Rev. Asa Mahan, D.D.

Chapter 12

THE SOWERS.

"All seed is in the sower's hands."-Rossetti.

Ten thousand sowers through the land

Passed heedless on their way;

Ten thousand seeds in either hand.

Of every sort had they.

They cast seed here, they cast seed there,

They cast seed everywhere.

The land a forest straightway grew,

With plants of every kind;

And kindly fruits and poisonous too,

In that wood could you find:

And trees grew here, and trees there,

And trees grew everywhere.

Anon, as many a year went by,

Those sowers came once more,

And wandered 'neath the leaf-hid sky,

And wondered at the store;

For fruit hung here, and fruit hung there,

And fruit hung everywhere.

Then plucked they many a berry bright,

None could their right deny;

And some ate to their lifelong delight,

And some ate but to die;

While some plucked here, and some plucked there,

And some plucked everywhere.

Nor knew they in that tangled wood

The trees that were their own;

Yet as they plucked as each one should,

Each plucked what he had sown.

So do men here, so do men there,

So do men everywhere. Selected