The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1875-02-04
WIZ. BROWN, OF OREGON.

thursday, ......................F EBRUAh1 4, 10
VIII. BROWN, OF OREGON.
They called him Bill, the hired man,
And she, they called her Mary Jane,
And lovers often draw rein
To chat'and sigh as lovers can
Across the gate in snatch and catch;
And women wlnied across their tea,
And said, and truly so thought he,
That she would make splendid match.
This hired man had loved her long,
Had loved her best and first and last;
Her very garments as she passed
For him had symphony and song.
So when one day, with brow afrown,
She called him Bill, he raised his head,
He caught her eye, then faltering said;
81 love you, and my name Is Brown"
She fairly waltzed with rage she wept;
You would have thought the house afre;
She told her sire, the portly squire.
Then smelt her smelling salts, and slept.
Poor William did what could be done
He swung pistol on each hip.
He gathered up q great ox-whip,
And drove toward the setting sun.
He crossed the great backbone Of earth,
He saw the snowy mountains relied,
Like mighty pillows, saw the gold
OF awful sunsets, saw the birth
OF sudden dawn upon the plain
And every eve would VIM. Brown
Eat pork and beans, and then lie down
And dream sweet dreams of Mary Jane.
The teter- board of life goes up,
The teter- board of life goes down,
The sweetest face must learn to frown;
The biggest-dog has been pup.
Her lovers passed. Wolves hunt in packs,
They sought for bigger game somehow
They seemed to see about her brow
The forky sign OF turkey tracks.
O, maidens, pluck not at the ART
The sweetest flowers have ipund
Grow rather close unto the ground,
And highest places are most bare.
Why, you had better win the grace
OF one poor cussed African
Than win the eyes of every man
In love alone with his own face.
At last she nursed new desire;
She sighed, she wept for William Brown,
She watched the splendid sun go down
Like some great sailing ship ATTIRE
Then rose and checked her trunks right on,
And in the cars she lunched and lucnhed,f
And had her ticket punched and punched,
Until she came to Oregon
She wore blue spechs upon her nose,
She reached the limits Of the lines,
And then set out to reach the mines,
In rather short and manly clothes.
Her right hand held psrasol,
Her pocket held Testament,
And thus equipped right on she went.
Went waterproof and waterfall.
She asked a miner gazing down.
Slow stirring something with spoon,
To tell her true and tell her soon
What had become OF William Brown.
Helooked askance beneath her specs,
Then stirred the cocktail round and round,
Then raised his head and sighed profound
And said, He's handed in his cheeks"
Then care fed on her damaged cheek
And she grew faint, did Mary Jane,
And smelt her smelling salts in vain;
Yet wandered on wayworn and weak,
Until at last she sat her down
Upon sloping hill alone;
And there, good gracious; Stood stone.
And 10! that stone read William Brown.
so, William Brown! O. William Brown!
And hele you rest at last she said,
ssWith this lone stone above your head,
And forty miles from any town.
/ will plant cypress trees, will,
And will build fence around,
And will fertilize the ground
With tears enough to turn mill.
She went on and got hired man;
She brought him forty miles from town;
Then in the tgll grass she sat down,
And babe him build as she should plan.
Rut digger herders with their bands,
They saw, and hurriedly Their ran
And told bearded cattle-man
That some one builded on his lands.
He took rifle from the rack
He girt him in his battle pelt,
He thrust two pistols in his belt,
Then mounted on his chargers back
And plunged ahead. But when they sneWeo
woman there, about his eyes
He pulled his hat; and he likewise
Pulled at his beard, and chewea and chswed,
At last he got him down and spake:
"Oh, lady dear, what do you heref"
" build tomb unto my dear,
plant some flowers for his sake"
The bearded man threw his two hands
Above his head, then brought them down,
And CRIED Z" Oh I am William Brown.
And this the corner of my lands.
Her specs fell of, her head fell back,
Some like lifted teapot lid;
She screamed-this ancient maiden did
Then, fainting, split herself, alackl
Right in the beard OF William Brown.
Then all the Diggers were amazed;
They thought the lonely maiden crazed,
And circling there, they squatted down.
The preacher rode spotted mare;
He galloped forty miles or more,
He swore he never had before
Seen bride or bridegroom half 30 fair.
And all the miners, they came down
And feasted as the night advanced;
And all the Diggsrs drank and danced,
And cried, big min, William Brown
Joaquin Miller.
CASE OF Mr.. SrowELL-Th well inforl
d Washington correspondent OF the Baltlmo
american Of the 25th, says:
There seems to be no doubt that the Hou