Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1876-02-05

Va A'A>''s -
I'd laid in stock of provisions,
A thing it wont do to neglect,
For the West is so tarnal unsartin,
You never know what to expect;
We'd enough such as twas through the
summer,
But when it came late in the fall,
We war bound to divide with the neighbors,
Who hadn't got nothin' at all.
Tho winter sot in with blizzard,
1t stormed like the very Old Nick,
And Johnny came down with the measles,
And Billy was pinin' and sick;
lie KEEP up as long as he could, sir
lie wasn't no hand to complain,
But seemed kind O fadin' away like;
guess 'twar more hunger than pain.
He KEEP CROWN weaker and weaker,
We know'd that he couldn't last long;
lie always was slender and dainty,
And never was overly strong.
And one night while watchin' beside him,
lie laid his thin hand on my c..cch,
With his little voice all OF a culver,
He sobbcd like i'll tryin' to speak.
Sayin' Daddy, I've been on journey
Along with the angels tonight,
Far away to a beautiful city,
Whose people were all clothed in white :;
And the walls war of jasper and diamonds
And the streets war shinin' with gold,
And the people that lived in the city,
Never suffered with hunger or cold.
"And they had a great feast by river,
With plenty for all and to spare
There was cvcrythin' good you could think
o, dad, if you'd only been there!
Ofapr..>s. pies, cakes, and plum puddin',
ate all could, and when through,
asked the good angel to give me
Some nice things for nanny and you.
$50 he filled great wicker. work basket
With everythin good he could find,
And foldin' me close to his bosom,
We left the great city behind.
Over mountain lands, rivers, and valleys,
We sped till we come to the rancho,
Where Ephraim herded the cattle,
You know, at the forks of the branch.
"Tlen cried, for the angel had vanished,
And left me there lonely enough,
But see the light shine from the window,
And knew the road over the bluff
1t war hard work a luggin' the basket,
My feet were SO tender and sore;
But made out to fetch it, and daddy,
You'll find it jest outside the door.
clark, nanny, the beautiful music,
The angels are comm again,
To bear me away to the city
That knows neither sorrow nor pain,
o, the beautiful, beautiful music!
o, city with gates pearly white,
I'm comin'-so dark-O, the angels.
Good night-daddy- mammy-good night -
We made him grave mid the cactus
That sprang at the foot of the hill;
And cut on the he.il-board above it,
A1iS tllat w dS dill IIllllt l)llI,
But reckon the angels will guard it
AS well from their l.ol,,o in the skv,
As though there war marble above If,
tOwcrn' hundred foot high,
Then ! tQlf Susaa Janc-Qtc old woman
a aioldin' the rens thar, is Sue,)-
If mule flesh and sage brush would do it.
IA made UP my mind to pull through
To some sort o civilized country
That hadn't got hoppcrs or drouth,
And hadn't continncrly fir~cr
To take mans bread from his mouth
Twcnty-s2ven days travel from Larned,
a big undertaken, that's clear;
And blamed if III stood what we suffered
For halo me blasted frontier.
I've Travelled til. border land over,
From Earhton clean down to the sea,
y mighty fine country to look at
10 live IN Not any for me-"