While the place where it stood was a huge gaping void. Men were clearing the rubbish and cinders away, Odd relics of former years bringing to day; Two masks that still seemed to be making grimaces, Supposed to be dried skins of two actors’ faces; Then a long rusted steel, whose use none could divine, In a scarlet robe wrapped, with one blazoned line Inscribed thereupon--’twas the name of a play, And the legible words were, “The Devil’s Birthday.” A hemlet of copper, with vizor of brass Was seen melted down, in a black, confused mass, With beads, trinkets, buttons and jewelry rare, To allure the gay worldling or deck the frail fair. “How sad!” said a voice, “they could ever bestow Time and thought on such follies a century ago! But soon shall we raise on this desolate site, A house sacred to truth, to knowledge and right, Whence millions of Bibles shall issue, to bless Distant nations still hungering for righteousness.” Musing deeply on all I had seen and had heard, Of the wondrous changes I said not a word, But slowly went on, of adventures in quest, In a spot with such peace and prosperity blest. Each face, young and old, with intelligence beamed; Every eye with love and with sympathy gleamed; No discord was known--no unrestrained tongue Gave utterance to words of slander or wrong; Such a sense of true happiness filled all the air, It seemed more than the spirit of mortal could bear; And the heavenly anthem re-echoed again, “To God all the glory and good will to men!” Pure fountains of water unceasingly flowed, Till all nature with health and with happiness glowed; On every side, in long colonnade, Pines, cedars and palms, threw their deep cooling shade On seats, for the tired, heated travellers made; While the thick boughs above were filled with a throng Of birds of gay plumage and exquisite song, Unsuspicious of man, for his nature was changed And his love for all beings, no longer estranged. They lived and they loved the green alcoves among, Or reared, year by year, unmolested, their young. Wrong, crime and deceit existed no more; All houses were open--unguarded each door; No bolts and no bars told of robbers by night, No high prison walls offended the sight, Stores of merchandise lay exposed to full view, For at last men were found to be honest and true. None was tempted one moment his neighbor to cheat, No deception was practiced in house or on street, But one price was asked for each article sold, And the sole money used was silver and gold. None knew what a panic in currency meant, A run upon banks or a gain cent per cent; Stock gamblers on change no longer were seen, “Bulls” and “Bears,” were strange names that once might have been. Of palaces built by legalized theft