NEANDERTHAL.
NEANDERTHAL. G r i m relic of a bygone age, M u t e witness to that ancient race W h i c h left, on History's earliest page, C r u d e signs, enabling us to trace M a n ' s evolution, stage b y stage, His w a n d e r i n g s f r o m place to place t " Y o u r s was existence primitive, I n u r e d life's hardships to withstand ; Seizing whatever Earth could give A n d grasping it in either h a n d ; Slaying your foes that you m i g h t live A n outlaw in a lawless land. " Awake and, f r o m y o u r s l u m b e r deep, L o o k r o u n d a b o u t you and survey T h i s E a r t h so changed, the while you sleep Five times ten t h o u s a n d years away. Autres t e m p s , autres m o e u r s ! See h o w we k e e p T h i s m o d e r n world of o u r s to-day. " T h e same old world you looked u p o n W h e n vast primeval forests bred T h e m a m m o t h and t h e m a s t o d o n ; N o w , in their place, behold instead T h e change that E a r t h has u n d e r g o n e , F o r all you knew, m y friend, is d e a d . " — " T h e life I led in days of old W a s h a r d a n d stern, its c o m f o r t s f e w . I toiled, b u t not as n o w for gold ; I lived as N a t u r e m e a n t m e to ; A n d surely f o u n d , if t r u t h be tol'd, M o r e h a p p i n e s s in life t h a n you. " Science a n d K n o w l e d g e you employ F o r Progress, with t h e best i n t e n t ; But h a v e t h e y helped you to enjoy T h i s world, in which I f o u n d c o n t e n t ? U n w i t t i n g , you yourselves destroy By all these w o n d e r s you invent. " I envy not this sorry State W h e r e m e n are b u t t h e helpless tools Of so-called progress. W h a t grim fate Awaits this world w h e r e Science rules ! Leave m e in peace to m e d i t a t e U p o n t h e hapless lot—of F o o l s . "
H e ceased. I woke ; sat u p in bed ; W h a t was t h a t ghastly ' swishing ' s o u n d ? S o m e t h i n g was h u r t l i n g overhead ; B u t I, t h a n k G o d , was u n d e r g r o u n d . A crash !—" Sleep on, m y f r i e n d " I said, " N e v e r was j u d g m e n t m o r e p r o f o u n d . " FIELDING
C H E V A L L I E R , Fleet
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Arm.