AUNT HANNAH ON THE PARLIAMENT OF RELIGIONS.
By Minnie A. Snell
Wall, I'm glad enough I'm hum ag'in, kin rest my weary brain,
For I've seen an' heered so much, too much; I guess I've heered in vain,
I thought th' Fair was mixin' an' th' Midway made me crawl,
But th' Parl'ment of Religions was th' mixin'est of all. I seen th' Turks agoing round th' Midway in th' Fair;
But our minister reproved me when he seen me peep in thair.
"Defilin' place" he called it, an' th' Turk, "a child of sin;"
But th' Parl'ment of Religions took all them heathen in. It made me squirm a little to see some heathen's air,
As he told us Christians 'bout our faults an' laid 'em out so bare;
But thair flowin' robes was tellin', an' th' air mighty talkin' folk,
So th' Parl'ment of Religions clapped to every word they spoke. I listened to th' Buddhist, in his robes of shinin' white,
As he told how like to Christ's thair lives, while ours was not a mite;
Tel I felt, to lead a Christian life, a Buddhist I must be,
An' th' Parl'ment of Religions brought religious doubt to me. Then I heered th' han'some Hindu monk, drest up in orange dress,
Who sed that all humanity was part of God—no less—
An' he said he was not sinners, so I comfort took once more,
While th' Parl'ment of Religions roared with approving roar. Then a Catholic man got up an' spoke about Christ an' th' cross;
But th' Christians of th' other creeds, they giv' thair heds a toss.
When th' Baptist spoke, th' Presbyterians seemed to be fightin' mad,
'Tel th' Parl'ment of Religions made my pore ole soul feel sad. I've harkened to th' Buddhist, to th' Hindu an' th' Turk;
I've tried to find th' truth that in our different sects may lurk,
'Tel my pore ole brain, it buzzes like it's goin' religious mad—
For th' Parl'ment of Religions nigh put out th' light I had.