Page:The Farmer's Bride (New Edition).djvu/44

 ERE, in the darkness, where this plaster saint Stands nearer than God stands to our distress, And one small candle shines, but not so faint As the far lights of everlastingness I'd rather kneel than over there, in open day Where Christ is hanging, rather pray To something more like my own clay, Not too divine; For, once, perhaps my little saint Before he got his niche and crown, Had one short stroll about the town; It brings him closer, just that taint And anyone can wash the paint Off our poor faces, his and mine!

Is that why I see Monty now? equal to any saint, poor boy, as good as gold, But still, with just the proper trace Of earthliness on his shining wedding face; And then gone suddenly blank and old The hateful day of the divorce: Stuart got his, hands down, of course Crowing like twenty cocks and grinning like a horse: But Monty took it hard. All said and done I liked him best,— He was the first, he stands out clearer than the rest. It seems too funny all we other rips Should have immortal souls; Monty and Redge quite damnably Keep theirs afloat while we go down like scuttled ships.— It's funny too, how easily we sink, One might put up a monument, I think To half the world and cut across it "Lost at Sea!" I should drown Jim, poor little sparrow, if I netted him to-night— No, it's no use this penny light— Or my poor saint with his tin-pot crown— The trees of Calvary are where they were, When we are sure that we can spare