Played, till the voice rang dread and clear:
"Where is the sinner? I wait him here!"
Then shouting with laughter one and all
They pushed him on to the Judgment Hall;
Stood by him; swarmed to the daïs steps,
A jumble of gleeful eyes and lips.
The Judge leaned stern from His Judgment Throne:
"I gave thee—where is thy littte one?"
Wildly the culprit caught his breath:
"Lord, I have sinned. My doom be death."
He hung his head with a broken sob.
There sprang a child from the rosy mob—
"Daddy!" it cried, with a joyful shriek;
Leapt to his arms and kissed his cheek.
But he put it from him with bursting sighs,
And looked on the Judge with swimming eyes;
Stood abashed in his bitter shame,
Waiting the sentence that never came.
From the Throne spoke out the thundered Word:
"This be thy doom!" No more he heard,