PROGRESS: A DRAMA OF EVOLUTION 



191 



The sense of sin. How can 1 make 



My peace with earth below or heaven above? 



By mental strife or fruits of conscious love 



Atone for my mistake? 



******** 



The die is cast, the choice is past, 



And choosing once, I stand condemned 



To ever choose again. So let it be, since I 



am free. 

 My fate lies in my hands, 

 Frail, imperfect, fasting ever, 

 Stumbling on till death may sever 



Chains tliat bind the .soul: 

 May heaven judge me by my meaning, 

 Striving, searching, ever gleaning 

 Parts of nature's whole. 



Animals. [Regarding man from distance. 



The man strides forth, his eyes ablaze, 



He means to conquer, win the praise 



Of earth and sky. 



Full strange it is he has no qualms, 



He shows no dread, or vague alarms, 



No fear to die! 



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ST. ^' 



Act V 



The Present Day. [Enter Mars, Plebs, Pax, Pr.eceptor.] 



Mars. Hear the sound of marching soldiers, 



Camion thunder on the height, 



Clash of arms and cry of battle. 



Lurid camp-fires in the night. 



Onward men, and try your valor, 



Now or never do your best, 



Forward now and slay the foeman, 



Mars will put you to the test. 



Pax. Though the din of battle ringeth 



Loud and fierce on either hand. 



Time, the Lord's good servant bringeth 



Peace throughout the land. 



Shall it be the peace of living, 



Herald of a better day. 



Former foes in friendship giving 



Each what e'er he may? 



Else the peace of dire destruction, 



Death, the victor now supreme, 



Lost the hope of reconstruction. 



Social progress but a dream. 



Choose, O Plebs, while yet you may. 



The falling night drives out the daj\ 



Plebs. No choice is mine, this awful fate 

 Is born upon the wings of time. 

 The angel host at Heaven's gate 

 Are partners in the crime. 



Pr.eceptor. Good pupil, Plebs, I told it so 

 To thee in younger, brighter days: 

 In subtile ways I made thee know 



A path of logic through the maze 

 Of thought and action, hate and fear: 

 I taught, and teaching, bade thee hear. 



Pax. Taught him to think the devil's hand 

 Must ever rule throughout the land ! 



Pr.eceptor. Kind peace, I bid him love 



thy name, 

 To hate the devil and his kind. 

 To feel the horror and the shame 

 That burdens all mankind. 

 I told him this, but bid him know 

 The ages could not change. 

 The future from the past must flow. 

 He must not think it strange 

 If Mars in might should stalk abroad, 

 And Pax lay vanquished by the sword. 

 So must he stand to guard his own. 

 Be guided by the past alone. 



Pax. Be guided by the past, indeed! 



Then know the past, its teachings clear, 



To him who hath the head to read 



And heart to banish fear. 



The teaching of the past is this. 



That day contrasts with night, 



That custom's slaves must ever miss 



The path upon the height. 



The child condemned on every side 



Grows up to be the future's bride. 



