| Thinking of Poland and her tortured Jews, |
| 'Twixt Goth and Cossack hounded, crucified |
| On either frontier, e'en the Pale denied, |
| Wand'ring with bloodied staff and broken shoes, |
| Scarred like their greatest son with stripe and bruise, |
| Though thrice a hundred thousand fight beside |
| Their Russian brethren and are glorified |
| By death for those who flout them and abuse,— |
I suddenly was touched to thankful tears. |
| Not that one wave had ebbed of all this woe, |
| Not that one heart had softened in "the spheres"[A] |
| One touch of bureau-malice to forego, |
| But that amid blind eyes, dumb mouths, deaf ears, |
| One voice in England[B] said these things were so. |
FOOTNOTES:
[A] Only permissible form of Russian reference to the Tsar and his Counsellors.
[B] The London Nation.
From Across the Seas
From Dr. Max Nordau
Madrid, Spain