The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1872-11-07
THEN AND NOW.

AHAA A-N1 80
Twas in my easy chair at home, shout
week ago,
sat and puffed my light cigar, as usual, ,yOr
must know,
unused upon the Pilgrim flock, whose lucA
# was to land
mouth sand;
In my minds eye I saw them leave thei
weather-beatehb bark
Before them outspread wintry wilds, behinc
rolled oceans dark;
Alone that little handful :stood, while foe'
were lurking nigh,
Their creed and watchword, ''Trust IN God
and keep your powder dry"
Imagination peucIled then, the nrst stern
Winter painted,
When more than half their number died
and stOutest spirits tainted;
A tear unbIdden filed one eye-Hly smoke
had filed the other
one sees strange things at such a time which
quite the senses bother.
knew was alone, but 10! let him who
dare deride mel
looked, and drawing upa chair, down sal
aman beside mel
His dress was ancient, and his air was some
what strange and foreign,
He civilIy returned my stare. and said, ''I'm
Richard Warren.
you'll find my name among the lists he
70, sage and martyr,
Who in the Mayflower signed the first New
England charter.
might some curious facts impart, perhaps
some wise suggestions,
But then I'm bent on seeing slghts,and run
ming DER with questions"
''Ask on" said 1, "I1l do my best to give
you information,
Whether Of private men you ask, OF our re-
nowned nation"
swell, inst tell me what's that, in yon COM
parment narrow,
Which seems to drawmy eye-balls mp, and
scorch my very marrow ?"
His finger pointed to the CRATE. Said 1
That's Lehigh coal,
Dug from the earth" He shook his head,
at is, upon my soulP'
then took up bit Of sticlz, one end as black
as night,
And rubbed it quick across the hearth, when
lol a sudden light;
My guest drew back, rolled up his eyes, and
strove his breath TO catch,
"What necromance is that :" cried he
quoth I, "a friction match"
Upon a pipe just overhead turned n little
screw,
Then forth in instantaneous flight, three
streams oflishtning flew.
Up rose my guest:i' Now, Heaven ave me, .
loudly he shouted then,
Isthat hell-fire 2'' "FTis gas" says I, ave
call it hydrogen"
And then into the fields We stroIled. a train
came tliundering by,
Drawn by the snorting iron stecd, swiftel
than eagles fly
Rumbled the wheels, the whistle shrieked
far streamed the smoky cloud,
Echoed the hills, the valleys sIIUOAI the ny
ing forests bowed;
Down on his knees, with hands upraised, in
worship Warren fell,
"Great Is the Lord our God" said he, "Ht
doeth all things well;
I've seen His chariots of fire, the horsemen
too, thereof
Oh, may ne'er provoke HIS Ire, or at -H1
threatening scof."
"Rise up, my friend, rise up" said !, ''youl
terrors are in vain!
It was no chariot of the sky, twas the New
York mail train"
We stood within the chamber small, mer
came the news TO know,
From Worcester, Springfield, New York
Texas and Mexico!
II came, it went. silent but sure. He started
smiled, burst out a laughing,
"What witehcraft's that?" ats what W
callmagnetic telegraphing."
| And then we stepped into the street. Say
! Warren, "What is that,
That moves along across the way, rs softl,
as cat?
I mean that thing upon two leg, with feath
ers on its head,
A monstrous hump below its waist, large q
feather bed.
1t has the gift of speech, I hear, but sure
can't be human7"
"My amiable friend" said /, That's wha
we cali q wOman!'
Eternal powers, it cannot be, ," said he wit
voice that faltered,
"I loved the women in M day, but oh
they're straI gely altered"
showed him then a new machine, fo
turning eggs to chickens,
d 4 labor saving hennery that beats the yer
dickens.
Thereathe strongly grasped my hand, an
said, " 'Tis plain to see,
This world is so transmOgrihed, twill nevt
do for me.
I Your telegraphs, your railroad trains, you
gaslight, friction matches,
I Your humn-baekedzE EoTIliss1s ss'-7i- ~ SOe
your thing which chickens matches,
Has turned the world so upside down, n
place is left within it"
And whirling round upon his heel, he val
ished in a minIte.
Forthwith my most veracious pen wrol
down what had heard,
And here, dressed up IN doggerel rhym
you have it. word for word.