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Show The World and the Martyred FJ.ower Picture of the Fate Too Often Accorded Things Not Understood Under-stood by the Souls of the Sons ol Men. Once by the nit) side roie a flower, "Whom wondrou brauty and migla power (lddnd the icrry romlilde; Its aoul (in trourtb to Its tender items, Lovellnt to Its bloaiom-Rema, Sent iracrunc far and wtdo, Where hemlock, thorns, and nljht-lida tew. And from the tlf-saino soil but drew Oirtiuth to be evil thlngi, This wonder lifted to the iky, Quivering with yearning ecaUey, fetal like rsyclie'a wine. Its btart-llke cup held nrctared wine. And; all who drank that draught divine tWere holy, tor a apace; And whosoever lingered there Drew to his emit a bleiaed ahare u Of purity and grace. t i R Hut doubting words ran through tho land "Thl thing we do not tindeietand And enn It. then, bo good There mut be eII under this." Then no man dared to hold u bliss Bo little understood, When rude winds shook the petals fair, Each one drew buck with ruward care, Or leered to see them fall: And stems wero trodden 'jndrr foot, And worms unhindered gnawed the root. And slowly ruined nl At length, from bnitsee and broken stem, From root and leaf and dosaom-gem, The aweet soul pasaed away. Until, amid rank weedi and graas, A ehapeleas, shunned, and faded mass. The lovely wonder lay. And then about It, In and out. There crawled n loath lome rabble rcut Of things which wlr J and sttng; Then, pointing to lb' ruin made. The Imt.eyett norlu -vultlng aald, "Hv evil was la thing!" Jtr if Annie Anderson. |
