While Roland is quite uninfluenced in his singing by the new craze for vers libre, it is perhaps not surpris-living in a more enterprising part, of the country, lias been affected by the new movement. He has tried to shake it off as his verses, show, but he almost unconsciously lapses' int it again and again, despite his struggles to work in the older manner, The first appreciation of vers libre among the non-literary masses received its fillip in the: manufactur, ing town of—Slagshaw, during the Limerick craze. The local paper held one of the then popular competitions for a last line, giving this Limerick to be completed.
There wae a young lady of Slagshaw Who taught wicked words to a jackdaw When she scratched its black head It sneezed, and then eaid—
The editor in'awarding the prize of five pounds to the competitor wha sent in "Three cheers for the Slag-shaw Football Team, they ought to be in the First League," said he was conscious of the absence of rhyme and the superfluity of syllables, but the sentiments expressed were £0 gratifying that he thought everyone would agree to his award. The whole village we are pleased to relate did, and since then the proletarian has been reconciled to the innovation. Whether it spread upwards from this start we do not know. That is a question for the historians to determine.
Hats off to the dear old factories, lads, The factories of Ashton Town, Where I used to work when waa kid, And camed many a crown.
And now the times have altered lads, The work is now controlled, In the mil! re I used to work Everybody is on the spool and what about the lassies and lads That work in the factories?
They always try to be cheerful, the"
Lancashire is not what it used to be.
The cld hand loom and spinning jenny, Were done for years ago—And in its place we have modern staff To make a colton boom.
In opposition to the old spinning jenny Wo now have ving spinning, And with thanks to loyal workers Many fortunes have been made.
And here's to the dear collier lads To migs them "would be a shame, Although there's been lots of trouble They have always played the game.
There has been hard time in Ashton, But once more the clouds have gone, So jet us settle down to work again And may the rest of our lives he peaceful.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.