Upton Sinclair, ed. (1878–1968). rn The Cry for Justice: An Anthology of the Literature of Social Protest. 1915.
The Monthly Rent(From “The Game of Life”)
Bolton Hall
(American lawyer and single-taxer, born 1854)They sheared the lamb twelve times a year,
To get some money to buy some beer;
The lamb thought this was extremely queer—
Poor little snow-white lamb!—O
“G
“I will shut the gate of the field so as to keep him warm,” said the philanthropist.
“If you give me the tags of wool,” said the charity clipper, “I’ll let the poor creature have half.”
“The lambs we have always with us,” said the wool broker.
“Lambs must always be shorn,” said the business man; “hand me the shears.”
“We should leave him enough wool to make him a coat,” said the profit sharer.
“His condition is improving,” said the land owner, “for his fleece will be longer next year.”
“We should prohibit cutting his flesh when we shear,” said the legislator.
“But I intend,” said the radical, “to stop this shearing.”
The others united to throw him out; then they divided the wool.