The First Shearing - Tapa blanda

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1904. Excerpt: ... Twain's Christendom. The Red Cross Society held a chain of watch-meetings throughout the country, and greetings from prominent people were asked for, to be read on these occasions. This is what Mark Twain wrote: "I bring you the stately matron named Christendom, returning bedraggled, besmirched and dishonored from pirate raid in Kiao-Chow, Manchuria, South Africa and the Philippines, with her soul full of meanness, her pocket full of boodle and her mouth full of pious hypocrisies. Give her soap and a towel, but hide thelooking-glass.--From The Citizen. A Stately matron, see her come, To greet the century new, Her garments white in sorry plight, All stained with crimson hue; Her sandals gold that shone of old, Now foul with many a smear, From foot to crown, all up and down Besprinkled here and there. What ails that brow, so regal once, So pure and chaste of yore? The matted ringlets now are clogged Alas! with human gore, The hands, so free to give and serve, Are hardened now with gold; The face, once fair, an angel there Could scarcely good behold. Where has she been, the stately queen, Since love first gave her birth? Afar and near, with pitying ear, To corners of the earth; And just of late--oh! shameless fate! Her garments in the dust The saintly queen with regal mien Has stooped to gold and lust. For power and place a goodly race She runs with other kings, Tramples to earth with savage mirth A score of better things. Come! Give her place! This Christendom The Saviour never knew; With all her stain, she may again Her purity renew. The Building of Zion. We read in the Bible story Of Solomon's temple fair, Built to Jehovah's glory--No sound of the hammer there; But far from the place of building Each beautiful piece was wrought, The stone, and the wood, a...