I like a man who all mean things despises,
A man who has a purpose firm and true;
Who faces every doubt as it arises,
And murmurs not at what he finds to do.
I like a man who shows the noble spirit
Displayed by knights of Arthur’s table round;
Who, face to face with life, proves his real merit,
Who has a soul that dwells above the ground;
And yet, one who can understand the worry
Of some chance brother fallen in the road,
And speak to him a kind word ’mid the hurry,
Or lay an easing hand upon his load.
Large hearted, brave-souled men to-day are needed,
Men ready when occasion’s doors swing wide;
Grand men to speak the counsel that is heeded,
And men in whom a nation may confide.
The world is wide, and broad its starry arches,
But lagging malcontents it cannot hold;
The way of life to him who upright marches,
Has ending in a far-off street of gold.