American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-10-18
Miscellany.
OLD BACHELOR JOHN.

tend to be
No v hero than what you'd "A bin, if you d
bin me.
Folks -thar's married sometimes has way of look
On them that's single though perhaps they never
That ther might be- ood reasons their Twin
seems 10 me hash judgment-and kind " on
feelin' too.
hey sometimes call me Grabbed and dried up,
1t kind v rates upon me, like creakin', rusty
For it makes think of younger, happier days
that have seem
N il things hadn't bin Just as they was, what l,
too might a bin.
It's nigh five and thirty year since first came
Thought I'D strike for myself, it seemed to me
My young heart chock-ful o hope, and there
one for whom
could have cut my pathway through the thickest
backwoods gloom.
Our family large t. home. and the old folks
So m my youngest brother thought we'd give
their boat pull
mean by that, we felt that II we hghtened up
their load,
Life wouldn't seem to them perhaps, such dread
full uphill road
never had much schoolin'. as you'll know to hear
I've kinder picked up what know-perhaps know
cheese from chalk
DUAL afubi my StioHS r Aits cut VI PioASSA-
I've seen as much as most folks has, that's goin'
nowadays.
The first time come West, come through York
State, by canal
The railroad wasn't runin' yet and tallygraphs
F you'd told folks that in thirty years news'd be
Clean round the airth. they'd called We o. the
biggest kind o. liars.
IS said, We pioneered along-a good deal O. the
The country was settlin up. at that early
We stopped first in Ohio, then looked at Michi-
But we thought that soin' further West would be a
better plan.
So we 'entered- land at Comment price, in South
My brothers was Admin mine--he's dead, n his
Is married carries on the farm n lives up on the
And Il carry mine too-but IN unmarried
still.
IS said before, left behind me when come out
One whom loved, God knows how MUCH and she,
1t was agreed that I'd go back and take her for my
aycaf or two, or soon's fairly got start in
life
A drst-ratc kind o. letter, better'n mine mighty
sight
Mine always blotched and bungled, but for all
Every word inside come from my heart, and that to
her was true
1t took a month for letters to reach in
them days.
And when mails went by stage-coach it did seem a
But it's Time makes distance seem long. even in
these days OF steam;
And TO them that's separated wide, 1t 5 abOut's it
"seu W seen
at - fnr ola I hill,
And got Things fixed comftable = 1 could where
N calc'laied the next spring 60 back to Var
And marry Hetty m 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,f think
Our mails was all behind hand, for the Dads was
powerful bad:
And single line from Hetty tn only word
had.
1t was written weeks before, and in a shaky kind
As if she'd had a very heavy fit o. sickness, and
All it said was, John dear, I'm not we'll Could
When read IL was s if n clap O. thunder struck
Inc dumb.
could comes I'd like to see the airthly power
could hold me back.
1t did MT take me very long my clothes and traps
to pack
Travelled night ana day, as fast As stag1n would
allow,
And ten days quicker trip than two or three
is now.
And at the end of ten long days 1 reached my
native town,
One bright spring afternoon, just the
going down:
hurried past folks that knew, and them that
knew me well.
When all 10 once-t heerd the toll OF the solemn
'passin bell.
N knew that somebody dead-whatg MOI
it could rot be
Ny Hcttyi that Just her age the bell struck
twenty three;
hurried faster almost run, till 1 reached the old
brown gate,
m then knew. without bein' told, that I'd come
home too late!
N then there come a blackness, and can't re-
member more.
But they say for days and weeks lay just hoverin'
AT deaths door.
Till finally by Gods help, and by nursn Of the
best
got up my feet again and started back out
West
And now we We heered my story, N why never
had no wife.
Do We wonder any longer that live this kind O.
lifet
Do we wonder that my love out like a candle
When Hetty dieds m Twin d. We say We think
I've sinnedg
Perhaps t may be so-wal-may God forgive me if
But my heart for thirty years has laid with Hetty
in grave;
And carry my farm alone, and I'm waitin' for
When the good Lord will call me, m IL be ready
10 obey.
-Christidn Union.