through the aisles, while on amazed ears. , /■ Sea-like" uprose' the Prayer of' Beaten Men. ... TVo are the fallen,, who, with helpless faces Low in the 'dust, \in stiffening, ruin lay, Felt the hoofs.beat,'and heard the rattling traces As o'er us drove the chariots of the fray." FWe are the fallen, who by ramparts • gory, Awaiting, death, heard, the far shouts begin, 'And with: ciur .last' glance vglimpsed the i victor's'glory" For which'we.died, but dying might not , ■ Wl 'n. ■ ' / ".V; '. '< -"Wo were but men. Always our eyes were holden, •. ■ • •We could not read .the dark that walled ; us round, Nor deem our futile plans with thine enfolden— ... ' We fought, not knowing God ,was on .the ground. .... ■' \ "Give us-our own; and though'in realms - eternr.l ■ ■ ■ ..! ' \ ' The potsherd "and the pot, belike, are one, ■ : Make-our. old world to know that with supernal ...... Powers we were matched, and by the • stars o'erthrown. ■ . ' •

?'Aye, grant our ears to hear the foolish praising . ' Of men—old voices of our lost homeland,* . _ _ Or else, the gateways of this dim world raising, '< ■; ; '; •' ■ Give us our swords again, and hold thy hand." Thus prayed they, and no spoken answer fell; . •-'■.' But whoso watched, saiw the dark roof again - -..■-. ~-. >■' ■'_' ' Hash into sudden heaven aglow with stars That aimed their rays, straight as God's glances on Those shields alone beneath the, broken swords. . <i —W. H. Woods, in "Scribner's." ,| ' '":. ,'_ _. '■■ ~r OBIIT: MARK TWAIN. ' (Specially written for The^Domixion.) A shudder, fastens on the pirate main, The laughter.of the savages is dumb; Oars drop from ■; corsair'fingers, palsied, numb, ' . ■The raft drifts helpless 'neafh the Black .Flag's stain. . Tom the Avenger knows his vengeance vain, Eod-Handed Huck sits shivering and "mum," The ghostly call to that brave heart has -come, The,whippowill is wailing, the world's ' pain.. -...-•.- -, ; But -in"''the'-, placid courts celestial . New joy' is, borhi a„ stranger's'eves elate Twinkle on laughter-shaken ' Gabriel: Angel to angel whispers "Now we shall Know- mirth, more often driven from that gate," ."' , , Or sounding up defiantly' from Hell." -W.KA.