Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1828-04-23
POETRY.

lowing baad an old story Told Them IN tneh youthui ~
~ the nurse 10 frphten them into obedsncs The bal
msy 10 unacceptable To our readers, particularly 10 tn
who are fond % ths antique.
MARGERY GRAY,
o. rnr r,rou urm.rrp.
Why stands that old cottage 10 lonely and drear,
That II fills the beholdef with gloom and alright!
And what ID the reason that none can 60 near
The door Of that hut without slIiv ring Of ngm'
To see ths old woman that lives there alone,
Ono would think she could hardly do any great harm ;
Why her body 10 shhvell'd To mere skin and bone,
And scarcely more thick than broomstck her arm.
The cottage Is small but sufficient to hold
A fire place, a table, dresser and bed;
The cracks nll'd with mud, admit scarce any cold
And few cedar slabs stop the leaks head.
And III well Ills % tight, for now not a tool
Would bo handed by any to mend her abode
And tho by the door Is the hest way To school,
The master and children all 60 the high rad.
Yet once they delighted to tmvel that way,
And would beg for permission, whene'er they went D,
Totake something good 70 old Margery Gny-
few links Of sausage, or piece Of mincepye
She gathers old stunts In the summer for fuel,
And no one has stopp'd her m yet, as Two heard
Indeed To prevent her were foolshiy cruel,
For every one wishes his fields To be cleared
Time was sbc had pine knots to las. her all winter,
They served her to spin and to knit by At night,
But now not creature would bring her n splinter
lfthoy knew she was dying for want Of light.
There's not the least shelter, as any can tell,
To keep from tho window the snow and the han,
And even the peach tree, that grew near the well,
ls dead, and s withcr'd limbs sigh In the gale.
II true that tn fence the poor from the weather
Sbe took out her hntchct one bitter cold day
And cut some pine bushes and puPd them togo,hsi
BY tho side Of her little coarse bundle Ofbay.
Her fence by the wind, and BY tmc Is o'enhrown.
Indeed uiere N hardly rail In tho place,
And the garden, with mniens and neities o'srgrown,
Leoks all dull and ms cheerless as Mnrcerys faee.
Bm II didn't look thus In the days OF her prime,
Tie fence was In order, the garden was neat,
She had chnmomie' avender' hysop ana thyme'
And more sage than she wanted 10 season ber meal
And she dried good deal, and the neighbors around
Would send To her cottage, u any were III
She was skid In the nature oil herbs ana they iouhd
She gave her assistance with hearty good WILL
II was ewn'd by the peop'" That happen'd TO pas,
That her room was M cean'y aS elean'y could ~i
hou mPh' put on your cap oy ho' pewter anu o'"s''
bul hef p'e'en' oonon'on no n'on' can 'e''
F% none are No shpe 10 dafkeh her door
NO, no all ehe neighpof' reihemier 'oo wei
The horrible tale Of the blood ON the floor
r,,. ,,d,;,,, md ,,,, A, ,,. ,;,,., mind ,,o,v
""S ""o"'s'' una GOA o'" u'e p"'er "'hd p""'
WIZ, , orange, % -, ,,,,.,. ,,,,. .,o,
Like ,lua h. .eemd ,ro,,,d and ,;l.,, and male,
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TS,, ri, ss, and ,,is Co. ha n,,, .o,,, u
To warm them little was all he desired.
30 trhling favour could any refuse!
The air wn,sso percnv IN, Il. .ople t,,t nivb,
In the ,al,es, ef house, could scarcely keen warm.
And the ncirbtor came over as soon as rwns Iiuh,
To enquire how old Margery Jared in the storm.
Ri, how did ,,ton,bmeu, bris,,. their hair
yybsp bL,,4 they s,,v .,rnk,-d ,rol;,.c,v ,nund.
The lao. n. s,,,nce, MI m,nyled yvc,o there