THE VOICE OF TOIL I HEARD men saying, Leave hope and praying. To-day and to-morrow bring fear and sorrow, When Earth was young 'mid toil and hunger, Go read in story their deeds and glory, Where fast and faster our iron master, Where home is a hovel and dull we grovel, Forgetting that the world is fair; Where no babe we cherish, lest its very soul perish; Where mirth is crime, and love a snare. Who now shall lead us, what god shall heed us As we lie in the hell our hands have won? For us are no rulers but fools and befoolers, I heard men saying, Leave tears and praying, The sharp knife heedeth not the sheep; Are we not stronger than the rich and the wronger, When day breaks over dreams and sleep? Come, shoulder to shoulder ere the world grows older! Help lies in naught but thee and me; Hope is before us, and the long years that bore us Bore leaders more than men may be. Let dead hearts tarry and trade and marry, To bring the bright new world to birth. Come, shoulder to shoulder ere earth grows older! The Cause spreads over land and sea; Now the world shaketh, and fear awaketh, And joy at last for thee and me. William Morris [1834-1896] TOM DUNSTAN, OR, THE POLITICIAN Now poor Tom Dunstan's cold, Our shop is duller; Scarce a story is told, And our chat has lost the old Red-republican color! Though he was sickly and thin, 'Twas a sight to see his face- Freedom's ahead!" All day we sat in the heat, Sat greasily grinning: And prophesied Tyranny's death, And the tallow burnt all day, And we stitched and stitched away In the thick smoke of our breath, With hearts as heavy as lead But "Patience, she's coming!" said he; "Courage, boys! wait and see! Freedom's ahead!" And at night, when we took here The paper came with the beer, He threw the jests about- How he turned them inside out! And it made our breath more free To hearken to what he said— "She's coming, she's coming!" said he; "Courage, boys! wait and see! Freedom's ahead!" But grim Jack Hart, with a sneer, If Freedom means to appear, Then it was fine to see Tom flame, O' sudden to spoil Tom's speech. Ah! Tom had the eyes to see, When Tyranny should be sped; "She's coming, she's coming!" said he; 'Courage, boys! wait and see! Freedom's ahead!" But Tom was little and weak; Hollower grew his cheek, The coughing took him. Ere long the cheery sound Of his chat among us ceased, And we made a purse all round, That he might not starve, at least; His pain was sorry to see, Yet there, on his poor sick-bed, "She's coming, in spite of me! Courage, and wait!" cried he, "Freedom's ahead!" A little before he died, "Bring me a paper!" he cried, His look on me he bent, Of the lords of the Parliament. Ay, now Tom Dunstan's cold, Scarce a story is told, And our talk has lost the old Red-republican color. But we see a figure gray, And we hear a voice of death, And the tallow burns all day, In the thick smoke of our breath; Ay, while in the dark sit we, Tom seems to call from the dead"She's coming, she's coming!" says he; "Courage, boys! wait and see! "Freedom's ahead!" How long, O Lord, how long Doth Thy handmaid linger? O Lord, ere hope be fled— Robert Buchanan (1841-1901] THE COMMON STREET THE common street climbed up against the sky, The faded world; and creeping night drew nigh. Then burst the sunset, flooding far and fleet, With the dark shapes of men ascending still. Helen Gray Cone [1859 TO A NEW YORK SHOP-GIRL DRESSED FOR TO-DAY I saw the shop-girl go Conspicuous, splendid, conscious, sweet, |