The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1875-06-11
THE HOPPER GRASS.

II dOIfEh u hAiSS.
HE CONFETTI, FROM WHENCE AND How-A
ROCKY MOUNTAIN PASTORAL EPIC.
The grasshopper;
He cometh
He cometh numerously
He bringeth his family;
Also his relatives;
And his friends.
Likewise his mother-in-law
And her friends
AS well as all that hate her.
And they are legions
The wisdom of man computeth them
not
They spread over the land,
And there is no place where they are not.
They nip the springing grass
They devour the fragrant onion sprout
And the savory celery.
The wheat field is left desolate,
Aud no green thing remaineth where the
hopper hath been.
His path way is the abomination of des-
olaton.
The ranchman mourneth for his green
fields that were, but are not
Mayhap he swcareth
Possibly he saith audibly, and crie:h
aloud-dameth.
What careth the hopper-grass?
1t troubled him not.
Ask the prophets of Kansas
And the wise men of Nebraska;
And they will answer likewise
But the relief committee agent lifteth up
his voice and calleth che hopper blessed.
The patriotic grasshopper cometh from
the mythical western land, where the glo-
rous orb of day sinks in rJseate splendor
to his evening couch :;
The realm OF Brigham;
The land of Mormons
Whence cometh many bad thugs and
some that are good.
The hopper is one OF them;
Several of them;
But lie is no. good.
He cometh in the latter summer days;
In -darl<ening mtriads
AS the winds come when forests are rem
ded
AS the waves come when navies are
stranded.
Like unto a Democratic victory.
He alieth OH the potato-vine
And on the fragrant tomato-tree
Ano the succulent roasting ear whilst
it is yet in the milk and toothsome
And upon al other fruits of the field that
oometh late into market;
And they all disappear and are seen af-
ter that evil day no more forever.
And the lady grasshopper maketh
straightway her nest ''down in the corn
field -
And in the wheat stubble;
And upon the hillside;
And all over the sandy plain
And everywhere else under the sun.
And she fileth the nest with eggs;
And then she continueth to make nests
and fill them likewise with eggs every day,
until the winter days comttl and the
ground freezcth hard; when no grasshop-
per can make nests.
And the eggs, are they not ranch eggs?
With double yolks?
And warranted to hatch?
Yea, verify, and tie warranty is good.
And the lady grasshoppcr's mate, what
of him?
Verify, | say Gnto you, he stitch upon
the sweet potato vine and singeth all the
gladsome summer day;
He elizabeth up the corn-stalk and lop-
peth off its verdant branches;
g. IL,
Nor of the groans and curses of the irate
ranchman.
And in the hottest autumn days he lead
eth the fisherman beside the babbling
waters;
And np the steep mountain: side;
And over prickly pears
And through soap weeds;
And among thorny bushes;
And when at last the fisherman falls
upon his knees and puts his hands upon
Mr.. Hopper, where, is he?
Alas he is not there;
But he soareth aloft
And crackcth his heels together;
Aud laugheth out of his left optic at the
fisherman, WHO is seated on the hillside.
Digging cactus thorns from his hands
and knees.
And framing cuss words.
Alas he viii never kneel any more.
And when in the fullness of time the
wintry days have come /;
And stilleC. his voice in death
With Frost's icy u.antle about him, he
goeth hence To his fathers,
Content with the fitting close to we'll
spent life,
And happy in the reflection that he will
live again in his children,
When gentle spring shall come again,
And ayaiu.