Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-09-30
JOHN: A VILLAGE IDYL.

The sun was setting as he came,
Stout John, across the village green;
Behind the pollards, pools a. flame
Lit up the old familiar scene;
And cattle lowed, and milk aids sung,
And birds upon the roosting hung.
Beyond the village street there stands
4 cottage wrapped with growing things,
Where creepers cling with loving hands,
And ring doves plume their dusty wings;
And there, right broad of chest and tread,
Comes John, and holds aloft his head.
But on the garden path he halts-
What sight is this which makes his eyes
Open like suntiowers after rain!
He finds his wife in some new guise:
Among the roses, spade in hand,
He sees her comely figure stand.
"Good wife," he says, '''tis something new
To see you mind the garden patch;
Thought you only liked those flowers
That grow apace beneath our thatch."
Then she, as every good wife should,
Called him aside from where he stood.
"Not here" she said, for mind you John
She is so sharp, is Alice there!
She picks up everything she hears
She does, indeed, John-have a care
But John"-and then she blushed and stayed
The coming words, as If afraid.
But John with one arm round her waist,
Babe her speak on; and so at lergth
She spoke, now slowly, now in haste
Albeit, by and by came strength
Into her words, while yet her head
Was bowed before him, as she said:
John, / have always loved the flowers
That grow beneath the blessed sky,
And was happy once to think
We'd have garden, you and l.
! thought such lovely things should show,
And such sweet roses bud and blow.
"But, John, when first the garden came
why, Alice, there, was ten weeks old)
The other gardens all were trim,
But as for me, my heart was cold
Toward the garden, John, | mean
As if my wish had never BEEN
"For John, you used to bide from home
something late those summer days;
tried to cheer myself a bit,
Saving you must have manful ways.
But john when wage-sday came round,
But little wages could be found.
"And one night, John, l heard your step
Come late along the dahlia row
Next morning when the children looked
For peas that they had learnt to SOW,
0 John, your feet had gone awry,
And Judith asked the reason why!
81 couldn't tell her-could /, John?
could hut cry as women do,
Only the house seemed less like home;
Only the sky seemed not SO blue;
Only did not care TO make
Our garden nice for Others sake.
"But now, John-somehow God has heard,
And you have heard my heart that spoke;
! think unless that YOU had heard
Before this time my heart had broke;
But now good times have come for me,
And ! want roses on our tree.
That's why John, now care to take
Some pains here with our garden plot
! think it will be sweet 20 make
Flowers grow, fruit ripen on the spot,
FOR our own children here, may be,
When God has gathered you and me-"
"Ay and for u.s." he made reply,
In years the good God yet may give
10 happy folks like us. And !,
Sweet'wife, will make you care to live.
50 plant the garden plot, nor fear
II shall be watered by tear"
Beyond the village street there stands
\ cottage wrapped with growing things,
Where creepers cling with loving hands
And ring doves plume their dusty wings
And there, right broad of chest and tread,
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