Middletown transcript., 1876-04-15
Seleft STORY.
GEORGETOWN.
A Delaware Idyl.

A Delaware Idyl.
Between the Indian River, that of the ocear
tastes,
And springs that seek the Nanticoke through
sandy forest wastes,
And mill ponds that in mighty swamps the
buried timber soak,
And delage all the Cypress lands to gain the
Pocomoke,
The courthouse village cleaves a space and
little has to spare
So many miles, by statue from each and
everywhere.
The houses are of shingle and garden hem
them round,
Lean grow the elms and naples about the
courthouse ground,
And in the public corner, like some old town
pumps ghost,
The chicken-thief of moonlight observes the
whipping post
He who has cIasped it fondly knew not, fear
me, then,
William Penn.
No house is so forsaken-the chickens are not
7. there;
Tax dogs, tax hogs, but mulct ye not the hens
of Delaware
They won the mains at Valley Ferge and
should be quartered now
| Upon the ancient arms of State beside the
| brindled COW.
Let mountain people eagles love and on their
standards plant 'em,
| The bird of Sussex fights on fries-t is the
| azure bantam.
Around the stores to empty carts the yokes
of oxen stand,
| Or drag the knees and keels of ships from
saw mills close at hand
| The solemn band is locked at noon to let the
Crosus dine,
And grave old County Clerks come forth to
tipple apple wine;
Not unobserved their noses bloom, for at the
window blinds
Old ladies sit the whole day long, of CRITICS.
ing minds.
With Sherifrs sales and country studs the
tavern walls are filed,
And, save in the election heats, all politics is
stilled;
Then nature to disorder runs, society to fear,
Lest Jones or Smith might get place worth
rinety pounds year.
So old they grow by quiet lives, the grave
yard fills but slow,
anu OAiy oSS ohu Ah'oASy oPOA sn~ s~-~
stones show.
Old lawyers to their students speak, when
evening comes apace,
Of many mighty advocate in many storied
case
How Robert Frame took but dram to make
himself austere,
And John NJ. Clayton got fee would keep
man year.
The church bell sounds at twilight and shad-
ows cross the square
Young couples full of wedlock and widows
full of prayer.
The peach trees grapple with the pines and
drive the forest back,
And move to town the teams of fruit DER
many woodland track;
Far cities stretch their hands to take the GRIM
son harvest in,
And bribe the negro to release his haul of
terrapin.
Then perch in all the inlets run, the crabs
unslip their shells,
And deep in sweet potato vines the heifers
clink their bells.
Then when the fodder of the corn is bundled
in the stack,
And through the turning autumn leaves the
millponds glisten black,
The hunting dogs grow restive and round
their masters pant
They snuff the odor Of the quail, the flavor of
the brant.
And bid adieu by half the town, some one
old lady starts
By railroad to the city, to see the styles and
arts.
Now, cbuckling low of winter nights beside
his Office fire,
The old Recorder reads the wills of many a
family sire,
Who made his mark and left a SOW to several
various heirs,
And had the barrow slaughtered to pay for
funeral prayers
"Ho hop be quoth, chow some proud
heads would never bow to me,
If ever they should know poked about their
family tree"
And level as the sandy land is human life
diffused;
To preacher turns the stricken lad maiden
has refused
little lawsuit with it's cares the rival home
steads haunts,
And hastens to untimely graves the aged liti
gants;
So are the years repeated, as tell an ancient
few,
Since Lewes lost the Court House, soon after
Ninety-two.
So life moves on from year to year, unstirred
by fears or schisms,
And old men read their Bibles and nurse
their rheumatisns
The moss grows on some older roof familiar
signs grow dim,
Or from a venerable tree falls some decrepit
limb.
So still it is almost hear the cry l raised
that morn,
When here, past thirty years ago, my mothers
son was born.
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