The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1862-03-05
For the TIME0.
SOLITAIRE.
BY LOTTIE LOTTERY.

Does this make the cold shudder run over
you, causing the ehills and fever to fash
through your bones? And why not soli-
taire as we'll as sociable? Isn't life made
up Of oppositesy Can joy be felt with
out sorrow following in its wake? Did
you ever see solitaire in all your life ?
Put on your thinking cap and remember
when and where. Was it at sociable, a
funeral, waltz, or cotilIon? or, was it up
on the banks Of a stream, standing upon
one lsg watching tadpoles and fishes, and
called heron? Did it have any sisters,
or was it an orphan, born to work its pas
sage upon the tow path of lifeg Did i,
smoke tobacco, or shroud itself in its own
wrapper, content to be let alone? Was II
Anglo Saxon with a countenance like the
rosy streaks Of morning; Or was it Ethio.
pean, locking like nights sable goddess
Was its hair streakcd with silver; or did
the flashing Of its golden ringlcts make
you wish you owned bushel Of the same +!
Could it envy, hate, and tell fibs; or did
it's heart well over with bright bubbles 0,
charity and love? Was its eyes "dull as
hoe" or would they sparkle to tina, degree
that they might be used as the Calcis lights
are to put in light houses to cast their ra
dance far out at sea? Was its will as
plastic as plaster paris or would it break
before 'twould bend? Was il wall howe,
reaching out it's tendrls to catch anothc,
brick; or was it like the humble violet
sending forth its fragrance from some un
seen corner? Was it found by boring deeT
down in the bowels Of the earth or die
it bring itself to your notice by oozing on,
from between the clefts of the rocks p
Did it come to you silently, Ike the gcn,l,
fitting Of the butterfly or did it com,
with sudden fash and roar, like the crash
ing thunder and vivid lightning? Was it.
breath as fragrant as the odor distilled b,
the sun from a field of clover; or would i
cause the nostrils to contract with DISCUS
at its unwholesomness Was it contra
band and smugslcd itself into your notice
or did it come with a pass, signed, sealed
and delivered by the proper authority
Was it written at Alpine grove; or did i
sketch its life like pictures amid the car
mage of the battle field? Could it smile
swectly before your face, and look dagger.
behind your back Could it mingle freely
in the gay sociable, and not be seen, heard
or felt! Could it sit for hours aad lister
to tale Of woe, and open not its heart OF
hand to help the suffering one7 Could i
draw its purse strings so tight that not ever
an orphans cry for bread could unloos'
them? Could it sit and toast its feet ovel
the glowing crate, when shoeless forms
stood shivering without? Could it gorge
itself with fesh and fowl, while a Lazarus
was suffering at the gate! Could it til
the blasting slanderer against its neigbor
when the recording angel sat writing near
Could it heap Goals Of fire upon the heat
of its enemy, and not burn its own reputa
ton by blazing it around? Could it deient
itself from the attack Of musquitos without
calling upon some Deity to help it! Ceuld
it do an act Of charity with its right hand
without holding in its left handbili dcs
scribing it to the passers by? Find sucl
marvel, and it will stand alone in this
world so f'll Of oppositcs