FEBRUARY 28, 18 —.

Wind in the west; no symptoms of a thaw;

The coldest, bleakest day I ever saw.

And I'm housed up, with nothing much to do

Except to read the papers through and through.

“Died of starvation!” — what does this all mean?

Stores of provisions everywhere are seen.

“Died of starvation!” — here's the place and name

Right in the paper; let us blush for shame!

This city wastes what any one would call

Nine hundred times enough to feed us all;

And yet folks die in garret, hut, and street,

Simply because there is n't enough to eat!

Oh, heavens! there runs a great big Norway rat,

Sleek as a banker, and almost as fat;

He daily breakfasts, dines, and sups, and thrives

On what would save a pair of human lives;

He rears a family with his own fat features,

On food we lock up from our fellow-creatures;

And human beings fall down by the way,

And die for want of food, this very day!

“Frozen to death!” — the worse than useless moth

May feed, this year, on bales and bales of cloth;

Untouched, ten million tons of coal can lie,

While God's own human beings freeze and die!

“Died of starvation!” — waves of golden wheat

All summer dashed and glistened at our feet;

Dull, senseless grain is stored in buildings high,

And God's own human beings starve and die!

I would not rob from rich men what they earn,

But I would have them sweet compassion learn;

Oh, do not Pity's gentle voice defy,

While God's own human beings starve and die!