Through all hours of the night caring for the poor who were sick。
Do you know why？
My wife hated me； my son went to the dogs。
And I turned to the people and poured out my love to them。
Sweet it was to see the crowds about the lawns on the day of my
funeral；
And hear them murmur their love and sorrow。
But oh； dear God； my soul trembled； scarcely able
To hold to the railing of the new life
When I saw Em Stanton behind the oak tree
At the grave；
Hiding herself； and her grief！
Sarah Brown
MAURICE； weep not； I am not here under this pine tree。
The balmy air of spring whispers through the sweet grass；
The stars sparkle； the whippoorwill calls；
But thou grievest； while my soul lies rapturous
In the blest Nirvana of eternal light！
Go to the good heart that is my husband
Who broods upon what he calls our guilty love：
Tell him that my love for you； no less than my love for him
Wrought out my destiny that through the flesh
I won spirit； and through spirit； peace。
There is no marriage in heaven
But there is love。
Percy Bysshe Shelley
MY father who owned the wagon…shop
And grew rich shoeing horses
Sent me to the University of Montreal。
I learned nothing and returned home；
Roaming the fields with Bert Kessler；
Hunting quail and snipe。
At Thompson's Lake the trigger of my gun
Caught in the side of the boat
And a great hole was shot through my heart。
Over me a fond father erected this marble shaft；
On which stands the figure of a woman
Carved by an Italian artist。
They say the ashes of my namesake
Were scattered near the pyramid of Caius Cestius
Somewhere near Rome。
Flossie Cabanis
FROM Bindle's opera house in the village
To Broadway is a great step。
But I tried to take it； my ambition fired
When sixteen years of age；
Seeing 〃East Lynne；〃 played here in the village
By Ralph Barrett； the coming
Romantic actor； who enthralled my soul。
True； I trailed back home； a broken failure；
When Ralph disappeared in New York；
Leaving me alone in the city
But life broke him also。
In all this place of silence
There are no kindred spirits。
How I wish Duse could stand amid the pathos
Of these quiet fields
And read these words。
Julia Miller
WE quarreled that morning；
For he was sixtyfive； and I was thirty；
And I was nervous and heavy with the child
Whose birth I dreaded。
I thought over the last letter written me
By that estranged young soul
Whose betrayal of me I had concealed
By marrying the old man。
Then I took morphine and sat down to read。
Across the blackness that came over my eyes
I see the flickering light of these words even now：
〃And Jesus said unto him； Verily
I say unto thee； To…day thou shalt
Be with me in paradise。〃
Johnnie Sayre
FATHER； thou canst never know
The anguish that smote my heart
For my disobedience； the moment I felt
The remorseless wheel of the engine
Sink into the crying flesh of my leg。
As they carried me to the home of widow Morris
I could see the school…house in the valley
To which I played truant to steal rides upon the trains。
I prayed to live until I could ask your forgiveness
And then your tears； your broken words of comfort！
From the solace of that hour I have gained infinite happiness。
Thou wert wise to chisel for me：
〃Taken from the evil to come。〃
Charlie French
DID YOU ever find out
Which one of the O'Brien boys it was
Who snapped the toy pistol against my hand？
There when the flags were red and white
In the breeze and 〃Bucky〃 Estil
Was firing the cannon brought to Spoon River
From Vicksburg by Captain Harris；
And the lemonade stands were running
And the band was playing；
To have it all spoiled
By a piece of a cap shot under the skin of my hand；
And the boys all crowding about me saying：
〃You'll die of lock…jaw； Charlie； sure。〃
Oh； dear！ oh； dear！
What chum of mine could have done it？
Zenas Witt
I WAS sixteen； and I had the most terrible dreams；
And specks before my eyes； and nervous weakness。
And I couldn't remember the books I read；
Like Frank Drummer who memorized page after page。
And my back was weak； and I worried and worried；
And I was embarrassed and stammered my lessons；
And when I stood up to recite I'd forget
Everything that I had studied。
Well； I saw Dr。 Weese's advertisement；
And there I read everything in print；
Just as if he had known me；
And about the dreams which I couldn't help。
So I knew I was marked for an early grave。
And I worried until I had a cough
And then the dreams stopped。
And then I slept the sleep without dreams
Here on the hill by the river。
Theodore the Poet
As a boy； Theodore； you sat for long hours
On the shore of the turbid Spoon
With deep…set eye staring at the door of the crawfish's burrow；
Waiting for him to appear； pushing ahead；
First his waving antennae； like straws of hay；
And soon his body； colored like soap…stone；
Gemmed with eyes of jet。
And you wondered in a trance of thought
What he knew； what he desired； and why he lived at all。
But later your vision watched for men and women
Hiding in burrows of fate amid great cities；
Looking for the souls of them to come out；
