The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-07-25

BETSY DESTROYS THE PAPER.
BY WILL NJ. CARLETON.

eu lue piiTSOu ueTe,
To see that things are regular, settled up fail
and clear,
For have been talking with Caleb, and Calet
has been talking with me,
And the mount of it is we're minded once more
to try to agree.
So came here on the business; only a''word tc
say,
(Caleb's stalking pea vines and couldn't come to-
day.
Just to tell You and parsoh how that we've
chang'd our mind;
So I'll tear the paper, lawyer, you see it wasn't
signed. IL -..r ... +
And now, if parson is ready,1 I'll walk with him
toward home; . l.e.
I want to thank him for something; twas kind
of him to come.
He's showed the Christian spirit, stood by u:
firm and true;
We migetn't have changed our mind, squire, il
he'd been lawyer, too.
There! How good the sun feels, and the grass
and blowin' trees; ft.t
Something about them lawyers makes me fee
fit to freeze.
1 wasn't bound to state particulars to that man
But it's right you should know, parson, about
our change of plan. r..- .sr.... -
sol .-.. t .-s.- 4. -- r.ssr-... .r...
We'd been some days a-waverin' little, Calet
and me,
And wished the hateful paper at the bottom o.
the sea-;
But I guess twas the prayer last evenin' aiit
the few words you said,
That thawed the ice between US, and brought
things to head.
You see, when we came to division, there wa.
things that wouldn't divide;
There was our twelve year-old baby, she couldn'
be satisfied
To go with one or the other, but just KEEP
whimperin' low,
"I'l stay with papa and mamma, and where
they go I'll CO."
Then there was grandsire's Bible-he died or
our wedding-day; i"
We couldn't halve the old Bible, and should il
go or stay?
The sheets that was Caleb's mothers, her sam.
pier on the wall,
With the sweet old names worked in, Tryphe
ma, and Eunice and Paul
It began to be hard then, parson, but it grew
harder still,
Talkin' of Caleb established down at McHen
rysville;
Three dollars 2 week 'twould cost him; no men
din nor sort of care,
And board at the Widow Meachem's; woman
that wears false hair.
Still we went on talkin'; I agreed to kni
some socks,
And make dozen striped shirts, and pair Of
wa'mus frocks;
And he was to cut doorway from the kitcher
to the shed;
"Save you climbin' steps much, in frosty wealth
er," he said.
He brought me the pen at last: I felt sinkin'
and he
Looked as he did with the agur, in the Spring
of sixty-three.
Twas then you dropped in parson; 'twasn't mucl
that was said,
"Little children, love one another" but tn
thing was killed stone dead.
I should like to make confession; not that Tn
going to say
The fault was all on my side, that never was m.
way.
BUTT may be true that women-tho' how It's
can't say
Are trihe more aggravatin' than men know
how to be. .s
Then, parson, the neighbors' meddlin'-i
wasn't pourin' oil;
And the church a-laborin' with us, twas wors'
than wasted toll;
And I have thought, and so has Caleb, thougl
maybe we are wrong,
If they'd kept to their own business, we SHOULD
have got along.
There was Deacon Amos Purdy, good man a
we know,
But hadn't gift Of laborin' except with tn
scythe and hoe;
Then load came over in peach time from tn
Wilbur neighborhood;
'Seasor of Prayer" they called it; didn't do a
an atom of good.
I'll tell you about the heifer-one of the k indes
and best
That brother Ephraim gave me, the fall hi
moved out West;
I'm free to own it riled me that Caleb should
think and say
She died of convulsions-a COW that milket
four gallons day. ..
But needn't have spoke of turnips, needn'
And said hard things, and limited as if twas a.
my loss;
And I'll take it all back, parson; that fire shan
ever break out,
Though the cow was choked with a turnip,
never had doubt
That there are pnts of doctrine, and views
future state,
I'm willin' to stop discussin; we can both attor
to wait;
'Twon't bring the millennium sooner, disputil
about when it's due, sf
Although feel an assurance that mines tn
scripture view.
But the blessed truths of the Bible, Z 5e learne
to think, don't lie
In the texts we hunt with candle to prove OF
doctrines by,
But them that come to us in sorrow, and whe
we're on our knees;
So if Caleb won't agree on free will, I'll lea,
alone the DEGREES.
One notion of Caleb's,parson, seems rather mist
| and dim;
1 wish, if it comes convenient, you'd change
| word with him