PREFACE. FEW are the writers that Barbados owns. There-, fore little book thou owest no apology to thy native isle for thine existence. Thou goest forth into the vorld helpless and unaided, small ancl humble, butl yet bold and brave for thou expectest many ills nor art unprepared for them. Pet may thine own people receive thee graciously for they have few poems they can claim their own. Galveston, June 20th, 1906. 1. blAJOR POEbfs PAGE. SINS NATIVITY, AN EPIC POEM, SINS NATIVITY THE FALL OF SATAN AND HIS ANGELS, In Epic IPoen. ANS Fall fail1 llad I sung, had lightning Tirne Stayed his fleet wings and wrought the auspicious hour - iMans cruel Fall, who, from those painless realms Of blesskd Eden drivn, found toil and care 5 And myriad woes and agonies and death In a wild gloomy land, untilled, unknown, Unsheltered from the now-felt blasts of heav7n-An exile, clad in new-sewn skins of beasts, Earning his daily bread by toilsome sweat, 10 All thi oligh one sin, preferring to obey Tlle Serpents voice in kindly friendship givll For so he thought before Gods one command. Who was this impious Serpent that approached Those heav7n-blessedr eal i of s Eden and beguiled 15 That fair maid, Eve, till she plucked the fatal fruit Of the one tree forbid by God to them, Though of all others they could freely eat 6 SIPS NATIVITY. v Say, Holy Spirit, who dost reveal the truth Of all hid things to the righteous, just and pure, 20 Who hast Thy dwelling in no h d shrine Blrilded by mans frail hands, though fair it be But in a fairer fane by Thee created, Mans better self, arrayed in the white robe Of smiling Purity, abidest Thou 25 Say who and whence this ruthless serpent was Say-for twas Thou who in thatlonely isle Of Pat nosin some strange rnyste ious w ay Revealed to The Great Divine mans future state Een so, with kindly grace, things past reveal 30 To clear full many doubts-say tllrough what cause, What outrage to his power done, what crime, How injured by our earliest parents he, That he, though knowing the divine command, Should pitilessly seek to win their doom 35 Was it through viewing their own happy state, Their life so sweet, immortal-like, angelic, So like that life once his, once full of bliss, Now turned to darkness that embittered him Against man innocent Why did he seek 40 T, o wreak his vengeance on the blissful pair Whose purity and innocence cef soul By thought, far lesslby deed, had wronged him not Was not his anger raised, his hatred moved, Against The Almighty, who had cast him out 45 Of Heaven with his myriad rebel host Then, why should he thus ruthlessly oerthrow Man, clothed in fiesh made of the dust of earth, To pay back woes wrought by a spirit-being Can even wiokedrninds be so unjust AN EPIC POEM. W I 50 Thi ms used 1, and wind-swift full many thoughts, Each plainer than the last, flowed througli my mind, And then anon, as though by unseen hand Of power raised to some tall pinnacle, IA vision now bright, now ghastly, streamed a oullcl 55 The chariot of my thoughts rose high, as drawn By fiery steeds before my eyes amazed Rolled by a wolidrous train of ancient sceiles, Casting 011 mystery the light of Tmth While at 111y side iiethoogliTt he Unsee Pl o rl0 ti0 Stood nncl desc ibed the risioll as it passed...