TCDE-Team at 23:01, 4 April 2026

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TCDE-Team at 16:51, 12 October 2024

2024-10-12T16:51:26Z

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''Now then, Smith!'' is a poem written by [[Arthur Conan Doyle]] first published in [[The Strand Magazine]] in july 1922.

Conan Doyle refers to the Messina earthquake (dixit [[The Strand Magazine]]).

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== Editions ==

* in ''[[The Strand Magazine]]'' (july 1922 [UK]) 1 illustration by [[E. G. Oakdale]]
* in ''[[The Poems of Arthur Conan Doyle]] Collected edition'' (21 september 1922, [[John Murray]] [UK])
* in ''[[The Poems of Arthur Conan Doyle]] Collected edition'' (14 september 1928, [[John Murray]]'s ''Fiction Library'' [UK])

== Now then, Smith! ==
[[File:the-strand-magazine-1922-07-p14-now-then-smith.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[The Strand Magazine]] (july 1922, p. 14)]]
[[File:the-strand-magazine-1922-07-p15-now-then-smith.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[The Strand Magazine]] (july 1922, p. 15)]]

Twas on Messina's day of wrath, 
When one wild morning laid her low, 
On either side of that gray path 
The cinder piles were still aglow. 
Down it there sauntered Skipper Wise, 
The Master of the Roderic Dhu, 
And at his heels, with wondering eyes, 
A dozen of her collier crew. 

But hark that cry! Above their heads, 
There hung a riven shaking wall, 
From bulging base to melting leads 
Was sheer a hundred foot of fall; 
And there, half balanced on a sill, 
There clung a little frightened maid, 
Her white face staring down, and still 
She waved her hand and cried for aid. 

The Skipper cocked his thumb in airs 
"Now then, Smith!" he curtly said. 
The seaman marked the child up there, 
And growled an oath and scratched his head. 
They saw him wet his horny paw, 
They saw him test the shaking wall, 
They saw him creep from flaw to flaw, 
They saw him slip, they saw him fall, 
And yet again regain his grip, 
And find a crevice for his stand, 
And on with jerk and spring and slip, 
Until he clutched the downstretched hand. 

He braced his shoulder to the strain, 
He caught her as she sank all spent, 
And with her balanced turned again 
To make his terrible descent. 
With pause for thought and pause for breath, 
While the dark rabble prayed and cried, 
Until from that high place of death 
He bore her to her mother's side. 

"Now then, Smith!" the skipper said, 
And at the word the thing was done. 
But where is Smith, whose hand and head 
Have played a match with death and won? 
He's just a chap among the chaps, 
Unknown, unhonoured, as before, 
And there he'll stay until perhaps 
The world has need of him once more. 

So has it been in every age, 
In every age it still shall be, 
Smith's name is not on history's page, 
But who has made that page save he? 
The Warrior chief can frame his plan 
With all that wisdom can devise, 
And then, - ah, then it needs the man, 
And "Now then, Smith!" he loudly cries. 

The Statesman in a parlous place 
May totter on unstable ground, 
His blunders rise before his face, 
And no redemption may be found. 
When all is lost, 'mid doubts and fears, 
There's one more card that he can play. 
It's "Now then, Smith!" and Smith appears 
To save him for some later day. 

And when War raised its fearsome shape 
And Europe shrank before its form, 
Our England stood with no escape, 
Unarmed before the rising storm, 
Twas Smith to whom at once we turned. 
Five million Smiths obeyed the call. 
To Smith the praise that he has earned, 
For by his blood he saved us all. 

Now then, Smith! 
You're neither rich nor gifted, 
But here's a job that must be done, 
A job we may not shirk. 
Now then, Smith! 
Get down to it and shift it! 
You're just the common working bee, 
So work, you beggar, work!

----
* [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle:Complete Works|Back to Complete Works]]
* [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle|Back to Conan Doyle]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:01, 5 April 2026
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	''Now then, Smith!'' is a poem written by [[Arthur Conan Doyle]] first published in [[The Strand Magazine]] in july 1922.		''Now then, Smith!'' is a poem written by [[Arthur Conan Doyle]] first published in [[The Strand Magazine]] in july 1922.

	Conan Doyle ~~refers~~ to the Messina earthquake (dixit [[The Strand Magazine]]).		[[Arthur Conan Doyle\|Conan Doyle]] referred to the Messina earthquake (dixit [[The Strand Magazine]]).

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	[[File:the-strand-magazine-1922-07-p15-now-then-smith.jpg\|thumb\|250px\|right\|[[The Strand Magazine]] (july 1922, p. 15)]]		[[File:the-strand-magazine-1922-07-p15-now-then-smith.jpg\|thumb\|250px\|right\|[[The Strand Magazine]] (july 1922, p. 15)]]

	Twas on Messina's day of wrath,~~<br />~~		<poem>
	When one wild morning laid her low,~~<br />~~		Twas on Messina's day of wrath,
	On either side of that gray path~~<br />~~		When one wild morning laid her low,
	The cinder piles were still aglow.~~<br />~~		On either side of that gray path
	Down it there sauntered Skipper Wise,~~<br />~~		The cinder piles were still aglow.
	The Master of the Roderic Dhu,~~<br />~~		Down it there sauntered Skipper Wise,
	And at his heels, with wondering eyes,~~<br />~~		The Master of the Roderic Dhu,
	A dozen of her collier crew.~~<br /><br />~~		And at his heels, with wondering eyes,
			A dozen of her collier crew.

