to the wind in the vales of my childhood; and you may care to sing
them in your disconsolate evenings."

And they said to him:

"If you think we have time for that sort of nonsense nowadays
you cannot know much of the progress of modern commerce."

And the poet wept for he said: "Alas! They are damned."




THE LATEST THING


I saw an unclean-feeder by the banks of the river of Time. He crouched
by orchards numerous with apples in a happy land of flowers; colossal
barns stood near which the ancients had stored with grain, and the sun
was golden on serene far hills behind the level lands. But his back was
to all these things. He crouched and watched the river. And whatever
the river chanced to send him down the unclean-feeder clutched at
greedily with his arms, wading out into the water.

Now there were in those days, and indeed still are, certain uncleanly
cities upon the river of Time; and from them fearfully nameless things
came floating shapelessly by. And whenever the odor of these came
down the river before them the unclean-feeder plunged into the dirty
water and stood far out, expectant. And if he opened his mouth one
saw these things on his lips.