The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-11-03
WILLIAM brown, OF OREGON.
ny JOAQUIN MILLER.

They called him Bill, the nlfco iiiah'
And She they called her Mary Jane,
And lovers often drew rein
To chat and sigh as lovers can
Across the gate in snatch and CATCH
And women winkcd across their tea,
And said, and truly so thought he,
That She would make splendid match.
The hired man had loved her long,
Had loved her hest and first and last;
Her very garments rs she passed
For him had symphony and song.
So when one day. with brow a-irown',
She called him Bill, hc,raised his head
lie caught her eye, then faltcrln@ sa!o'
II love you, and my name is brown
She fairly waltzcd with rage; she wcpi'
You would have thought the house a-hre'
She told her sire, the portly squire
Then smclt her smelling salts and slept
Poor William did what could be done
He swung pistol ON each mp,
He gathered up great ox-whip
And drove toward the setting sun
lie drove across the great backbone of earth
lie saw the snowy mountains rolled
Like mighty pillows; saw the gold
or 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 tctcr board Of life goes up,
The tetcr board of life goes down.
The sweetest face must learn To frown;
Tie 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 signs Of turkey tracks
q, maidcns, 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
OF one poor cusscd African.
Than win the eyes Of every man
In love alone with his own face.
At last she nurscd a new desire;
She sighed, she wcpt for William Brown.
she watched the splendid sun go down
Like some great sailing ship a-iirc
Then rose and checked her trunks right ON,
And in the cars she lunchcd and lunchcd,
And had her ticket punched and punched,
Until she came to Oregon.
She wore blue specs 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 parasol
Her pocket held Testament,
And thu, equipped right on she went,
Went waterproof and waterfall.
She asked miner gazing down,
SLOW stirring something with Il spoon
To tell her true and tell her soon
What had become Of William Brown.
lie looked askancc beneath her specs.
Then stirred his cocktail round aud round,
Then raised his head and sighed profound,
Aud said, Hes handed in his checks
Then care fed on her damaged check,
And she grew faint, did Mary Jane,
Md ,melt her smelling salts in vain
Yet wandered on waywOrn and weak
Until at last she sat her down
Upon .,uping hill alone;
Nnd there, good gracious stood stone,
And 10, that stone read william Brown
20, William Brown. o. William Brown
And here YOU rest AT last she said,
with this lone stone above your head.
aud forty miles from any town
will pant cypress trees, viii,
Mud will build a fence around,
And viii lcrtilizr the ground
With tear. enough 10 turn Il mill.
She went and got hired man:
She brought him forty miles from town;
Then IN the tall grass She sat down,
And babe him bald as she should plan
But Digger hcrdcrs with their bands
They saw, and hurriedly they ran
And told Il bearded cattlc-mHn
That some one bllilded on his lands,
lie tooh - rifle from the rack,
He girt him in his battle pci,
lie thrust two pistols in his belt,
Then mounted on his chargers back
And plunged ahead. But when they shove,
\ women there, about his eyes
He pulled his hat; and he likewise
Pulled at his beard, and chcwcd and chcwcd
At last he got him down and spakc:
90, lady dear, what do YOU here
IL build a tomb unto my dear:
plant some flowers for his sake"
The bearded man threw his two hand,
Above his head, then brought them down,
And cried, "Oh, am William Brown.
And thj, l. the corncr.of my lands
Her spec, fell OIL, her head fell back,
Some like lifted teapot lip;
She scrcamcd-ths ancient maiden did
Then iainting, split herself, alack
Right in the beard of William Brown.
Then all the Dig@crs were amazed;
They thought the lonely maiden crazcd,
And, circling round, they squattcd down.
The preacher rode spotted mare,
lie gallopcd forty miles or more,
He sworc lac never had before
Seen bride or bridegroom half So fair
aud al the miners, they came down
And Toasted as the night advanced;
And all the Diggcrs drank and danced
And cried, Big Iniun, William Brown