He walked with an angel the village street through,
And talked of the different people he knew;
But for none that he met in the village that day
Had this talkative critic a good word to say.
This woman was false, and that woman was vain;
This man sold his soul for material gain;
That man had grown rich by a balance unjust;
Indeed, there was none in the village he'd trust!
"Just look at this man who is coming our way,"
He said to the Angel, "and mark what I say;
He's the most evil man in the whole of the street, -
A creature, I'm sure, you'd not wish to meet.
See the deep lines of wrath stamped all over his face!
Those lines tell a story of character base.
How cruel his mouth, and how cunning his eyes!
And deep in his heart, O, what wickedness lies!
Just look at his gait; what a slouch, to be sure!
And the grin on his face I could never endure;
How horribly evil that creature must be!
I am glad that he bears no relation to me!"
The Angel looked round on the critic and smiled;
Then he said, "This poor man you have sorely reviled,
But there's one thing you've failed to observe, as you've talked,
You've been nearing a mirror, as onward you've walked!
James Walker Brown. from a book entitled 'A Few Picked Gems' printed in 1934
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