Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1870-01-06
What news? wha, news? your tidings tell,
Tell me you must and shall
Say why bare headed you are come.
Or why you come at all ?"

| Soy way ouiC-hCuNcu you utC COhc,
Or why you come at all p
Now Gilpin had pleasant wit,
And loved timely joke,
And thus unto the Calender
In merry guise be spoke
81 came because your horse would coEie
And If well forebode,
My hat and wig will soon be here.
They are upon the road"
The Calender, right glad to find
His friend in merry pin,
Returned him not single word,
But to the house went in.
Whence straight he came with hat and wig
A wig that fiow'd behind
A hat not much the worse for wear.
Each comely In its kind.
He held them up and In his turn
Thus show'd his ready wit
MY head is twice as big as yours.
They therefore needs must fit
But let me scrapc the dirt away
That hangs upon your face;
Aud stop and eat, for well you may
BE in hungry case"
Said John-.It is my wedding day.
And all the world would stare
4 IL Nilf Sbbbid 1T tutBpUApU
And should dine at Ware"
SO turning to his horse. he said.
Il am in haste To dine:
| Twas for your pleasure you came here.
| You shall go back for mine"
| All luckless speech. and bootless boast,
! For which he paid full dear.
| For while he spake. bray ing ass
| Did sing most loud and clear
Whercat his horse did snort Il, he
| Had heard a lion roar
And gallop'd OF with all his might
A. he had done before.
Away went Giipin. and away
Went Giipin's hat and wig:
He lost them sooner than at first.
For Why they were too big
Now Mistress GiIpIn. when she saw
Her husband posting down
Into the country far away,
She pulled out half crown;
And thus unto the youth she said
That drove them to the Bell
| "This shall be yours when you bring back
Ny husband safe and We'll.
The youth did ride. and soon did NEE,
John coming back amain.
Whom in a tree he tried to stop
By catching at his rein.
But not performing what he meant.
But gladly would have done.
The frighted stecd he frightcd more.
And made him faster run.
Away went Gilpin. aud away
Went post-boy at hi, heels.
The post-boy's horse right glad TO mis-
The numbering of the wheels
Six gentlemen upon the road
Thus seeing Gilpin fy,
With post boy scsnpering in the rear.
They raised the hue and cry.
stop thief. stop thief-a highwayman 80
Not one OF them was mute.
Aud all aud each that passed that way
Did join in the pursuit.
And now the turnpike gates again
Flew open in short space.
The toll-mcn thinking ~ before
That Gilpin rode race.
And 50 he did and won IL too.
For he got hr>t To town.
Nor stopped till where he had got up
He did again get down.
Now let Us sing. Lon. live the king.
And GilpIn long live he.
And when h. next doth ride abroad.
May be there 10 see"
The ballad of John Gilpin" did not
at first attract much notice. until il fell
intS the hands OF a public declaimer, n
Mr.. Henderson, who read il to hosts OF
delighted people. and it became the
most popular poetic piece in England.
But Cowpers name. though associated
most with his sad. sweet hymns. and
with this lively ballad. is known also bv
his larger poems. THE Task and
others. The one thing, perhaps, that
made his poems then specially worthy
| OF honor. was that he wrote with sim
plicity. Many thoughts and feelings
passed through his mind he saw the
open country. and WAS always strug-
| CLING. too, after simple faith in God I.
when he wrote, il was to express all this
simply aud naturally. lie was not
ashamed 10 let the tear show itself in
| his verse, if his own heart We, sad: hc
let the smile play over hi. poetry. if he
himself was happy. This does not seem
much, but il was more than the poets
just before him had done, and this il
was that made Cowper's poetry eagerly
read. for there are always 10 be found
people WHO will listen when they hear
others singing naturally and sweetiv.
We will not linger about the last yes
of Cowper, for the clouds which had
been lifted gathered again, and he
Went 10 his grave in soIrov in
his seventeen year; but before we turn
away altogether, let Us look at the poe
in one OF his most pleasing moods
when he is watching three little harei
that grew up under his care, until tn,
oldest died OF -heer old age at twelv,
years. These little animals were hi,
playmates, and he has written yer,
charming account OF them and thei
habits. Any edition OF Cowper's poems
presume, will contain this account
and one should by all means read hi,
story Of ''Puss, Tiney, and Bess.''
Riverside Magazine.