13 JUNE 1914, Page 17

POETRY.

THE WORLD'S WORK.

I SAW a sailor seated on the deck,

Who showed a boy the working of a knot, The man was old—the weather-beaten wreck Of stormy seas and an unlucky lot.

In accents stern and rough he taught the way To hold the rope, and how to tie the strands, As thus . . . and thus . . . and when he'd had his say

He gave the task up to those eager hands.

I heard some grumbled words of curt advice,

And heard low thrilling tones in soft reply,

And then I think 'twits done, for in a trice

The boy leapt up with an exulting cry So knowledge, since this world of ours began, From age to age has passed—and man to man!

TRITON.