Page:Florence Earle Coates Poems 1898 98.jpg

 FRIENDS TO VIRTUE

"The gods whom we all belong to are the gods we belong to whether we will or no."

the theatre they came—

"Motley 's the only wear!"

Children of poverty, of shame,

Of folly, of despair.

Elbowing rudely, Jill and Jack,

A nearer view to win,

Youths, men, and women, white and black,

Pell-mell, they jostled in.

A wretched place of poor resort,

Far from the world polite,

Few pennies bought the meagre sport

So fruitful of delight,

And gazing there, each brutish face,

The godlike stamp resigned,

A tablet seemed whereon disgrace

Had written thoughts unkind.

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