The union Democrat., 1870-08-27

sInrk vain. Fir.s nnd Last lAttempt at
Poetry.


sInrk Txaia.. Fir., and Last Atte.npi as
Poetry.
When say that never knew nv austere
father TO be enamored of but one poem in all
the long half century that he lived, persons
who knew him will easily believe me; when
say that / have never composed but one
poem in all the long third of century that
have lived. persons who know mo will be sim
cerely grateful and finally, when I-sav that
the poem which composed was not the one
which my father was enamored of, persons
who may have known us both will not need
to have this truth shot into them with a monn-
tain howitzer before they can receive it. My
father and were always on the most distant
terms when | was q boy-a sort OF armed
neutrality, so TO speak. At irregular inter
walls this neutrality was broken and suffering
ensued but will be candid enough to say
that the breaking ard the suffering were al
ways divided up with strict impartiality be
tween us-which is to say. my father did the
breaking, and did the suffering. As gen
eral thing was backward. cautious, unad
venturous boy but once jumped off two
story stable another time | gave en- elephan
q s'plug" of tobacco and retired withou
waiting for an answer; and still another time
| pretended to be talking in my sleep, anC
got off a portion of very wretched origina
conundrum in hearing of my father. Let u:
not pry into the result it was of no conse
quence to any one but me.
But the poem | have referred to as attract
ing my fathers attention and achieving his
favor, was "IIiawatha." Some man who
courted sudden and awful death, presented
him an early copy, and never lest faith in
my own senses until saw him sit down and
go, to reading it in cool blood-saw him open
the book and heard him read these following
lines, with the same inaectionless judicial
Crigidity which he always read his charge to
the jury or administered an oath to awitness:
Take your bow. O niawstha,
Take your arrows, jasper headed.
Take your war gun. Puggawangun,
And Your mittens. Minjakahwan,
Aud your birch canoe for sailing,
And the oil of MisheNama.
Presently my father took out of his breast
pocket an imposing Guaranty Deed,n and
fixed his eyes upon it and dropped into medi-
tation. / knew what it was. A Texan lady
and gentleman had given my hafbrother,
Orrin johnson, handsome property in a
town in the North, in gratitude to him for
having saved their lives by an act of brilliant
heroism.
BY and by my father looked toward me and
sighed. Then he said:
"If had such a son as this poet, here
were subject worthier than the traditions Of
theae Indians"
"If you please. air, where?'
SIN this deed"
"In the-deed ?''
"Yes-in this very deed," said my father
throwing it on the table. "There is more
poetry. more romance. more sublimity, more
splendid imagery hidden away in that home
ly document than could be found in oil the
traditions of all the savages thatliv
"Indeed sir; could L get it out, sir
Could | compose the poem, sir, do you think?'
"You +"
wilted.
Presently my fathers face softened some
what, and he said
"Go and trv But mind, curb folly. Nc
poetry at the expense Of truth. Keep strictly
te the facts"
said l would, and bowed myself out, and
went up stairs.
"1iawathan kept dronirg in my head
and so did my fathers remarks about the
sublimity and romance hidden in my subject.
and also his Injunction to beware of wasteful
and exuberant fancy. noticed, ,iusthere. that
had heedlessly brorghtthe deed away with me.
Now, at this moment came to me one of those
rare moods of daring recklessness, such as /
referred to while ago. Without another
thought, and in plain defiance of the fact that
knew my father meant me to write the ro-
mantio story of my half-brother's adventure
and subsequent good fortune, l yentured
merely to heed the letter cf his remarks and
ignore their spirit. took the stupid "War-
ranty Deed" itself and chopped it up into
Hawaiian blank verse, without altering or
leaving out three words. and without trans
posing six. 1t required loads of courage to
go down stairs and face my father with my
performance. started three or four times
before finally got my courage to where il
would stick. But at last / said / would &c
down and read it TO him if he threw me over
the church for it. stood up to begin, and
he told me to come closer. edged up lit
tie, but still as much neutral ground between
us as thought he would stand. Then | be-
gan. It would be useless for me to try to tell
what conflicting emotions expressed them
selves upon his face, nor how they grew more
and more intense as proceeded nor how o
fell darkness descended upon his counten-
ance, and he began to gag and swallow, and
his hands began to work and twi.ch, rs
reeled off line after line, with the strength
ebbing out Of me, and my legs trembling un-
der me
THE STORY OF A GALLANT DEED
This indenture made the tenth
Day of November, in the year
OF our Lord thousand eight
Hundred six and-ffty
Between Johanna S. E. Gray
/ And Phillip Gray. her husband,
! OF Salem City in the State
OfTexas Of the first part,
And o. B. johnson, of the town
OF Austin ditto, Witnesseth:
That the said party Of first part,
For and in consideration
0fthe sum Of Twenty Thousand
Dollars, lawful money of
| The U. s. of America
To them in hand now paid by said