The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-09-02
THE EDITOR AND TIE FIEND.

- ~A-'D I'M L4~-hO-
BY REV. SAMUEL W. DuFFKLD.
"a beT by its note;
A bird bT its throat;
A man by his walk:
fool by his talk
Every one knows
Wherever he goes" So -
Free TeadiHg from GerHsan ofIh. ron Sittelcald.
Albertus Magnus-so there goes
f. An aneient story IN Latin prose
Contrived a msn Of leather and brass.
A moving, breathing. nameless mass,
With never a heart in his braZen breast
And never brain in his he3d compressed.
But enough Of knowledge. enoa "a Of skill
To serve his magical masters VIII.
He never was weary. be never was weak.
There was never blush on his brszen cheek /:
lie worked all day and he worked all night
With ceaseless, spf fl-b1unl ense Of might (;
He never ate and h. never slept,
lie never laughed and he never went.
Like The Msgic Horse when you turned the
pin;
Like Talus whom Spencer g!ories in;
Like Dr0wne's quaint lmsge OF speaking
weed.
Or the thrilling life which leaped and stood
10 the midst OF PyPmalOL's solitude,
So strangely came and 81 strangely went
This strength which Albartus Magaus lent.
Now Thomas Aquinas studied there
A siudiOa- youth with a stud Gus air;
Delighted 10 send the man OF brass
To fetch and carry. like any ass,
But glad enough IN bis secret breast
That The Thing was free from babb!e and
chat
necessarily running on this or that
And putting ones thoughts beyond control.
Alas, that Albertus MagnuS then
Began TO improve this best Of MEL
This perfect and automatic whole
BY making his head not quite 4 bowl.
He made i'm tongue from The skin Of cat,
Stuffed and sOitencd 18th humming-bird fat;
And back in his head he set a box,
With intricate springs and cur Gus locks,
Which ran on changes Of every word
That men in their common duties heard,
And cqussd that hOl'OwncSS 10 TesOund
With vOwels AMI cnnsanants flung around.
He made his jaws as thOu2h they knew
THE meaning Of what was rushing through;
His eyes would roll and his head would sway.
His tongue would chatter, bis hands would
play
In The silliest sort Of human way;
And thus-aS the sequel soon di>closCs-
He made a montebank out Cf a Moses.
The Thing went hurrying out and in,
Busy As ever-but such din!
IT was well Alberlus had been compliant
With the sudden wish Of a princely client,
And. FAR away from his noisy servant,
Was now Of planets al stars obse!Vant-
For surely. surely he would have sent
That Thing into instant Punishment.
Wherefore, whes Thomas Aquinas saw
This horrible change I'm the creatures law,
lie stopped bis ears. he clarcd, he grew
Frantic he tried TO bolt his door,
He slammed and shCUtpd and nraVCd and
SwOrc,
lie begged and pleaded. but all the more
The dreadful visitant was not thrOughi
You could not appeal TO brain in his head,
lis lungs We're leather, lis heart vas lesd;
He trampcd along with steady tread,
And he talked and talked, thOggh what he
said .
Would puzzle the living and veX the dead.
lie came and went, ard he went and came;
lie stood or he sat or he walkod-the same
Most hideGus phantom, changing never:
All else might stop; he ia. ked forever!
Young Thomas fed TO the turret-,op,
But the voice Of the Thing he could not stop:
For close a his side The We ong day
The duiifIl mass was bOurd to say.
IL followed him up and followed him down,
With perfect freedom from fear or fTown;
Il talked all day and il ialScd all night,
With a ceaScass, spel bound sense of might,
Until at last this endless chatter
Became a most mOnotonCuS matter.
Now what dill Thomas Aquinas do:
For truly he was Il man who knew
Mere than his agC-a thing 1T two.
Al! friend, he raised d wicked hand.
With pOufcrCUS lexicon clutchcd therein,
And he smota that Sabblng man Of sin,
As Satan WAS hurled from HOLY Land!
II dropped in pieces upon the floor,
A mass Ofca-Gut and Ratchet wheel,
OF brass aud leather and lead and steel
1t dropped in pieces and talked no more!
MORAL:
Whenever it comes TO pass
Thst business presses and ;ima Is small
Aud patience leaves you once for al,
Whil. ' dr1up.ng-in' - in u careless way,
Some cLatterirg lounger spoils your day:
Arise. O friend. with face serene
Let Th1mus AquiEaS be vour sCreen-
Aud smash that most ridiculous ass,
With lungs Of leather ani cheek Of brass,
The Independent.