Densely impervious is its dark-winged air,
Driver of soot from roofs and chimney stacks,
London its fort—it is accounted there
The Great Emancipator of the blacks!
Smoke is its sister, and assister too;
Protean creature, taking every form,—
Now gently rising from an Irish stew,
Now rushing from a steamer in a storm!
Smoke; lo! it curleth from the Meersham fine,
Say it dissolves—so is mere sham to boot—