The Carson daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1865-1870, 1868-05-27
THE RUFFIAN.

| weak ana weary.
Over many quaint and curious volume OF for
i gotten lore
While nodded nearly sleeping, suddenly 1 heard
| creeping.
As Of some one slyly peeping-peeping at my
| chamber door
Some vile evosdropper peeping at my chamber
| door;
| Only that and nothing more t..
All, distinctly I remember. it was in the bleak
| December,
And each separate drowsy member felt as t never
| did before
Though the air was soft and balmy, still my brow
was cold and clsmmy,
And the blood within me-damn me-had deserted
| every pore.
As my trouble. thoughts had wandered to the
happy days of y"ie;
Days that will re urn no more.
Still heard that steady patter, like the foothills
Something: and it made the cold sweat start from
every pore;
And my heart made such flutter that it took
my breath to mutter,-
could scarcely more than stutter "Some one at
my chamber door:
Some d. cad visitor entretting entrance at my
chamber door;
That it is. ard nothing more. "
Presently my soul grew stouter; thinking had
better shout
Hllloo at HIM. Sir, " said, II hunbly your for
Bat the fact is, was sleeping, and so gently you
came creeping,
And SO .yly you came peeping, peeping at my
chamber door,
That ! scarce was sure heard you''-here
quickly locked the door:
Locked and boltel-nothng more.
Back into my chamb or Wheeling with much Sc
feeling,
Soon again heard that creeping something loud
than betor-;
I ~.
my window lattice;
will find where my old hat is, and this mystery
explore |
will take stick of stove-wood, and will venture
to the door;
Only that and nothing more"
Open here flung the shutter, when, from out the
muddy gutter,
In there STEPPED tall six f,oer fall six feet
and may he more:
Never smiled or never bowed he; never said So
much as How d -
But with mien Of rough or rowly stood within
my chamber door
Like dari. 2, desperate rowly, stood within my
chamber door;
stood, ant glared, and nothing more.
that my cares would tighten. could but
tbs fellow fciGhten,
BY the grave and stern expression Of the counte-
nance | Wore,
Though thy beard be long unshaven. thou
said, art surely ravin'
hus To stand there mildly gain at me from the
chamber door;
let thee back into the gutter and don't c. me here
any more
Quoth the Euaian, ''Nevermore -
Nh, it made my blood run oddly, thus to hear him
speak boldly.
though his answer little me'nins-little relevancy .
h're;
Sat could not keerfcom th.iI, us tina; the fellow
had been drinking,
led such ugly way Of wukinE, with his eyes ,
iuh ,mrl and sore
UGH a CHASTITY way OF wAhing with his eyes in
famed and re
Wnkin-, blinking, evermore.
nut the Ruf'ian. standing nearly in tn, chamber
DOR, sp, Ike merely
hat one word. as if that one word was his only
stock in store:
otlling further then he uttered, but a greasy
paper flutterei, {
nj tobacco SPIT he sputtered out upon the pol
ihrd floor:
'hlle he yet intently eyed me-winktrg, blink
ing, eyed NE DER,
Only that, and nothing more
lille his great red eyes were clarfn-, could r
hardly keep from swearing, !
wearing like the very mischicf,-dama his eyes
s,re and sore
u; took myself to thinking, what thi. fellow
meant by blinking c
hat he meant in siyly winkns-wjnking At me
from the door;
hat This bury, brawny bruisar, whaI this mis-
cradle bore
Meant in croaking "Nevermore," r
hen methorght the air grew ienser: that man y
hadn't any ffenis =
ley'd have bu..ei ann, many and many month
before.
ak about your fragrant breezes, onions, garlic
and stale Caeeses:
7 the great eternal jesus, he was rotten to the =
istering. fostering, putriI, rotten to the very