Christina Georgina Rossetti

“ So many head of cattle, head of horses, head of men;
These for slaughter, these for labour, with the how and when.
Some to work on roads, canals; some to man his ships;
Some to smart in mines beneath sharp overseers' whips;
Some to trap fur-beasts in lands where utmost winter nips.
Once it came into my heart, and whelmed me like a flood,
That these too are men and women, human flesh and blood;
Men with hearts and men with souls, though trodden down like mud. ”

“ Whimpering because a girl had snatched his crust of bread:
Then he dropped; when some one raised him, it turned out he was dead."
"After us the deluge," was retorted with a laugh:
"If bread's the staff of life they must walk without a staff." ”

“ One day I heard it said:
"Men are clamouring, women, children, clamouring to be fed;
Men like famished dogs are howling in the streets for bread."
So two whispered by my door, not thinking I could hear,
Vulgar naked truth, ungarnished for a royal ear;
Fit for cooping in the background, not to stalk so near.
But I strained my utmost sense to catch this truth, and mark:
"There are families out grazing, like cattle in the park."
"A pair of peasants must be saved, even if we build an ark."
A merry jest, a merry laugh: each strolled upon his way ”