A Sunset in Mayfield.
BY (REV.) JOSEPH C. BOOTH.
Written for the Troy Times.
Behind the foothills, purpled by the glow
Of the departing sun, celestial fire
Set earth and heaven ablaze with God's attire.
Like rainbow gleams, reflected in the snow,
The glittering landscape seemed to overflow
With glory. Lo! the cloudlets swept the lyre
Of vaulted blue, and earth's antiphonal choir
Sent back the grains to heaven, from depths below!
Clouds are Jehovah's prophet-messengers,
The sun His coronated King of Day;
The pivot of creation is His Throne,
And earth the Sphere where He administers
His grace and truth; Sunsets His love display,
And nightly love's reflected by the moon!
Troy Times. March 16, 1917: 15 col 1.
(Also appeared in Morning Herald [Gloversville, NY]. March 15, 1917: 7 col 1.)
VOTE NO-LICENSE
An appeal to the voters in the towns of Mayfield, Broadalbin, Perth and Northville, by Rev. Joseph C. Booth. The license question's up again,
My plea is simple, wise and plain;
When to the polling-booth you go,
For the sake of right, vote No!
Your child is innocent and pure,
Make its environment secure;
When to the polling-booth you go,
For the sake of your child, vote No!
The boy, on whom your hopes depend,
From booze-entanglements defend;
When to the polling-booth you go,
For the sake of your boy, vote No!
That girl, with spotless character,
Depends on you protecting her;
When to the polling-booth you go,
For the sake of your girl, vote No!
Your wife can't vote: "No-License," she
Can only plead your sympathy;
When to the polling-booth you go,
For the sake of your wife, vote No!
Protect your home, where'er you be,
Against all foes of liberty;
When to the polling-booth you go,
For the sake of your home, vote No!
Behold this truth, before your eyes:
"Where drink is sold the taxes rise!"
When to the polling-booth you go,
For the sake of your tax, vote No!
We'll keep the town of Mayfield dry,
Let Perth, Broadalbin, Northville try;
When to the polling-booth you go
For the sake of your town, vote No!
Remove temptation from your way,
Like David, Drink's Goliath slay;
When to the polling-booth you go,
For the sake of yourself, vote No!
The church inviteth every man
To push her Gospel-Temperance plan;
When to the polling-booth you go,
For the sake of the Church, vote No!
"The Battle is Jehovah's," He
Will give His cohorts victory!
When to the polling-booth you go,
For the sake of your God, vote No!
—Rev. Joseph C. Booth,
Mayfield, N.Y.
Morning Herald. October 28, 1915: 7 col 4.
A BIT OF VERSE.
VOTE NO-LICENSE!
—
A temperance sonnet to the voters of Mayfield, Northville and Broadalbin; also to the voters of all surrounding villages and hamlets:
Rum! generator of debauch and crime!
Well named by Wesley: "Liquid fire of hell.—
Distilled damnation!" Hear me! Who can tell
Rum's devastations? Long before his prime
The sot reels to his grave; from heights sublime
Genius is dragged; hope sighs her and farewell:
The promise-bud dies in its calyx-shell
And withers like the grass in torrid clime!
How long, how long shall brewers spoil the land,
Or drink destroys minds, bodies, souls of men?
Rise fathers! every voter take his stand
And Prove himself a worthy citizen!
The ballot is your choice for weal or woe;
'Gainst license thunder out your answer: "No ! ! !"
REV. JOSEPH C. BOOTH,
Mayfield, N.Y., Nov. 1, 1917.
Morning Herald [Gloversville, NY]. November 2, 1917: 6 col 3.
(In the spirit of forgiveness and in appreciation for his love of poetry, may we all forgive Rev. Booth's trespasses against rum as hopefully all may forgive H.C. Dodge trespasses as well:
A man who drinks rumWill think it’s yum-yum,
For may be, an hour or so,
‘Till, poisoned his blood
And brains turned to mud,
He dies in sad spasms of woe.
Certainly the abuse of alcohol is devastating (so, too, the abuse of poetry, religion, the public trust, etc.).
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