POETRY.
_ A MAN UV PEACE.
I Dr not hold with war myself, I think it's bad an' wrong, An' would not prod my frens to strife wi' fiery speech an' song, I'd sooner see 'em till the soil, an' sow, an' reap, an' build, An' die o' somethin' nat'ral, 'stead uv goin' an' gettin' killed; But.ef my country does git roused, I plunges inter sin, An' don't care whut she's fightin' for—I want to see her win !
It isn't zackly whut you'd call a real angelic plan, But man is not an angel—an' he wunt be while he's man Some like to sing them pooty songs uv victory an' deth, But while yer hands air full uv work ye'd better save yer brah ; The paha keep on gettin' up, afore the fightin's thru, Tew strut an' flap their wings an' whoop a cock-a-doodle-do ! But let us hey some peace, says I, until we've licked the foe, An' when there's nothin' else to du, the time hes come to crow.
I stud out ded agin the war, but once it was begun I thrilled tew read each gallant deed my countrymen hed done; An' now, I git thet warm within tew see the en'my scoot, I itch tew take a gun myself an' go an' hey a shoot !
There's other peaceful men like me reprove my wrath an' frown, But when my country's 'dander's up, mine wunt keep lyin' down.
Es long es airth is simply sixth, an men ain't more than men, It seems tew me there's bound to be some fightin' now an' then,
Fer what is wrong or right depends upon yer point us' view, The en'my's alwis quite convinced he's jest as right as you, An' so, in sech a sinful world, there ain't no kind uv doubt Ye've got tew fight fer what you want'or want an' go without!
It isn't zackly whut you'd call a real angelic.plan, But man is not an angel—an', he wunt be while he's man !
Hosea, JUN.
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