Markus took a harmonica, and played all kinds of tunes. Men and women, squatting down, or prone upon the ground, chin in hand, listened with great earnestness; and when the children, talking or loitering, and paying no attention to the music, came up to their parents, they were impatiently sent off.
When Markus stopped, a man cried out in a husky voice: "Come, boys, let's sing something—The Song of the Poor Customers."
Instantly, they all fell in obediently—Markus striking the key-note—and sang the following song:
"We coatless wand'rers without land,—
We are poor customers.
He who more dollars has than wits,—
'Tis he may loll around.
Tho' high we jump, or low we jump
We're bound to lose the game.
With empty stomachs we must dance,—
Our Ruler is the dollar.
"In olden times the King was boss,
To rack us for our sins;
But now he's only a figure-head,
And has his own boss found.
Whoever crown, or scepter bears,
And gorgeous raiment wears,—
Tho' he jump high, or jump less high,
He's ruled by the dollar.
"Before his men the General stands
And tells 'em how to kill.
The dapper heroes—one and all—
Make haste to do his will.
Yet, in his 'broidered uniform,
The dickens! what commands he?
Tho' he jump high or jump less high
Th' Commander is—The Dollar.
"Where lies our land? where spreads our roof?
We live by favor, only.
To them who have but pelf in pocket
We show our arts and tricks.
But if at last we come to grief
There yet is something for us,—
The fill of our mouths, a tasteful cover,
And a nook that's all our own."
When the last word of the song had died away, the husky voice cried: "You might as well say, while you are about it, that the churchyards are emptied out every tenth year."
"Every twentieth!" cried another.
"Children," said Markus, setting his instrument upon the ground between his feet, "children, now listen to me. We have been singing of money, and of those who had more money than sense; but have you more sense than money? What is it you have that is better than either?"
"Only give me the money," cried the husky voice.
"And me!" cried the other.
"I would sooner give money to the monkey, who would throw it into the water, and not get tipsy with it," said Markus.