Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: The Sweet-Meat Vender (Bangkok) Above the town the terrible sun Burned all the hours out, one by one; The full-fed river marked them well; And with the changing of the tide A sampan slipped from the farther side, Heavy with savoury things to sell; And shrill the vender's coaxing voice Rose up above the harbour's noise: "Come and buy! Friend of the homing seaman I,— Swatow, Amoy, Hailam, Hong Kong!— Here is the cheer for which you long: Confections of such mealy paste As foreign countries never taste; Sauce of the sea-fish, briny still; And curries of a tropic will; Syrops of old Ayuthian brew, And fruit the Sumray gardens grew. . . . Ah, these cocoanuts of mine, Packed with meat and soaked with wine! Sugar-cane from Kanburee, Fresh and succulent,—buy of me! None has better store than I,— Come and buy!" The great pagoda stood intent Before the final sacrament: Circled in flame the last hour died; The crows, grown pious in their quest, Came to the Buddha's roof for rest,— So were the thieves beatified! Mingled still of honey and gall Rose the same rich, persuasive call: "Come and buy, O, come and buy! Like the temple crows am I, Going with the day to rest. . . Good people, outland fare is best! . . Here are messes, China-made, Rice and spices, green as jade; And fish from the Singora shore, Sun-dried upon a salty floor; Wines that no local vintage gets,— And long Manila cigarettes. . . . ! From Singapore the Rajah sent A fleet of such advertisement. . . New-fangled things for kings to try. Come and buy, O, come and buy!" Now, lo! the moon has builded high A peacock-palace in the sky, And in the magic of her light The trees lie silvery in the stream. . . Magnolias, moving in a dream, Offer their incense to the night. . . W...