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Poem
November 5, 1873
Watertown Republican
Watertown, Jefferson County, Dodge County, Wisconsin
What is this article about?
An ode lamenting the suffering of an Italian beggar-boy, portrayed as a 'miniature of woes' subjected to starvation and cruelty by padroni, contrasting his misery with joyful children and questioning divine justice in blessings.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
Ode on an Italian Beggar-Boy.
BY E. C. KINNEY.
The public and judicial interest excited in behalf of the little white slaves of the Italian padroni, and the revelations of the cruelty and privations to which they are subjected, recalls the following beautiful poem by Mrs. Elizabeth C. Kinney. It originally appeared in Blackwood's Magazine, and was so great a favorite with Mrs. Browning that she committed it to memory.
Thou miniature of woes!
Thy half-clad meagre form
Along the highway goes.
Starvation's spectre, storm
And sun alike
Unheeded strike
That head which never covering knows.
Thy ravenous gray eyes glare
Like a young wolf's, dread boy!
Fearful is childhood's stare,
Bereft of childhood's joy;
Who never gladdened at a toy.
It makes me wild
To see a child
O, hard must be the lot
That makes a child a dread
Where children's smiles are not,
Thorns grow in flowrets' stead;
A child's glad face
Is Heaven's own grace
Round manhood's stern existence shed.
Turn off that hungry eye,
It gnaws at Pity's heart!
Here's bread; but come not nigh
Thy look makes agues start
There, take the whole;
To thy starved soul
No crumb of joy will bread impart.
Thine is the famished cry
Of a young heart unfed,
The hollow spirit's sigh,
For something more than bread.
"Give! give!" it says:
Ah, vain he prays
To man, who prayer to God ne'er said.
Wert thou of woman born?
Did human mother's breast
Nourish thee, thing forlorn?
Hath any love caressed
Thine infant cheek?
Didst ever speak,
Or hear the name of father blest?
No, no, it cannot be!
Thou art the birth of Want;
Thy sire was Misery,
Thy mother Famine gaunt;
Thou hadst no home—
The naked dome
Was all the covering earth could grant.
See! here a happy troop
Of real children come,
Their lips the fond names group
Of Father, Mother, Home!
They go not far—
Love is the star
That draws them back whene'er they roam.
But wherefore, with mock grin,
Dost thou pursue these now?
Hath childhood any kin
Or kith with such as thou?
One hand did form
The bird and worm—
No other kinship these allow.
Hark! there rings Nature's laugh
Fresh from those well-fed throats;
Old age leans on his staff
To listen to its notes:
The gush of joy
Makes him a boy—
How glad remembrance o'er it gloats!
Does that spasmodic scream,
Jerked from thy shrunken chest,
A human effort seem
To laugh among the rest?
It shocks the ear,
O God! to hear
Woe through a child's false laugh confessed!
And have these children all
One Father, each who owns?
How partial blessings fall
Upon His little ones!
Why, outcast boy,
Must thou mock joy,
While these pour out its natural tones!
Ah! why indeed? Be hushed.
Short-sighted soul, and wait.
To learn why worms are crushed,
While birds sing at Heaven's gate;
Why pools infect,
While lakes reflect
The pure sky, and bear Fortune's freight.
BY E. C. KINNEY.
The public and judicial interest excited in behalf of the little white slaves of the Italian padroni, and the revelations of the cruelty and privations to which they are subjected, recalls the following beautiful poem by Mrs. Elizabeth C. Kinney. It originally appeared in Blackwood's Magazine, and was so great a favorite with Mrs. Browning that she committed it to memory.
Thou miniature of woes!
Thy half-clad meagre form
Along the highway goes.
Starvation's spectre, storm
And sun alike
Unheeded strike
That head which never covering knows.
Thy ravenous gray eyes glare
Like a young wolf's, dread boy!
Fearful is childhood's stare,
Bereft of childhood's joy;
Who never gladdened at a toy.
It makes me wild
To see a child
O, hard must be the lot
That makes a child a dread
Where children's smiles are not,
Thorns grow in flowrets' stead;
A child's glad face
Is Heaven's own grace
Round manhood's stern existence shed.
Turn off that hungry eye,
It gnaws at Pity's heart!
Here's bread; but come not nigh
Thy look makes agues start
There, take the whole;
To thy starved soul
No crumb of joy will bread impart.
Thine is the famished cry
Of a young heart unfed,
The hollow spirit's sigh,
For something more than bread.
"Give! give!" it says:
Ah, vain he prays
To man, who prayer to God ne'er said.
Wert thou of woman born?
Did human mother's breast
Nourish thee, thing forlorn?
Hath any love caressed
Thine infant cheek?
Didst ever speak,
Or hear the name of father blest?
No, no, it cannot be!
Thou art the birth of Want;
Thy sire was Misery,
Thy mother Famine gaunt;
Thou hadst no home—
The naked dome
Was all the covering earth could grant.
See! here a happy troop
Of real children come,
Their lips the fond names group
Of Father, Mother, Home!
They go not far—
Love is the star
That draws them back whene'er they roam.
But wherefore, with mock grin,
Dost thou pursue these now?
Hath childhood any kin
Or kith with such as thou?
One hand did form
The bird and worm—
No other kinship these allow.
Hark! there rings Nature's laugh
Fresh from those well-fed throats;
Old age leans on his staff
To listen to its notes:
The gush of joy
Makes him a boy—
How glad remembrance o'er it gloats!
Does that spasmodic scream,
Jerked from thy shrunken chest,
A human effort seem
To laugh among the rest?
It shocks the ear,
O God! to hear
Woe through a child's false laugh confessed!
And have these children all
One Father, each who owns?
How partial blessings fall
Upon His little ones!
Why, outcast boy,
Must thou mock joy,
While these pour out its natural tones!
Ah! why indeed? Be hushed.
Short-sighted soul, and wait.
To learn why worms are crushed,
While birds sing at Heaven's gate;
Why pools infect,
While lakes reflect
The pure sky, and bear Fortune's freight.
What sub-type of article is it?
Ode
What themes does it cover?
Slavery Abolition
Satire Society
Religious Faith
What keywords are associated?
Italian Beggar Boy
Child Slavery
Poverty
Cruelty
Padroni
Divine Justice
Elizabeth Kinney
What entities or persons were involved?
By E. C. Kinney.
Poem Details
Title
Ode On An Italian Beggar Boy.
Author
By E. C. Kinney.
Subject
On An Italian Beggar Boy
Key Lines
Thou Miniature Of Woes!
Thy Half Clad Meagre Form
Along The Highway Goes.
Starvation's Spectre, Storm
And Sun Alike
Unheeded Strike
That Head Which Never Covering Knows.
Thy Ravenous Gray Eyes Glare
Like A Young Wolf's, Dread Boy!
Fearful Is Childhood's Stare,
Bereft Of Childhood's Joy;
Who Never Gladdened At A Toy.
And Have These Children All
One Father, Each Who Owns?
How Partial Blessings Fall
Upon His Little Ones!
Why, Outcast Boy,
Must Thou Mock Joy,
While These Pour Out Its Natural Tones!
Ah! Why Indeed? Be Hushed.
Short Sighted Soul, And Wait.
To Learn Why Worms Are Crushed,
While Birds Sing At Heaven's Gate;
Why Pools Infect,
While Lakes Reflect
The Pure Sky, And Bear Fortune's Freight.