Hear, O hear the melting music pouring from inspired hearts!

In the race of life they stumbled, victims of temptation's darts.

Ruin's billows them engulfing, all their hopes and joys to blight;

And the scorpion lash of conscience scourges them by day and night!

Man has doomed them to a prison where shame's torrents hourly roll

Pouring every known affliction on the crushed and bleeding soul!

Every legal right has perished, every social tie is snapped!

Crushing Force is ever present, body mind and soul entrapped!

Kindness is a total stranger, human treatment rarely shown,

Man is faultless when his fellow for a fault must needs atone!

Can such beings know the rapture Heaven decrees to poet souls?

Know they where to place the cymbals of the sounding lyre

Never yet has human malice stilled the music of the spheres!

In the loathesome prison dungeon Heaven the sweetest music hears!

Guilt or shame, or human anger, ne'er can fold the poet's wings.

Howsoever deep his anguish, still his heart exultant sings—

Tunes his lyre, still triumphant, and to you these pages brings!