For through the world to-night a murmur thrills As at some new-born prodigy of time-- Peace dies like twilight bleeding on the hills, And Darkness creeps to hide the hateful crime. Art thou no more, O Maiden Heaven-born O Peace, bright Angel of the windless morn? Who comest down to bless our furrow'd fields, Or stand like Beauty smiling 'mid the corn: Mistress of mirth and ease and summer dreams, Who lingerest among the woods and streams To help us heap the harvest 'neath the moon, And homeward laughing lead the lumb'ring teams: Who teachest to our children thy wise lore; Who keepest full the goodman's golden store; Who crownest Life with plenty, Death with flow'rs; Peace, Queen of Kindness--but of earth, no more. * * * * * Not thine but ours the fault, thy care was vain; For this that we have done be ours the pain; Thou gayest much, as He who gave us all, And as we slew Him for it thou art slain. Heav'n left to men the moulding of their fate: To live as wolves or pile the pillar'd State-- Like boars and bears to grunt and growl in mire, Or dwell aloft, effulgent gods, elate. Thou liftedst us: we slew and with thee fell-- From golden thrones of wisdom weeping fell. Fate rends the chaplets from our feeble brows; The spires of Heaven fade in fogs of hell. * * * * * She faints, she falls; her dying eyes are dim; Her fingers play with those bright buds she bore To please us, but that she can bring no more; And dying yet she smiles--as Christ on him Who slew Him slain. Her eyes so beauteous Are lit with tears shed--not for herself but us. The gentle Beings of the hearth and home; The lovely Dryads of her aisled woods; The Angels that do dwell in solitudes Where she dwelleth; and joyous Spirits that roam To bless her bleating flocks and fruitful lands; Are gather'd there to weep, and kiss her dying hands. "Look, look," they cry, "she is not dead, she breathes! And we have staunched the damned wound and deep, The cavern-carven wound. She doth but sleep And will awake. Bring wine, and new-wound wreaths Wherewith to crown awaking her dear head, And make her Queen again."--But no, for Peace was dead. * * * * * And then there came black Lords; and Dwarfs obscene With lavish tongues; and Trolls; and treacherous Things Like loose-lipp'd Councillors and cruel Kings Who sharpen lies and daggers subterrene: And flashed their evil eyes and weeping cried, "We ruled the world for Peace. By her own hand she died." * * * * * In secret he made sharp the bitter blade, And poison'd it with bane of lies and drew, And stabb'd--O God! the Cruel Cripple slew; And cowards fled or lent him trembling aid, She fell and died--in all the tale of time The direst deed e'er done, the most accursed crime. _Ronald Ross_ IN WAR-TIME (AN AMERICAN HOMEWARD-BOUND)