The Jewels of King Art Author:James Connolly Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: There the fruits of earth abundant grow, in mellow clusters fall Into the lazy lap of each, the common right of all. Haste we, haste we ere the greedy trus... more »ts have filed on even these, And brought the tattooed islanders submissive to their knees. Then at last the floating islands, rent by typhoons from their base,— Together round the harried sea in our canoe we'll chase; And if they perchance shall vanish in the darkness from our ken, Then in mid ocean fearless, free, me must go down like men. HER ANSWER My love to adorn with rare garlands Of pearls and of rubies so fine, I sailed and I sailed to all far lands And ransacked sea, mart, reef and mine. And then when with gems I had decked her That outshone the sun and the stars— O fool that I was to expect her To honor my years and my scars! But now more ambitious than ever, She said with evasion polite, " Somewhere 'neath the Stygian River Dear Jack they have found a Kunzite." BEAUTY CHASING A man and a boy together Stood talking beside the sea, When up flew a fugitive feather Of foam. With raptuous glee And laughter the boy ran after The vanishing white that flew Inland where, taller than pine or fir The majestic palm trees grew. Till the white sea foam in mist dissolved And the boy back musing went. " Hast seen life's mystery aptly solved, My son. Nor is that beauty spent; In yonder river's arid flood 'Twill back to the ocean flow Then with fresh beauty inland scud, For God has decreed it so." PLAYING THE GAME He had cornered rice and risen the price Just double, and then it fell In a day so low he must needs " let go," And then he went to—well, From that evil hour Imperial power His phrensied mind possess't And proud at t...« less