The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-05-08
VOLUME III.
Miscellaneous Selections.
BLOW UP.
BY THOMAS DUNN ENGLISH,

BY THOMAS DUNN ENGLISH.
lake Ssn enre and move me easy, boys, and let the
+ there's my to try and patch what little s
'Vhe~c-that'll do. It's all no use-I see it in
- your eye.
Nalen's got to die;
And if there really be no chance to save fell
we'll, well! the blast was quite enough, and we'll
excuse the knife.
Just loose my collar gently, boys,-it hurts me
Put something underneath my head-don't raise
And let me have some water-Ah-h! tell YOU.
o. that's the stuff;
1t beats old rye-I ought to know-Ive surely
hou'll say whatever were my fqults, to say the
m thing that's right,
That Jim Van Valen never shrked his liquor or
fight.
The circuit-rder9 What's the useq I hardly
~ think one prayer,
However long, has power enough my whole ac-
count to square;
And at the day of Judgment, when the world its
work is through
Ana az the miners round about account for what
Inc Lord above, who knows all things, will be as
And merciful-at all events, with Him I'll let
IL be.
Somehow my mind goes backward, boys, to many
years ago,
To the valley of the Overprock, and the farm
house long and low,
When wandered on the Palisades to gather PINK
ter bloom,
And, mixed with lilacs mother placed them in
our sitting-room.
see them in the fire e-place, in that pitcher white
and high
What queer things come across the mind. when
ones about to die!
Why, | can see the orchard, boys, upon the side
ling hill;
The place fshed for killies in the crooked Pei
lum Kill;
The deep hole where the pickerel lay-the rascal
long and lank,
caught him with 4 moose of wire, and snaked
him on the bank;
The places in the meadow where 1 went to trap
the mink
The mill-pond by the roadside where drove the
COWS to drink.
And there was little Kitty, boys, her house was
close to ours,
The gardens almost Joined, but she was prettier
than the flowers.
We went to school in winter-time upon the Tin
eek road,
And when l put her books with mine it seemed
to ease the oad
But when we both grew up, somehow wasn't
She married Peter Brtnkerhofr-and that is why
Pm here.
There was my good old father, boys, with stern
and rugged brow
I used to think him hard on mel know him bet
ter now;
And, then, my dear old mother, with that pleas
ant smile of hers
O what gush of tenderness the thought within
stirS!
Come father, raise me in your arms; and, moth
cr, stroke my brow
Your hand is coOl-what odd coneetl they re
neither living now.
They're gone, the old Van Valens, boys-thcrc' s
one left but me-
And am going too-and so ! send word, you
see.
The boys used to play with, and the girls used
TO know,
Grown up to men and women, have forgot me
long ago!
I'venot been to Bergen County now for many and
many day,
And no one there would care to hear what might
have to say.
l find Pm getting weaker, boys, my eyes are
growing dim!
There's something dancing IN the air; my head
begins to swim,
Water!-Thats good! that stlrs me up! that gives
me life again!
You talk about your dead men-why, I'm Just as
good as ten.
There's something heavy on my breast-yOu take
the thing away
Mother! there's Kitty Demarest-may go out
to--playf-- ScTibne,'S for May.