Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1870-07-28

Take your war-club, Puggawaugun,
And your mittens, Minjekahwan,
And your birch canoe for sailing,
And the oil of Mishe-Nama.
Presently my father took out of his
braest pocket an imposing Warranty
Deed" and fixed his eyes upon it and
dropped into meditation. / knew what
1t was. A Texan lady and gentleman
had given my half-brother, Orrin John
son, handsome property in a town in
the North, in gratitude to him for hav-
ing saved their lives by an act of brill
liant heroism.
By and by my father Looked toward
me and sighed. Then he said:
"1f l had such son as this poet, here
were subject worthier than the tradi-
tions of these Indians"
IF you please, sir, where?"
"In this deed"
"1n the-deed?"
"Yes-in this very deed,n said my
father, throwing it on the table. "There
Is more romance, more sublimity, more
splendid imagery hidden away in that
homely document than could be found
in all the traditions of all the savages
that live.n
Indeed, sir? Could I-could Iget it
out, sir? Could l compose the poem, sir,
do you thinker
"YouIn
/ wilted.
Presently my fathers sface softened
somewhat, and he said:
Go and try. But mind, curb folly.
No poetry at the expense of truth. Keep
strictly to the facts"
I said l would, and bowed myself out,
and went up stairs.
'Hiawatha" kept droningin 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 fan
ey. noticed just here, that had heed
lessly brought the deed away with me.
Now, at this moment came to me one of
those rare moods of daring recklessness.
such as L referred to a while ago. With
out another thought, and in plain defi-
ance of the fact that / knew my father
meant me to write the romantic story of
my half-brother's adventure and subse-
quent good fortune, 1 ventured to heed
merely the letter of his remarks and ig-
more the spirit, took the stupid "War
ranty Deed" itself and chopped it up in
to Hiawathian blank verse, without
altering or leaving out three wards, and
without transposing six. 1t required
face my father with my performance. l
started three or four times before final
ly got my pluck where it would stick
But at at last said 1 would go down
and read it to him if he threw me over
the church for it. l stood up to begin
and he told me to come closer. 1 edged
up little, but still left as much neutral
ground between US as / thought he would
stand. Then / began. 1t would be use
less for me to try to tellwhat conflicting
emotions expressed themselves upon his
face, nor how they grew more and more
intense as proceeded; nor how fell
darkness descended upon his counte-
nance, and he began to gag and swallow,
and his hands began to work and twitch
as reeled off line, with the strength
sbbing out of me, and my limbs tremb-
ing under me:
The Story OF n Gallant Deed.
THIS INDENTURE made the tenth
Day of November, in the year
OF our Lord one thousand eight
Hundred six-and-hfty,
Between JOANNA S. E. GRAY
And PHILIP GRAY, her husband,
OF Salem City, in the State
OF Texas, OF the first part,
And q. B. Johnson of the town
OF Austin, ditto, WITNESSErH:
That said party of the first part,
For and IN consideration
OF the sum Of Twenty Thousand
Dollars, lawful moneyof
The U. s. OF America.
To them in hand now paid by said
PARTY of the second part,
The receipt whereof is here
By confessed and acknowledged,
Have Granted, Bargained, Sold, Remised,
Released and Aliened and Conveyed,
Confirmed and by these presents do
Grant and Bargain, Sell, Remise,
Alien, Release, Convey and Con-
Firm unto the said aforesaid
Party of the second part,
And to his heirs and assigns
Forever and ever, ALL
That certain piece or parcel of
LAND situate In city OF
Dunkirk, county of Chautauqua,
And likewise furthermore In New State,
Bounded and described, to-wit,
AS follows, herein, namely:
BEGINNING at the distance OF
\ hundred and two-and-forty feet,
North -half-east, north-east-by north,
East-north-east and northerly
OF the northerly line of Mulligan street.
On the westerly line of Brannigan street,
And running thence due northerly
IN Brannigan street 200 feet,
Thence at right angles westerly,
North-west-by-west Observation-Disclosures,
west-and-by-north, north-west-bS-west,
1 kind of lodged, and the boot-jack
roke the looking-glass. / could have
-aited to see what became of the other
lissiles if had wanted to, but had
'anted to, but / took no interest in such
lings.
A preacher who had often used notes,
ad the misfortune to deliver q discourse
or rather as the sequel will show, q
ortion of discourse-in q breeze spot,