The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1865-08-16

SAINT ANTHON r.

SAINT ANTHONY.
This excellent saint was not the one famous a.
Manufacturer, some distance above st. Paul. He was
the one however, who reported have brought the
little fishes to the surface by the power Of his eoqusnce
we always drop them line. He was sorsly tempted
by the Devil and his imps and Warrington Irving, in
the Sketch Book, Qrvng was bachelor says Anthony
would have got along pleasantly enough against the
Devil Co.. if his path had not been crossed by being
that perpexity to mortal man than ghosts
goblins and the whole rnce Of witches put together
and that was-a WOMAN" .w
Our lady readers will forgive Irving because Of his
want of knowledge of the excelencies of their SEX and
pray their pardon for the publication Of this terrible
picture. We do not believe word Of II, and particu-
larly do protest against the two concluding lines
but the imagery is horribly grotesquo that desire
to devibelievors from their wicked ways. If the
perusal Of this does not make them fear devils and love
the angelic contrast they will be past our preaching
Be careful not to read this after sundown. We
mend morning perusal with the curtains all up and
plenty of company. The author Il IT. n. s." Can our
contemporaries tell M who he IL, or soasP1 a
SAINT ANTHONY sat on lowly stool,
And book was in his hand; ."'
Never his eye from its page he took, ... rlr
Either to the right or left to look;
But with steadfast soul, as was his rule,
The Holy Page he scanned. .ae "a .. .,f
1--WE will WOO" said the 1xr, "st. Anthopy'S eyes
OF from his holy book;
We will 60 to him all in strange disguise,
And tease him with laughter, whoops, and cries.
That he upon ~ may look" ."'...'.
The DEVIL was in the best humer that day
hat Hia in
And that's why he sent out his imps 70 play;
And he furnished is them torches to Aeh. their way,
Sulphur, and pitch, and rosn.
So they came to the Saint In q motley crew
heterogeneous rout '..H Dr.
There were imps of every shape and hue,
And some looked black and some looked blue,
And they passed and varied before the view,
And twisted themselves about:
And had they exhibited thus to you, ..r
I think you'd have felt in q bit Of . stew
Or so should myself no doubt.
There some with feathers and some with scales
And some with warty skin;
Some had not heads, and some had tails.
And some had claws like iron nails
And some had combs and beaks like birds,
And yet, like jays, could utter words;
And some had gills and Fms.
Some rode on skeleton beasts, arrayed
In gold and velvet stun,
With rich tiaras on the head,
Like kings and queens among tho dead:
While face and bridle-hand, displayed,
In hue and substance seemed to cope
With maggots in q microscope,
And their thin lips, az white al soap,
Were colder than enough.
And spiders big from the ceiling hung.
From every crack and nook;
They had crafty, ugly guise,
And looked at the Saint with their eight sys;
And all that malice could devise
OF evil to the good and wise,
Seemed yelling from their look.
Beetles and glow-worms crawled about,
And toads did squat dcmure
From holes in the wainscot mice peeped out,
Or sly old rat with his whskered snout;
And forty feet, full span long, ~ ~.
Danced in and out in An endless throng;
There ne'er has been seen such extravagant rout,
From that time to this, I'm sure.
But the good St. Anthony kept his eyes Z
| Fixed on the Holy Book;
| From it they did not sink rise;
Nor sights nor laughter, shouts nor criss, =
Could win away his look.
quaint imp sat in an earthen pot, %
| In q big-bellied pot sat he;
Through holes in the bottom his legs outshot.
| And holes in the sides his arms had got,
And his head came out through the mouth, God wot
/ comical sight to see.
And he drummed on his belly 10 fair and round.
On his belly SO round and fair;
And it gave forth a rumbling, mingled sound,
| 'Twixt a mufled bell and growing hound.
comical sound to hear:
And he sat on the edge of table-desk,
And drummed it with his heels;
And he looked as strange and a. picturesque
As the figures We see in an arabesQue,
Half hidden in flowers all painted, in fresqus.
| In Gothic vaulted cells.
Then he whooped and hawed and winksd and srinusl
And his eyes stood out with glee;
And he said these words, and sung this song,
And his legs and his arms, with their double prong
Keeping time with his tune - it galloped along,
Still on the pot and the table dnned
As birth to this song gave he:
"Old Tony, my boy! shut up your book,
And learn to be merry and gay: ...
| You sit like bat in his cloistered nook,
Come! Straighten your back from it, BOBBY crook &
And more sociable be, pray!
LET Us see you laugh, let us hear you sing;
| Take lesson from me, old boyl
Remember that life has a fleeting wing, .sfE
And then comes Death. that stern old King.
So we'd better make sure Of joy"i ~ q ..,
But the good St. Anthony bent his eyes
UpoA the Holy Book: f.. ... t1
But he knew that tho imp had = naughty guiss.
And he did not care to look.
Another imp came in masquerade ~
! Most like to . monks attire,
But of living bats his cowl was made,
Their wings stitched together with spider thread.
And his eyes shot out from their misty shade -
Long parallel bars of fire.
And his loose teeth chartered like clankins bones
| When the gbbet-tree sways in the blast;
And, with gurgling shakes and stihed groans . q
He Knocked the good st. Anthony's tones
As he muttered his prayer full fast.
A rosary Of beads was hung by his side
Oh, gaunt looking beads were they! 90
And still. when the good Saint dropped bead,
To rattle his string, and the bones replied,
Like q rattlesnake's tail at play.
But the good St. Anthony bent his eyes ,~ 3. -
Upon the Holy Book;
He heard that mock Of groans and sighs, .. N
And he knew that tho thing had an evil guiss.
| And he did not dare to look. @ - t@.'...
Another imp came with trumpet snout,
That mouth aud nose in one: hEl .lG fd
| 1t had stops like flute, you may never doubt
Where his long, lean fingers cspered about F''a
i A he twanged his nasal melodies out ,Ef ..s
In quaver, and shake, and run.
And bis head moved forward and backward stsl
| l~N On his long and snaky neck; 1871" D..
| Az he bent his energies all to hN & .... syas
His nosey tube with wind and skin.
And he sneezcd his octaves out until ,19
'Twas well-ngh ready to break.
And close to ST. Anthony's ear he came. .. .gf
| And pped his music in:
And thsshrl sound went through the good eaiDts sa
With : smart and sting, like shred q aama
And he shivered with the din.
! But the good St. Anthony bent his eyes 'J1aah.h