Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1836-09-16
TIL E G A RIP EN- T Z II.

There was a young West. Countryman,
A Carpenter by trade
A skilful Wheelwrisht too was he,
And few such wagons made.
No man tighter house could build
Throughout his native town;
Through many a village round was he
The best Of workmen known.
Ills father left him what lie had,
In sooth it was enough
His shining pewter, pots OF brass,
And all his household stuff.
A little cottage 100 he had,
For ease and comfort plann'd
And that lie might not lack for aughf,
An acre of good land.
A pleasant orchard too there was
Before his cottage door
or cider and OF corn likewise,
He had little store.
Active and healthy, stout and young,
No business wanted he !;
Now tell me, reader, If you can,
What man more blcst could be,
To make the comfort quite complete,
He had faithful wife;
Frugal and neat, and good was she,
The blessing ofhis life.
Where is the lord, or where the squire,
Had greater cause 10 praise
The goodness Of that bounieous hand,
Which blesl his prosperous days !
Each night when he returned from work,
His wife so meek mild,
Ills little supper gladly dressed,
While he caressed his child.
One blooming babe was all lie had;
His only darling dear,
The object of their equal love,
he solace Of their care.
o who could ruin such n life,
And spoil SD fair a lot I?
o VIVA, could change so kind heart,
Al goodness quite fnrgot?
With grief the cause must rela,e.
The dismal cause reveal !;
Twas EVIL COMPANY and DRINK,
The source Of every I'LL.
A cooper came TO live hard by,
Who did his fancy please;
An ide rambling man was he,
Wh1 oft had crossed The seas.
This man would tell merry tale,
And sing n merry song;
And those who heard him sing or talk,
Meier thought the evening long.
Dut VAN anu VICIOUS WIS 'hC sO"SS
And wicked was the tale;
And every pause lie always filled
With cider, gin. or ale.
Our Carpenter, delighted much
To hear the Cooper talk,
And will, him 10 the ale house oft
Would take his evening walk.
Al first lie did not care TO drink,
Bu, only liked the fun;
But soon he from the Cooper learned
Tie same sad course 10 run.
lie said the Cooper's company
Was all for which he cared;
But soon he drank as much as lie
10 swear like him soon dared.
His hammer now neglected lay,
For wmk he little cared;
Half finished wheels and broken tools
Were s,rewed about his yard.
To get him 10 attend his work
No prayers could now prevail;
His Ratchet and his plane forgot,
He never drove nail.
His cheerful evening now no more
With peace and plenty smil'd
No more he sought his pleasing wife,
Nor Rugged his smiling child.
For now his drunken nights alone
Were with the Cooper passed:
His days were at tavern spent,
And still he stayed the last.
No handsome Sunday suit was left,
Nor decent Holland shirt;
No nosegay marked the Sabbath day,
But all was rags and dirt.
No more his church did he frequent,
A symptom ever sad;
For where the Sabbath is mis.spent,
The week days must he bad.
The cottage morlgaged for its worth,
The favorite orchard sold;
lie soon began 10 feel the effects
or hunger aud Of cold.
The pewter dishes, one by one.
Were pawned till none we're leiI J;
And wife and babe Al home remained,
OF every help berefi.
BY chance he called AT home one night,
And in sury mood,
lie babe his weeping wife 10 get
Immediately some food.
His empty cupboard well he knew,
Must needs be bare OF bread:
No rasher on The rack he saw
Whence could he then be fed ?
His wife a pileous sigh did heave,
And then before him laid
A basket covered with a cloth,
But not n word she said.
Then 10 her husband gave knife,
With many silent tear;
In haste he tore the cover off,
And saw his CHILD lie there
"There lies thy babe" the mother sal
Oppressed with famine sore
so kill us boh-'iwere kinder far,
We could not suffer more"
The Carpenter, struck TO the heart,
Fell on his knees straightway
He wrung his hands, confessed his sins
And did both weep and pray.
From the same hour the cooper more
He never would behold;
Nor would he TO the ale.house go,
Had il been paved with gold.
His wife forgave him all the past,
And soolhed his sorrowing mind,
And ,..uch he grieved that e'er he wro
The woribiest Of her kind.
By laboring hard, and working late,
Iiy industry and pains,
His cottage was at length redeemed,
And saved were all his gains.
His Sundays now at church were spen
His home was his delight,
The following verse himself he made,
And read il every night
The drunkard murders child and 70
Nor matters ii a pin,
Whether he stabs them ,uifh his knit
Or starpes them Dith his GIN.
From the American Monthly Magazi
THE LAST OF THE IRON HEl
II an unpratefnl task TO write