Spake as follows the merchant king: “Isn’t this war a disgraceful thing? Heartless, cruel, and useless, too; It doesn’t seem that it _can_ be true. Think of the misery, want and fear! We ought to be grateful we’ve no war here.” · · · · · · “Six a week”—to a girl—“That’s flat! I can get a thousand to work for that.” THE RICH MAN The rich man has his motor-car, His country and his town estate. He smokes a fifty-cent cigar And jeers at Fate. He frivols through the livelong day, He knows not Poverty, her pinch. His lot seems light, his heart seems gay; He has a cinch. Yet though my lamp burns low and dim, Though I must slave for livelihood— Think you that I would change with him? You bet I would! THOSE TWO BOYS When Bill was a lad he was terribly bad. He worried his parents a lot; He’d lie and he’d swear and pull little girls’ hair; His boyhood was naught but a blot. At play and in school he would fracture each rule— In mischief from autumn to spring; And the villagers knew when to manhood he grew He would never amount to a thing. When Jim was a child he was not very wild; He was known as a good little boy; He was honest and bright and the teacher’s delight— To his mother and father a joy. All the neighbors were sure that his virtue’d endure, That his life would be free of a spot; They were certain that Jim had a great head on him And that Jim would amount to a lot. And Jim grew to manhood and honor and fame And bears a good name; While Bill is shut up in a dark prison cell— You never can tell. _John G. Neihardt_ John Gneisenau Neihardt was born at Sharpsburg, Illinois, January 8, 1881. He completed a scientific course at Nebraska Normal College in 1897 and lived among the Omaha Indians for six years (1901-7), studying their customs, characteristics and legends. Although he had already published two books, _A Bundle of Myrrh_ (1908) was his first volume to attract notice. It was full of spirit, enthusiasm and an insistent virility—qualities which were extended (and overemphasized) in _Man-Song_ (1909). Neihardt found a richer note and a new restraint in _The Stranger at the Gate_ (1911); the best of the lyrics from these three volumes appearing in _The Quest_ (1916).