So that you could see
How they lived； and for what；
And why they kept crawling so busily
Along the sandy way where water fails
As the summer wanes。
The Town Marshal
THE： Prohibitionists made me Town Marshal
When the saloons were voted out；
Because when I was a drinking man；
Before I joined the church； I killed a Swede
At the saw…mill near Maple Grove。
And they wanted a terrible man；
Grim； righteous； strong； courageous；
And a hater of saloons and drinkers；
To keep law and order in the village。
And they presented me with a loaded cane
With which I struck Jack McGuire
Before he drew the gun with which he killed
The Prohibitionists spent their money in vain
To hang him； for in a dream
I appeared to one of the twelve jurymen
And told him the whole secret story。
Fourteen years were enough for killing me。
Jack McGuire
THEY would have lynched me
Had I not been secretly hurried away
To the jail at Peoria。
And yet I was going peacefully home；
Carrying my jug； a little drunk；
When Logan； the marshal； halted me
Called me a drunken hound and shook me
And； when I cursed him for it； struck me
With that Prohibition loaded cane
All this before I shot him。
They would have hanged me except for this：
My lawyer； Kinsey Keene； was helping to land
Old Thomas Rhodes for wrecking the bank；
And the judge was a friend of
Rhodes And wanted him to escape；
And Kinsey offered to quit on
Rhodes For fourteen years for me。
And the bargain was made。
I served my time
And learned to read and write。
Jacob Goodpasture
WHEN Fort Sumter fell and the war came
I cried out in bitterness of soul：
〃O glorious republic now no more！〃
When they buried my soldier son
To the call of trumpets and the sound of drums
My heart broke beneath the weight
Of eighty years； and I cried：
〃Oh； son who died in a cause unjust！
In the strife of Freedom slain！〃
And I crept here under the grass。
And now from the battlements of time； behold：
Thrice thirty million souls being bound together
In the love of larger truth；
Rapt in the expectation of the birth
Of a new Beauty；
Sprung from Brotherhood and Wisdom。
I with eyes of spirit see the Transfiguration
Before you see it。
But ye infinite brood of golden eagles nesting ever higher；
Wheeling ever higher； the sun light wooing
Of lofty places of Thought；
Forgive the blindness of the departed owl。
Dorcas Gustine
I WAS not beloved of the villagers；
But all because I spoke my mind；
And met those who transgressed against me
With plain remonstrance； hiding nor nurturing
Nor secret griefs nor grudges。
That act of the Spartan boy is greatly praised；
Who hid the wolf under his cloak；
Letting it devour him； uncomplainingly。
It is braver； I think； to snatch the wolf forth
And fight him openly； even in the street；
Amid dust and howls of pain。
The tongue may be an unruly member
But silence poisons the soul。
Berate me who willI am content。
Nicholas Bindle
Were you not ashamed； fellow citizens；
When my estate was probated and everyone knew
How small a fortune I left？
You who hounded me in life；
To give； give； give to the churches； to the poor；
To the village！me who had already given much。
And think you not I did not know
That the pipe…organ； which I gave to the church；
Played its christening songs when Deacon Rhodes；
Who broke and all but ruined me；
Worshipped for the first time after his acquittal？
Harold Arnett
I LEANED against the mantel； sick； sick；
Thinking of my failure； looking into the abysm；
Weak from the noon…day heat。
A church bell sounded mournfully far away；
I heard the cry of a baby；
And the coughing of John Yarnell；
Bed…ridden； feverish； feverish； dying；
Then the violent voice of my wife：
〃Watch out； the potatoes are burning！〃
I smelled them 。 。 。 then there was irresistible disgust。
I pulled the trigger 。 。 。 blackness 。 。 。 light 。 。 。
Unspeakable regret 。 。 。 fumbling for the world again。
Too late！ Thus I came here；
With lungs for breathing 。 。 。 one cannot breathe here with lungs；
Though one must breathe
Of what use is it To rid one's self of the world；
When no soul may ever escape the eternal destiny of life？
Margaret Fuller Slack
I WOULD have been as great as George Eliot
But for an untoward fate。
For look at the photograph of me made by Penniwit；
Chin resting on hand； and deepset eyes
Gray； too； and far…searching。
But there was the old； old problem：
Should it be celibacy； matrimony or unchastity？
Then John Slack； the rich druggist； wooed me；
Luring me with the promise of leisure for my novel；
And I married him； giving birth to eight children；
And had no time to write。
It was all over with me； anyway；
When I ran the needle in my hand
While washing the baby's things；
And died from lockjaw； an ironical death。
Hear me； ambitious souls；
Sex is the curse of life。
George Trimble
Do you remember when I stood on the steps
Of the Court House and talked free…silver；
And the single…tax of Henry George？
Then do you remember that； when the Peerless Leader
Lost the first battle； I began to talk prohibition；
And became active in the church