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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？
That was due to my wife；
Who pictured to me my destruction
If I did not prove my morality to the people。
Well； she ruined me：
For the radicals grew suspicious of me；
And the conservatives were never sure of me
And here I lie； unwept of all。
〃Ace〃 Shaw
I NEVER saw any difference
Between playing cards for money
And selling real estate；
Practicing law； banking； or anything else。
For everything is chance。
Nevertheless
Seest thou a man diligent in business？
He shall stand before Kings！
Willard Fluke
MY wife lost her health；
And dwindled until she weighed scarce ninety pounds。
Then that woman； whom the men
Styled Cleopatra； came along。
And we we married ones
All broke our vows； myself among the rest。
Years passed and one by one
Death claimed them all in some hideous form
And I was borne along by dreams
Of God's particular grace for me；
And I began to write； write； write； reams on reams
Of the second coming of Christ。
Then Christ came to me and said；
〃Go into the church and stand before the congregation
And confess your sin。〃
But just as I stood up and began to speak
I saw my little girl； who was sitting in the front seat
My little girl who was born blind！
After that； all is blackness。
Aner Clute
OVER and over they used to ask me；
While buying the wine or the beer；
In Peoria first； and later in Chicago；
Denver； Frisco； New York； wherever I lived
How I happened to lead the life；
And what was the start of it。
Well； I told them a silk dress；
And a promise of marriage from a rich man
（It was Lucius Atherton）。
But that was not really it at all。
Suppose a boy steals an apple
From the tray at the grocery store；
And they all begin to call him a thief；
The editor； minister； judge； and all the people
〃A thief；〃 〃a thief；〃 〃a thief；〃 wherever he goes
And he can't get work； and he can't get bread
Without stealing it； why the boy will steal。
It's the way the people regard the theft of the apple
That makes the boy what he is。
Lucius Atherton
WHEN my moustache curled；
And my hair was black；
And I wore tight trousers
And a diamond stud；
I was an excellent knave of hearts and took many a trick。
But when the gray hairs began to appear
Lo！ a new generation of girls
Laughed at me； not fearing me；
And I had no more exciting adventures
Wherein I was all but shot for a heartless devil；
But only drabby affairs； warmed…over affairs
Of other days and other men。
And time went on until I lived at
Mayer's restaurant；
Partaking of short…orders； a gray； untidy；
Toothless； discarded； rural Don Juan。 。 。 。
There is a mighty shade here who sings
Of one named Beatrice；
And I see now that the force that made him great
Drove me to the dregs of life。
Homer Clapp
OFTEN Aner Clute at the gate
Refused me the parting kiss；
Saying we should be engaged before that；
And just with a distant clasp of the hand
She bade me good…night； as I brought her home
From the skating rink or the revival。
No sooner did my departing footsteps die away
Than Lucius Atherton；
（So I learned when Aner went to Peoria）
Stole in at her window； or took her riding
Behind his spanking team of bays
Into the country。
The shock of it made me settle down
And I put all the money I got from my father's estate
Into the canning factory； to get the job
Of head accountant； and lost it all。
And then I knew I was one of Life's fools；
Whom only death would treat as the equal
Of other men； making me feel like a man。
Deacon Taylor
I BELONGED to the church；
And to the party of prohibition；
And the villagers thought I died of eating watermelon。
In truth I had cirrhosis of the liver；
For every noon for thirty years；
I slipped behind the prescription partition
In Trainor's drug store
And poured a generous drink
From the bottle marked 〃Spiritus frumenti。〃
Sam Hookey
I RAN away from home with the circus；
Having fallen in love with Mademoiselle Estralada；
The lion tamer。
One time； having starved the lions
For more than a day；
I entered the cage and began to beat Brutus
And Leo and Gypsy。
Whereupon Brutus sprang upon me；
And killed me。
On entering these regions
I met a shadow who cursed me；
And said it served me right。 。 。 。
It was Robespierre！
Cooney Potter
I INHERITED forty acres from my Father
And； by working my wife； my two sons and two daughters
From dawn to dusk； I acquired
A thousand acres。
But not content；
Wishing to own two thousand acres；
I bustled through the years with axe and plow；
Toiling； denying myself； my wife； my sons； my daughters。
Squire Higbee wrongs me to say
That I died from smoking Red Eagle cigars。
Eating hot pie and gulping coffee
During the scorching hours of harvest time
Brought me here ere I had reached my sixtieth year。
Fiddler Jones
THE earth keeps some vibration going
There in your heart； and that is you。
And if the people find you can fiddle；
Why； fiddle you must； for all your life。
What do you see； a harvest of clover？
Or a meadow to walk through to the river？
The wind's in the corn； you rub your hands
For