The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-05-08
KENOsHA, WISCONSIN, THURSDAY MAY 8, 1862


/, to rob Poverty of his pears the very children
bold as they generally are and greedy of frui
would on no account have even thrown a stou
, up INTO the tree, far they we're still more afrsi
Il oi thls pear-tree than of the wolf that ate Il
Little Red Riding Hood
! For long space, Poverty lived merrill IAN
# ms heart reioiced within him, whenever
: looked at his pear tree, so green, and so thrig
1 ing laden with red and yellow fruit that stoo
MN N place of everything else: but the year
passed on, and the goodmans head was cover
ca with snow. From time to time sickness
: took hold of him.
Ohe ga there was a tap at the cottage door
and Poverty opened it to see who was there
1t was death.
NOW many people are troubled on beholdinI
the King of til country Of Clatter-bones, bu
! Poverty was not whit afraid of him for h,
: had nothing amiss on his conscience, and hat
always lived an honest man, though a poo
t one.
What! art thou not afraid of m4?" CRIED
+; Death, very much astonished "of me, before
: whom popes, kings and emperors tremble?'
(" ! on do not frighten me the least in I'll!
world, answered Poverty. What pleasure have
in shis life, that should not also quit it with
/ pleasure? have neither wife nor children; il
sOoth have had trouble enough without tha
/ sort OF try to take care Of have not the worth
OF 9 fartfing, except my cottage and nv pear
tree, which Is, as may say, nursing mother
tc me, through the fine fruit it gives me every
year. See! it is now covered with pears, and
the only sorrow / have in setting eyes on you
is the thought of being obliged to leave it with
out having first eaten this years crop. I'M
luckily,you are one of those gentry with whom
il is no use talking, otherwise / should beg
you to let ME take one good bite out of nv fin
! psk no aft hot I he ,,;t
follow you.'
| ''What thou sayest seems to me very rea-
sonable, y said DEATH Ego and gather the fruit
for myself
Hereupon Poverty, with death following
close at his heels, stepped out into the pad
dock, and walked round and round the tree.
seeking out the finest pear. ....
Il see one that looks very ripe and red, -
cried he at last, ''but how high it hangs -
However, if ! might make bold to borrow your
worship's scythe for moment, l think /
should be able to get at the branch"
ooh, as to my scythe," replied death, "I
never lend that to any body; but it seems to
ne, it would be better to gather this pear by
hand, lest it should get bruised i'll the falling
"You are certainly right, returned Poverty
~ would be altogether better; but my poor
old bones have grown stiff of late, and | can
not climb it as / could at fifteen
well, said death, "I'll go up myself and
gather for thee this fine pear, from which thou
thiukest to have so much pleasure" and so
saying he climbed up into the pear tree.
''Hallo!" cried death, ''btn what is it that is
taking hold of met Why, cannot get down."
'As to that" returned Poverty, very coolly,
that's your affair, not mine. Why did you
come to my cottage! You have the whole
world to nov in, and yet you must needs come
poking into my miserable howell, to take the
life Of one who never did you any HARM
"Darest thou triAe with me thus7" cried
Death. "Bethink thee to what thou exposest
myself"
i've bethought ne of all that, already"
replied Poverty, land I'm not in the least
afraid of you. | have you fast in my pear
tree; Old gentleman, and there you shall stay
shall thus be doing a great service to y lot
Of other honest folk whom you mean to visit
today"
Death, who never before had found himself
in such strait at once that there must b"
something uuearthiy about this tree.
Il have deserved what has hapEened,' said
he to himself, "by piece Of condescension
quite out ofmy usual way. But let me tell thee,"
cried he, addressing himself to Poverty, thou
wilt gain nothing by thus setting myself against
the will of Heaven. If it be the Lords
pleasure that thou quit this life, he viii make
thee quit it, in spite Of all thou canst do; and
besides, if thou dost not let come down Of
thine own free will, l shall very soon have kill
ed thy pear-tree with my scythe
"Pshaw I" returned Poverty, whether my
pear.trce be living or dead, you don't come out
oft except at my pleasure, and that went be
very soon, promise you"
why did ever set my foot in this plaguey
DIV cling ?" said Death to himself; Il had plen-
ty to do in the tour corners Of the earth, with
IL &c FL. -
days business, cried he to Poverty, "when it
is too late"
Il shall do no such thing" replied Poverty ::
"he who is not afraid ofdying,is also above the
fear of many other things Your threats do
not cause me the slightest alarm, and l am
quite ready to start for the other world when
the Master shall cali me-"
Thou may'st boast thySeK, G0odman,to be
the first who hes ever yanquished Death
Heaven orders me, with thy leave, to quit .Ihee,
and not to come back TO thee until the day OF
doom, when shall have finished my great
work"
''Is it net to cheat ME that you speak to me
thus!' asked Poverty.
No" replied Death; d" [ swear to thee that
thou shalt see me no more nntii the desolation
Of all nature shall be accomplished il is thou
who shalt receive the last stroke of my scythe.
I'm that case, returned Poverty, you may
come down from the tree"
Death did not wait to be told twice, but flew
away through the air, and Poverty has never
heard another word from him 10 this day, 1t
Is true that Death has often come back to the
village, and has ca, red oil even the most
respectable people, but he flies past the Good
mans cottage, as though the pest were in it
Poverty has lived on, ever since,in the same
humble way, under the shadow OF his beloved
psartre-e, and Poverty will still live on, in the
world, as long as the " orld shall last