	But hark that cry! Above their heads,~~<br />~~		But hark that cry! Above their heads,
	There hung a riven shaking wall,~~<br />~~		There hung a riven shaking wall,
	From bulging base to melting leads~~<br />~~		From bulging base to melting leads
	Was sheer a hundred foot of fall;~~<br />~~		Was sheer a hundred foot of fall;
	And there, half balanced on a sill,~~<br />~~		And there, half balanced on a sill,
	There clung a little frightened maid,~~<br />~~		There clung a little frightened maid,
	Her white face staring down, and still~~<br />~~		Her white face staring down, and still
	She waved her hand and cried for aid.~~<br /><br />~~		She waved her hand and cried for aid.

	The Skipper cocked his thumb in airs~~<br />~~		The Skipper cocked his thumb in airs
	"Now then, Smith!" he curtly said.~~<br />~~		"Now then, Smith!" he curtly said.
	The seaman marked the child up there,~~<br />~~		The seaman marked the child up there,
	And growled an oath and scratched his head.~~<br />~~		And growled an oath and scratched his head.
	They saw him wet his horny paw,~~<br />~~		They saw him wet his horny paw,
	They saw him test the shaking wall,~~<br />~~		They saw him test the shaking wall,
	They saw him creep from flaw to flaw,~~<br />~~		They saw him creep from flaw to flaw,
	They saw him slip, they saw him fall,~~<br />~~		They saw him slip, they saw him fall,
	And yet again regain his grip,~~<br />~~		And yet again regain his grip,
	And find a crevice for his stand,~~<br />~~		And find a crevice for his stand,
	And on with jerk and spring and slip,~~<br />~~		And on with jerk and spring and slip,
	Until he clutched the downstretched hand.~~<br /><br />~~		Until he clutched the downstretched hand.

	He braced his shoulder to the strain,~~<br />~~		He braced his shoulder to the strain,
	He caught her as she sank all spent,~~<br />~~		He caught her as she sank all spent,
	And with her balanced turned again~~<br />~~		And with her balanced turned again
	To make his terrible descent.~~<br />~~		To make his terrible descent.
	With pause for thought and pause for breath,~~<br />~~		With pause for thought and pause for breath,
	While the dark rabble prayed and cried,~~<br />~~		While the dark rabble prayed and cried,
	Until from that high place of death~~<br />~~		Until from that high place of death
	He bore her to her mother's side.~~<br /><br />~~		He bore her to her mother's side.

	"Now then, Smith!" the skipper said,~~<br />~~		"Now then, Smith!" the skipper said,
	And at the word the thing was done.~~<br />~~		And at the word the thing was done.
	But where is Smith, whose hand and head~~<br />~~		But where is Smith, whose hand and head
	Have played a match with death and won?~~<br />~~		Have played a match with death and won?
	He's just a chap among the chaps,~~<br />~~		He's just a chap among the chaps,
	Unknown, unhonoured, as before,~~<br />~~		Unknown, unhonoured, as before,
	And there he'll stay until perhaps~~<br />~~		And there he'll stay until perhaps
	The world has need of him once more.~~<br /><br />~~		The world has need of him once more.

	So has it been in every age,~~<br />~~		So has it been in every age,
	In every age it still shall be,~~<br />~~		In every age it still shall be,
	Smith's name is not on history's page,~~<br />~~		Smith's name is not on history's page,
	But who has made that page save he?~~<br />~~		But who has made that page save he?
	The Warrior chief can frame his plan~~<br />~~		The Warrior chief can frame his plan
	With all that wisdom can devise,~~<br />~~		With all that wisdom can devise,
	And then, - ah, then it needs the man,~~<br />~~		And then, — ah, then it needs the man,
	And "Now then, Smith!" he loudly cries.~~<br /><br />~~		And "Now then, Smith!" he loudly cries.

	The Statesman in a parlous place~~<br />~~		The Statesman in a parlous place
	May totter on unstable ground,~~<br />~~		May totter on unstable ground,
	His blunders rise before his face,~~<br />~~		His blunders rise before his face,
	And no redemption may be found.~~<br />~~		And no redemption may be found.
	When all is lost, 'mid doubts and fears,~~<br />~~		When all is lost, 'mid doubts and fears,
	There's one more card that he can play.~~<br />~~		There's one more card that he can play.
	It's "Now then, Smith!" and Smith appears~~<br />~~		It's "Now then, Smith!" and Smith appears
	To save him for some later day.~~<br /><br />~~		To save him for some later day.

	And when War raised its fearsome shape~~<br />~~		And when War raised its fearsome shape
	And Europe shrank before its form,~~<br />~~		And Europe shrank before its form,
	Our England stood with no escape,~~<br />~~		Our England stood with no escape,
	Unarmed before the rising storm,~~<br />~~		Unarmed before the rising storm,
	Twas Smith to whom at once we turned.~~<br />~~		Twas Smith to whom at once we turned.
	Five million Smiths obeyed the call.~~<br />~~		Five million Smiths obeyed the call.
	To Smith the praise that he has earned,~~<br />~~		To Smith the praise that he has earned,
	For by his blood he saved us all.~~<br /><br />~~		For by his blood he saved us all.

	Now then, Smith!~~<br />~~		Now then, Smith!
	You're neither rich nor gifted,~~<br />~~		You're neither rich nor gifted,
	But here's a job that must be done,~~<br />~~		But here's a job that must be done,
	A job we may not shirk.~~<br />~~		A job we may not shirk.
	Now then, Smith!~~<br />~~		Now then, Smith!
	Get down to it and shift it!~~<br />~~		Get down to it and shift it!
	You're just the common working bee,~~<br />~~		You're just the common working bee,
	So work, you beggar, work!		So work, you beggar, work!
			</poem>

Now then, Smith! - Revision history

TCDE-Team at 23:01, 4 April 2026

TCDE-Team at 16:51, 12 October 2024