Cheap

The Little ReviewVOL. IIIMARCH, 1916NO. 1Copyright, 1916, by Margaret C. Anderson

The Little Review

VOL. IIIMARCH, 1916NO. 1

VOL. III

MARCH, 1916

NO. 1

HELEN HOYT

After all, what does a man amount to?It only takes some twenty—thirty—years or soTo make a man, with everything complete.Longer, it is true, than growing cabbagesOr currant bushes, or a cow,—Or a fair-sized hog;But not so very long, and there’s always time.When breeding’s good we get them fast enough....Merely a matter of waiting till they grow....Some food and clothes must be supplied—And shelter—and all that—But it’s surprising (in fact, without statistics,A person would scarcely believe it possible)How very little a man can live uponFrom birth until he reaches the enlisting age.For first he has to be born, of course,And that takes time,—makes us some trouble too—But it’s a simple matter on the whole,And not expensive: not at all expensive:You see, the women are the ones that attend to thisAnd they work cheap.Theypourmen from their bodies.Always pleased to undertake affairs of this sort,Women are,—O, most delighted. It’s their way.Willing and lavish: it doesn’t cost them much.They only have to give some flesh and boneAnd blood; and perhaps, one might say,A scrap of soul, to make the creature go;But these things nature furnishes;They’re free and plenty:And after a man’s once started, he’s not long growing;There’s always a generation on the way:More than we want, sometimes, or there is room for.Lord, how they swarm! In the cities like flies.If only horses were so plentiful!If only horses could be foddered so lightlyAnd bedded so many to a stall as men!Certainly, men are less of a botherAnd also, think what men do for you that a horse can’t.You cannot teach a horse to hold a gun.A horse can’t shoot or burn or pillage or murder well in the least.And too, a man has this convenient feature,That you can make him go without whip or lash.You only have to charm him the right way.Other animals you charm by dazzling radiance:With men it’s always colors and bright sounds(Slogans and bands and banners are the best).Why, you can play upon them with the beat of drumsTill they are got to an energy and fury fine as a bull’sHow they will fight for you then!Tigers and wolves and wild-cats(Considering differences in weight and bulks of meat)Wouldn’t fight fiercer or longer or more willingly.You never could train a horse to be so clever.And therefore it’s curious, when you think of it,That horses should come so much more dear than men.To be sure, there isn’t the cheap source of supplyOr the same over-stock as in the case of men:A horse is harder to raise and more expense—More trouble; more of a responsibility:But nevertheless, allowing for all this,It still is curious, that difference in value....Now isn’t it?Rather?

After all, what does a man amount to?

It only takes some twenty—thirty—years or so

To make a man, with everything complete.

Longer, it is true, than growing cabbages

Or currant bushes, or a cow,—

Or a fair-sized hog;

But not so very long, and there’s always time.

When breeding’s good we get them fast enough....

Merely a matter of waiting till they grow....

Some food and clothes must be supplied—

And shelter—and all that—

But it’s surprising (in fact, without statistics,

A person would scarcely believe it possible)

How very little a man can live upon

From birth until he reaches the enlisting age.

For first he has to be born, of course,And that takes time,—makes us some trouble too—But it’s a simple matter on the whole,And not expensive: not at all expensive:You see, the women are the ones that attend to thisAnd they work cheap.Theypourmen from their bodies.Always pleased to undertake affairs of this sort,Women are,—O, most delighted. It’s their way.

For first he has to be born, of course,

And that takes time,—makes us some trouble too—

But it’s a simple matter on the whole,

And not expensive: not at all expensive:

You see, the women are the ones that attend to this

And they work cheap.

Theypourmen from their bodies.

Always pleased to undertake affairs of this sort,

Women are,—O, most delighted. It’s their way.

Willing and lavish: it doesn’t cost them much.They only have to give some flesh and boneAnd blood; and perhaps, one might say,A scrap of soul, to make the creature go;But these things nature furnishes;They’re free and plenty:And after a man’s once started, he’s not long growing;There’s always a generation on the way:More than we want, sometimes, or there is room for.

Willing and lavish: it doesn’t cost them much.

They only have to give some flesh and bone

And blood; and perhaps, one might say,

A scrap of soul, to make the creature go;

But these things nature furnishes;

They’re free and plenty:

And after a man’s once started, he’s not long growing;

There’s always a generation on the way:

More than we want, sometimes, or there is room for.

Lord, how they swarm! In the cities like flies.If only horses were so plentiful!If only horses could be foddered so lightlyAnd bedded so many to a stall as men!

Lord, how they swarm! In the cities like flies.

If only horses were so plentiful!

If only horses could be foddered so lightly

And bedded so many to a stall as men!

Certainly, men are less of a botherAnd also, think what men do for you that a horse can’t.You cannot teach a horse to hold a gun.A horse can’t shoot or burn or pillage or murder well in the least.And too, a man has this convenient feature,That you can make him go without whip or lash.You only have to charm him the right way.

Certainly, men are less of a bother

And also, think what men do for you that a horse can’t.

You cannot teach a horse to hold a gun.

A horse can’t shoot or burn or pillage or murder well in the least.

And too, a man has this convenient feature,

That you can make him go without whip or lash.

You only have to charm him the right way.

Other animals you charm by dazzling radiance:With men it’s always colors and bright sounds(Slogans and bands and banners are the best).Why, you can play upon them with the beat of drumsTill they are got to an energy and fury fine as a bull’sHow they will fight for you then!Tigers and wolves and wild-cats(Considering differences in weight and bulks of meat)Wouldn’t fight fiercer or longer or more willingly.

Other animals you charm by dazzling radiance:

With men it’s always colors and bright sounds

(Slogans and bands and banners are the best).

Why, you can play upon them with the beat of drums

Till they are got to an energy and fury fine as a bull’s

How they will fight for you then!

Tigers and wolves and wild-cats

(Considering differences in weight and bulks of meat)

Wouldn’t fight fiercer or longer or more willingly.

You never could train a horse to be so clever.And therefore it’s curious, when you think of it,That horses should come so much more dear than men.To be sure, there isn’t the cheap source of supplyOr the same over-stock as in the case of men:A horse is harder to raise and more expense—More trouble; more of a responsibility:But nevertheless, allowing for all this,It still is curious, that difference in value....Now isn’t it?Rather?

You never could train a horse to be so clever.

And therefore it’s curious, when you think of it,

That horses should come so much more dear than men.

To be sure, there isn’t the cheap source of supply

Or the same over-stock as in the case of men:

A horse is harder to raise and more expense—

More trouble; more of a responsibility:

But nevertheless, allowing for all this,

It still is curious, that difference in value....

Now isn’t it?

Rather?

Back to Index Next