Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1873-11-20
OLD BACHELOR JOHN.
By SAUL POTTS.

That yed really Ike to hear me tell the story of my
And wiz I'm gettin old and srizzled, m had
wsl-Aere amt much story to it, and don't pre-
tend to be.
No more v hero, than what you'd a bin, if you'd
Folks that's married sometimes has way of lookin'
On them that's single, though perhaps they never
so much rs drearnt
That there might be good reasons for their Twin
they do;
II seems to me hash ;udgment-and kind'v onfeel-
in too.
They sometimes call me grabbed, and a"dried-up,
II kindly CRATES upon me, like a creakin', rusty
latch
FOR it makes me think of younger, happier days
that have seen;
if things hadn't bin just as they was, what too
might bin,
MS nigh hve-and-thirty year, since first come
out West,
Ithought I'd sirik out for myself, it seemed to me
Ny young heart was chock-full O. hope, and there
was one for whom
Icould have cut my pathway through the thickest
Our family was large t home, and the old folks
30 me N my youngest brother thought we'd give
their boat q pull
mean by that, We felt that If We lightened mp their
load,
Life wouldn't seem to them, perhaps, such dread
ful uphill road.
never had much schoo,in,. as you'll know to hear
me talk,
Eve kinder picked up what know-perhaps know
"cheese from chalk :"
Book-arnin amt my strong pint, but OF pioneerin'
I've seen as much as most folks has, that's goin'
nowadays.
The first lime 1 come West, 1 come through York
State, by canal
Tyou'd told folks that in thirty years newsd be
sent on wires
aean round the airth, they'd call ye one O. the big
gest kind o. liars.
81 said, we pioneered slong-a good deal o. the
The country was a settlin' up even at that early
day
We stopped first M Or 40 then we looked at Michi-
But we thought that goin' further West would be
better plan.
10 we .entered Land at Govment price, in Southern
Ny brothers was adjinin' mine-hes dead, m his
oldest bog
II married carries ON the farm, n lives up on the
And E-carry mine one on too-bnt I'm unmarried
still.
81 said before, 1 left behind me when come out
West,
One wi.On, l loved, God knows how much, and sse
II was agreed that I'd go ta"t and take her for my
wife
N year or two, or's soon's fairly got start in
life.
used to hear from Hetty pretty often. She could
A frst-rste Eind o. letter, betser'n mine a mighty
sight.
Nine WAS s.says biotched and bungled but for all
Every word inside come from my heart, and that to
her was true.
And when mails went by stage-coach it did seem
dse'dful ways;
But it's time ms kes distance seem long, even in
these days q steam;
And to them that's separated wide, it's about's 1t
used 20 SEEM
Wal, I'd got forty acres cleared built log
house too,
n cslciaied the next spring to go back to VAR
usOl-.
And marry Hetty. n bring her home our minds
was made UP ont.
That winter was pretty hard one, all the country
sich one, for heavy SHOWS and thaws, 1 think
Our mails was all behind-hand, for the roads was
And single line from Hetty was the only word
It was written weeks before and in shaky kind o.
As if she'd lad a very heavy At o. sickness, and
All 1t said wa. {" John, dear, I'm not well,
could " not come home ?"
When read it wss's if clap o. thunder'd struck
me dumb.
Acould Gomez I'd like to see the airthly power
could hold ne back.
It didn't take very long my clothes and traps to
pack.
1travslsd night ard day, as fast as stagin' would
And ten days was : quicker trip than two or three
Is now.
Add at the end Of ten long days, reached my ma
One bright spring afternoon, just the
hurried past folks that 1 knew, and them that
When ali at onceT heerd the toll of the solemn
"passin' beil.r
knew that somebody was dead-what? No.it
couldn't be
ny Hetty that's just her age, the bell struck twenty
hurried faster, almost run, till reached the old
N then knew, without bein' told, that I'd come
home too Late!
N then there come blackness, and can't remem-
Der more.
But they say for days and weeks lay just hoverin'
at deaths door,
TIL fnay, by Gods help. and by nursin' of the best
Igot up on my feet again, aud started back cut
Nest.
And now yeve hee-ed my story, n why never had
wife.
Do yOa wonder any longer that live this kind o.
nfe-
Do yewyuder that my love went out like candle in
tine wind
When ffetty died. N in vim so d. ye think I've
siunsS:
Perhaps t may be so-xal- ay God forgive me if 1
have.
But my heart for thirty has laid with Hetty in
her grave,
AndJ carry ON my farm alone, and I'm waitin' for
the day -
when the good Lord will call me, m III be ready
to ohsy- ~ -Chrisfiaa Union.
"a GRIZZLY PRIZE FIGHT.
Gen. James s. .Brisbin gives the fol-
lowing sketch of the exploits of noted
frcptiersman- The incidents were re-