The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-01-15
WILLIAM BROWN, OF OREGON.

JOAQUIN MILLER.
They call him Bill, the hired man,
And she they call her Mary Jane,
And lovers often drew a rein
To chat and sigh as lovers can
Across the gate in snatch and catch;
And women winked 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 a-froWn
She called him Bill, he raised his head,
he caught her eye, then taltering said,
81 love you, and my name Is Brown"
She fairly waltzed with rage, she wept,
You would have thought the house attire,
She told her sire, the pOTtly squire,
Then smelt her smelling salts and slept.
Poor William did what could be done,
He swung pistol on each hip,
He gathered up great OK whip,
And drove toward the setting sun.
He crossed the great backbone of earth,
He saw the snowy mountains rolled
Like mighty pillows, saw the gold
OF awful sunsets, saw the birth
OF sudden dawn upon the plain,
And every eve would William 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 irOwn,
The biggest dog has been pup.
Her lovers passed. Wolves hunt in packs.
They sought for bigger game; somehow
They seemed to sec about her brow
The forky sign of turkey tracks.
maidens, pluck not at the air!
The sweetest flowers have found
Grow rather close unto the ground,
And highest places are most bare.
Why you had better win the grace
or 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 a-fire;
Then rose and checked her trunks right on
And in the cars she luuched and lunched,
And had her ticket punched and punched,
Until she came to oregon.
She wore blue specs upon her nose,
She reached the limit of the lines,
And then set out to reach the mines,
In rather short and manly clothes.
Her right hand held "a paTaSOl,
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 a spoon,
TO tell her true and tel her soon
What had become of William Brown.
He looked askance beneath her specs,
Then stirred his cock round and round,
Then raised his head and sighed profound,
And said, "He's handed in his checks >
Then care fed on her damaged cheek,
And she grew faint did Mary Jane,
And smelt her melting salts in vain,
Yet wandered OH waywOrn and weak
Until at last she sat her down
Upon a slOping hill alone;
And, there, good gracious! stood stoneY
And 10! that stone read William Brown.
go William Brown! o William Brown"
And, here YOU rest at last" she said,
with this lone stone above your head,
And forty miles trgm any town.
/ will plant cypress trees, l will,
And | will build fence around,
And [ will fertilize the ground
With tears enough to turn mill.
She went and got a hired man,
She brought him forty miles from town;
Then in the tall grass she sat down,
And babe him build as she should plan;
But digger herders with their bands
They saw and huTTiedly they ran
A nd told a beardf d cattle-man
That some one buildcd on his lands.
lie took a rifle from the rack.
He grit him III bis battle pelt,
He thrust two pistols IN his belt.
Then mounted on his chargers back,
And plungeu ahead But when they sEewed
\ woman there, about his eyes
He pulled Is hat, and he likewise
Pulled at his beard aud chewed and chewcd.
At last lac got him down and spakc,
:. . lady, dear, what do you here?'
- build a tomb unto my dear;
] plant some lowers for his sake
The bearded man threw his two hands
y bOVe his head. then brought them down,
And cried. go, l am William Brown,
And this the corner of my lands"
Her specs fell off, her head tel back
Some like lifted teapot lid;
She screamed-tEis ancient maiden did
Then. fainting, split herself, alaCk!
Right i'll the heard OF William Brown.
Then all the diggers were amazed,
They thought the lonely maiden craZgd,
And, circlng there. they squatted down.
III,
The preacher rode spotted mare,
lie gallOped forty miles or more;
He Swore he never j al before
Seen bride or bridegroom half 80 fair.
And all the miners, they came down,
And Toasted as the night advanced;
And all the diggers drank and danced,
And cried, big mim, William Brown