They pile a priestly fence Of vain scholastic babble, To keep out common sense With the unlearned rabble. A curious creed they weave, And, for the church commands it, All men must needs believe, Though no man understands it; Thus while they rudely ban All honest thought as treason I from the Heathen clan Seek solace to my reason. And thus I pray: O Sancte Socrates, ora pro nobis! From creeds that men believe because They fear a damnatory clause, Good saint, deliver us! Some preach a God so grim That when his anger swelleth, They crouch and cower to him When sacred fear compelleth; God loves his few pet lambs, And saves his one pet nation, The rest he largely damns With swinging reprobation. Thus banished from the fold, I wisely choose to follow Some sunny preacher old Who worshiped bright Apollo. And thus I pray: O Sancte Socrates, ora pro nobis! From silly flocks of petted lambs, And from a faith that largely damns, Good saint, deliver us! * * * * * Such eager fancies vain Shape forth the rival churches; And each man's fuming brain God's holy light besmirches; And thus they all conspire The primal truth to smother, And think they praise their sire By hating well their brother. Such wrangling when I see Such storms of godly rancor, To Heathendom I flee To cast a peaceful anchor. And thus I pray: O Sancte Socrates, ora pro nobis! Let love and faith and joy increase, And reason rule and wrangling cease, Good saint, we pray thee! [Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. SOKRATES AND SENECA (Berlin Museum)] [Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. AVENUE OF ROYAL PALMS, CUBA] [Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. CUBAN COUNTRY SCENE] [Illustration: FLORIDA PALMETTOS ONE-HALF MILE AVENUE] [Illustration: A CASUARINA AVENUE TREES 13 YEARS OLD] ROYAL POINCIANA HOTEL, PALM BEACH, FLORIDA Photos by Puffer, New York and Palm Beach A VISIT TO A LOUISIANA SUGAR PLANTATION: by Barbara McClung