The Carver And The Caliph.

(We lay our story in the East.     Because 'tis Eastern? Not the least.     We place it there because we fear     To bring its parable too near,     And seem to touch with impious hand     Our dear, confiding native land.)     HAROUN ALRASCHID, in the days     He went about his vagrant ways,     And prowled at eve for good or bad     In lanes and alleys of BAGDAD,     Once found, at edge of the bazaar,     E'en where the poorest workers are,     A Carver.     Fair his work and fine     With mysteries of inlaced design,     And shapes of shut significance     To aught but an anointed glance,--     The dreams and visions that grow plain     In darkened chambers of the brain.     And all day busily he wrought     From dawn to eve, but no one bought;--     Save when some Jew with look askant,     Or keen-eyed Greek from the Levant,     Would pause awhile,--depreciate,--     Then buy a month's work by the weight,     Bearing it swiftly over seas     To garnish rich men's treasuries.     And now for long none bought at all,     So lay he sullen in his stall.     Him thus withdrawn the Caliph found,     And smote his staff upon the ground--     "Ho, there, within! Hast wares to sell?     Or slumber'st, having dined too well?"     "'Dined,'" quoth the man, with angry eyes,     "How should I dine when no one buys?"     "Nay," said the other, answering low,--     "Nay, I but jested. Is it so?     Take then this coin, ... but take beside     A counsel, friend, thou hast not tried.     This craft of thine, the mart to suit,     Is too refined,--remote,--minute;     These small conceptions can but fail;     'Twere best to work on larger scale,     And rather choose such themes as wear     More of the earth and less of air,     The fisherman that hauls his net,--     The merchants in the market set,--     The couriers posting in the street,--     The gossips as they pass and greet,--     These--these are clear to all men's eye     Therefore with these they sympathize.     Further (neglect not this advice!)     Be sure to ask three times the price."     The Carver sadly shook his head;     He knew 'twas truth the Caliph said.     From that day forth his work was planned     So that the world might understand.     He carved it deeper, and more plain;     He carved it thrice as large again;     He sold it, too, for thrice the cost;     --Ah, but the Artist that was lost!