But just think, for a minute, young man: Here is The Little Giant the greatest figure in all the land And the wheel of fortune turns And he stands by Linkern’s side and holds His hat while Linkern takes the oath As president! Then the war comes and his leadership Has left him, and millions who followed him Turn from him, and then Death comes, And sits by him and says: Your time’s up! So I say when they put up that monument And carved those words upon it They had just as well have carved the words, “He took poison.” Which reminds me: There was a family over at Dutchland Named Nitchie. And my boy writes me from college That there is a writer named Nitchie Who says--well I can’t tell you just now. But if you’ll look at things close You’ll see that Linkern was against the legal law, And Douglas against the moral law so-called, And neither cared for the other’s law-- And that was the real debate! Linkern rode over laws to save the Union, And Douglas said he cared more for white supremacy Than anything else. Which being true, who can tell Who won the debates? Is it better to have the Union, Or better to have a master race? I’ll go over to the post-office now And see if there’s a letter from my boy. VII AUTOCHTHON In a rude country some four thousand miles From Charles’ and Alfred’s birthplace you were born, In the same year. But Charles and you were born On the same day, and Alfred six months later. Thus start you in a sense the race together.... Charles goes to Edinburgh, afterwards His father picks him for the ministry, And sends him off to Cambridge where he spends His time on beetles and geology, Neglects theology. Alfred is here Fondling a Virgil and a Horace. But you--these years you give to reading Æsop, The Bible, lives of Washington and Franklin, And Kirkham’s grammar. In 1830 Alfred prints a book Containing “Mariana,” certain other Delicate, wind-blown bells of airy music. And in this year you move from Indiana And settle near Decatur, Illinois, Hard by the river Sangamon where fever And ague burned and shook the poor Swamp saffron creatures of that desolate land. While Alfred walks the flowering lanes of England, And reads Theocritus to the song of larks You clear the forests, plow the stumpy land, Fight off the torments of mosquitoes, flies And study Kirkham’s grammar. In 1831 Charles takes a trip Around the world, sees South America, And studies living things in Galapagos, Tahiti, Keeling Island and Tasmania. In 1831 you take a trip Upon a flat-boat down to New Orleans Through hardships scarcely less than Joliet And Marquette knew in 1673, Return on foot to Orfutt’s store at Salem.