Father and Daughter
Edgar Lee Masters
The church is a hulk of shadow,And dark is the church’s spire.But the cross is as black as ironAgainst the sunset’s fire.The shops and sheds and hovelsAre massed with the church’s shade;And a girl with a face like a lilyIs plying her wretched trade.And a drunken man reels homewardWith a sullen leer in his eye.And the street is filled with children,That play and wrestle and cry.A broken hurdy-gurdyRattles a hollow tune,And a light as yellow as feverShines from the vile saloon.Two men are talking together,They pass where the children are;And one wears a robe of sable,The other a silver star.And one of them goes to vespersAnd one of them makes a search,And one of them enters the groggery,And one of them enters the church.And a shot is fired by the drunkard,And the girl falls dead in the street;And God is peaceful in heaven,And all in the world is sweet.
The church is a hulk of shadow,And dark is the church’s spire.But the cross is as black as ironAgainst the sunset’s fire.The shops and sheds and hovelsAre massed with the church’s shade;And a girl with a face like a lilyIs plying her wretched trade.And a drunken man reels homewardWith a sullen leer in his eye.And the street is filled with children,That play and wrestle and cry.A broken hurdy-gurdyRattles a hollow tune,And a light as yellow as feverShines from the vile saloon.Two men are talking together,They pass where the children are;And one wears a robe of sable,The other a silver star.And one of them goes to vespersAnd one of them makes a search,And one of them enters the groggery,And one of them enters the church.And a shot is fired by the drunkard,And the girl falls dead in the street;And God is peaceful in heaven,And all in the world is sweet.
The church is a hulk of shadow,And dark is the church’s spire.But the cross is as black as ironAgainst the sunset’s fire.
The church is a hulk of shadow,
And dark is the church’s spire.
But the cross is as black as iron
Against the sunset’s fire.
The shops and sheds and hovelsAre massed with the church’s shade;And a girl with a face like a lilyIs plying her wretched trade.
The shops and sheds and hovels
Are massed with the church’s shade;
And a girl with a face like a lily
Is plying her wretched trade.
And a drunken man reels homewardWith a sullen leer in his eye.And the street is filled with children,That play and wrestle and cry.
And a drunken man reels homeward
With a sullen leer in his eye.
And the street is filled with children,
That play and wrestle and cry.
A broken hurdy-gurdyRattles a hollow tune,And a light as yellow as feverShines from the vile saloon.
A broken hurdy-gurdy
Rattles a hollow tune,
And a light as yellow as fever
Shines from the vile saloon.
Two men are talking together,They pass where the children are;And one wears a robe of sable,The other a silver star.
Two men are talking together,
They pass where the children are;
And one wears a robe of sable,
The other a silver star.
And one of them goes to vespersAnd one of them makes a search,And one of them enters the groggery,And one of them enters the church.
And one of them goes to vespers
And one of them makes a search,
And one of them enters the groggery,
And one of them enters the church.
And a shot is fired by the drunkard,And the girl falls dead in the street;And God is peaceful in heaven,And all in the world is sweet.
And a shot is fired by the drunkard,
And the girl falls dead in the street;
And God is peaceful in heaven,
And all in the world is sweet.
Edgar Lee MastersCopyright, 1915, by Eugene Hutchinson.
Edgar Lee MastersCopyright, 1915, by Eugene Hutchinson.