Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1876-10-26

The rain that fell on roof decayed
made,
And on the whitewashed walls ran down
In wondrous trescoes tinged with brown;
Cold was the mating on the floor;
Cold blew the breeze beneath the door;
Cold were the straight backed chairs OF wo'
Gold was the oaken stand that stood
As lone, bare pines on some bleak hill.
High was the bed Ger things below,
Like some tall iceberg capped with snow.
HOW AN OLD MAID GOES TO BED.
But Aunt Rebecca watched in vain
The curling smoke above the crane.
She nodded, dozed, began to snore,
And dropped her knitting on the floor;
Awake-her eyelidS heavier grew;
Arose-and silently withdrew.
Along the creaking stairs she crept
To the lone chamber where she slept,
And close the window curtains drew,
TO shut the darkness from her view.
She stuffed the keyholc of the door;
She sat the candle on the floor;
Looked meath the valance, halt-atrai!
To find man in ambuscade.
Then, sitting down, aside with care
She laid her garments OH chair,
Put on her cotton robe OF white;
Slipped Oft her shoes; blew out the light.
Then, in the darkness, from her head
Removed her wig, and-crept to bed,
Curled up her shrunken shanks and thigl,
And shivering, shut her drowsy eyes.
Poor single souls that live alone,
The night-wind hath dismal tone
To your lone ears. You start with fear
At every midnight-sound you hear.
When, late at night, with weary heads,
You creep into your lonely beds,
You long for fond, protecting arms
TO closely clasp your faded charms;
Yet, shuddering, lie till early morn,
And sigh to think that You were born.
ESrRArrEp.
She slept at last, but soon awoke.
She had trighttul dream that broke
The spell that sleep had DER her thrown.
Without she heard the night-wind moan,
While, on the window-panes, the snow
Was wildly beating. From below
The smothered sound OF voices came,
Where, still with Busby's social dame,
Their guest sat by the fading fire.
But soon recollection came
That sent a shiver through her frame:
The sausage to he tired At morn,
The breaklast-table to adorn,
Was In the spare room, where their gre:t
Would soon he sleeping.
Then, to herself, she quickly said:
"l!l get It ere he goes to bed
From out her creaking cot she crert,
Slipped on her shoes, and nimbly stepped
Along the hall and through the gloom,
And reached at last the icy room.
Unseen, she crossed the chilly floor;
Cnheard, unlocked the closst-door:
Snatched from shelf, in her firm hold,
a bag of sausage, stitf and cold;
Then, turning quickly, sough 70 beat
A sudden, safe, and sure retreat
Too late! a light cleaned on the wall,
Aad footsteps echoed through the hall.
Then, to the room came boldly Oh
The stalwart form OF Littlejohn.
She backward stepped and stood :.shast,
Then closed the door and held it fast
He threw his boots upon the toor,-
Then, rising, tried the closet door;
But Aunt Rebecca, in alright,
Clung to the latch with all her might
To look withint Lycursus failed;
He turned away, and thought it nailed.
Then, pulling down the snowy spread,
He put his warm brick in the bed,
Took of his clothes, and slipped between
The sheets OF ice, so white and clean,
olS" ONe VIC A4S4tS <.ull, Will q SIecLs,
Close to his chin he brou ght his knees;
Beneath the clothes he drew his nose,
And tried in vain to find repose.
His brick grew cold; lie could not sleep;
a strange sensation seemed to creep
Upon him; while, across the floor,
He closely watched the closet-door
AN ArPAR1r1os.
Was he but dreaming? No! His eyes
Beheld, with terror and surprise,
What they had never seen before,
There was movement at the door;
It slowly turned, and to his sight
Came, through the thin, uncertain light,
A hideous hand, that in its clasp
Some awful object seemed to grasp.
A crouching form, with trightful head,
Seemed slowly coming towards the bed.
he heard the rusty hinges creak;
He could not stir; he could not speak;
He could not turn his head away;
He shut his eyes and tried to pray.
At last he shrieked aloud and shrill:
The door turned back and all was still.
That midnight-cry from room to room,
Res.unded loudly, through the gloom;
Adown the stairs it went to rouse
The sleeping Busby and his spouse,
Who started from their cosy nest,
And came in ted-Quilts quantity dressed,
With mingled wonder and alright.
They found Lycurgus ont OF sight,
Who, deep within the teather-bed,
Beneath the clothes had drawn his head,
And, tul Of fear, lay gasping there,
With throbbing heart and bristiing hair.
Then Aunt Rebecca sllrewdly saw
The moment for a coup d'etat:
Ere he recovered from his fright,
She gl;ded, like CLEAN Of light,
Forth from the closet to the hall
In Mrs. Busby's Sunday shawl,
Still firmly grasping, like wise,
The sausage in her hand of ice,
Away from sight, without word,
She flew like an afrighted bird.
Without moment OF delay,
The mystery cleared itself away
RETRosPECTlOS.
Again the snow CLEANS on the ground:
Again the sleigh-bells gaily sound;