There all the voicing summer day They sing, the happy rills. No noisy sound awakes away The echo of the hills. A GLIMPSE OF CHINA. I. IN A SAMPAN. (_Min River_, _Fo Kien_.) Up in the misty morning, Up past the gardened hills, With the rhythmic stroke of the rowers, While the blue deep pales and thrills! Past the rice-fields green low-lying, Where the sea-gull’s winging down From the fleets of junks and sampans And the ancient Chinese Town! II. IN A CHAIR. (_Foo-chow_.) From the bright and blinding sunshine, From the whirling locust’s song, Into the dark and narrow fissures Of the streets I am borne along. Here and there dusky-beaming A sun-shaft broadens and drops On the brown bare crowd slow-passing The crowd of the open shops. We move on over the bridges With their straight-hewn blocks of stone. And their quaint grey animal figures, And the booths the hucksters own. Behind a linen awning Sits an ancient wight half-dead, And a little dear of a girl is Examining—his head. On a bended bamboo shouldered, Bearing a block of stone, Two worn-out coolies half-naked Utter their grunting groan. Children, almond-eyed beauties, Impossibly mangy curs, Take part in the motley stream of Insouciant passengers. This is the dream, the vision That comes to me and greets— _The vision of Retribution_ _In the labyrinthine streets_! III. “CASTE.” These Chinese toil and yet they do not starve, And they obey, and yet they are not slaves. It is the “free-born” fuddled Englishmen That grovel rotting in their living graves. These Chinese do not fawn with servile lips; They lift up equal eyes that ask and scan. Their degradation has escaped at least That choicest curse of all—the gentleman! IV. OVER THE SAMOVAR. {69a} (_Foo-chow_.) “Yes, I used always to think That you Russians knew How to make the good drink As none others do. “And I thought moreover, (Not with the epicures), You might search the world over For such women as yours. “In both these matters now I perceive I was right, And I really can’t tell you how Much I delight “In my third (Thanks, another cup!) Idea of the fun, When your country gets up And follows the sun! “And just as in Europe, see, There’s a conqueror nation, So why not in Asia be A like jubilation? “Taught as well as organized, {69b} The eternal Coolie, From being robbed and despised, Takes to cutting throats duly! “But—please, don’t be flurried; For I daresay by then You’ll be comfortably buried, Ladies and gentlemen! “No more, thanks! I must be going! I’m so glad to have made this Opportunity of knowing Some more Russian ladies!” TO JAPAN.