BOOK XIV

Humor

Comedy of the social struggle; masterpieces from those who have had the courage to fight the battle for social progress with the weapon of laughter.

(At the time of the great anthracite coal strike of 1902, George F. Baer, head of the coal trust, was quoted as declaring: "The rights and interests of the laboring man will be protected and cared for, not by labor and agitation, but by the Christian men to whom God in his infinite wisdom has given control of the property interests of this country")

IN N the prehistoric ages, when the world was a ball of mist

A seething swirl of something unknown in the planet list; When the earth was vague with vapor, and formless and dark and void-.

The sport of the wayward comet--the jibe of the asteroid

Then the singing stars of morning chanted soft: "Keep out of there!

Keep off that spot which is sizzling hot-it is making coal for Baer!"

When the pterodactyl ambled, or fluttered, or swam, or jumped,'

And the plesiosaurus rambled, all careless of what he

bumped,

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And the other old time monsters that thrived on the and land and sea,

And did not know what their names were, any more than

today do we

Wherever they went they heard it: "You fellows keep out of there

That place which shakes and quivers and quakes—it is making coal for Baer 12 9035

The carboniferous s era consumed but a million years; It started when earth was shedding the last of her baby err tears,

F

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When still she was swaddled softly in clumsily tied on eemclouds,

When stars from the shop of nature were being turned

out in crowds;

But high o'er the favored section this sign, said to all: 'Beware!'

Stay back of the ropes that surround these, slopes-they Fare making coal

for Baer!"

(From "The Game of Life")

: Mez balmud cake

BY BOLTON HALL DAMA

(American lawyer and single-taxer, born 1854)

They sheared the lamb twelve times a year,
To get some money to buy some beer;
The lamb thought this was extremely queer-
Poor little snow-white lamb!-OLD SONG

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OD tempers the wind to the shorn lamb," said the deacon.

GOD

1945

"I will shut the gate of the field so as to keep him warm," said the philanthropist.

"If you give me the tags of wool," said the charity clipper, "I'll let the poor creature have half."

"PLEASE, GOOD MR. DEVIL, FETCH MY MAMMA, TOO.

NICE AND WARM IN YOUR HOUSE"

THOMAS THEODOR HEINE

It's so