Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1878-01-22


of, hearing the outcry OF her young ones.
hastened to their relief. No sooner had
she entered part of the way into the
hole "Sambo." who was on the watch
outside, seized and held her by the tail.
Thus suddenly enveloped in darkness.
his companion bawled out, "What de deb
bic stop de dark dere, Sanlbo ?" The lat
ter, struggling to retain his hold, scream
ed. IF de tail pnH out / guess you find
out mighty quick tohat stop de dark !"
Well, we had On embryo band in the
village, consisting, l remember. of one
printer, the principal landlord of the
place, the Judge OF Probate, and one or
two other musical geniuses. Their in
struments were bass viol, clarionet, and
two or three violins; and they used,
sometimes of a pleasant evening. to per-
form on the bell deck of the old church
belfry. which was very high and con-
tanned timber enough to build a whole
cathedral. To reach that point was no
slight undertaking and not little dam
gerous; nevertheless, these were enjoy
able concerts, as we'll for the musicians
as for most of the villagers. There was,
however. one maiden lady, we'll along in
years-a very good, pious body, 1t least
in her own estimation-"Aunt Kelly"
who regarded the violin as the DEVILS
instrument, and che missed no occasion
Of giving expression to her disapproba-
ton of all that sort of music. She at
length carried her opposition so far that,
returning one evening from a religious
meeting and finding on the card table in
the sitting-room of her clearinghouse q
fiddle, she deliberately took it, and. with
q tallow candle, creased both bow and
strings, and kicked it across the room!
This coming 10 the knowledge OF the
boys in tho printing office, song to the
tune OF Aud Lang Syne" was hastily
written and printed; and, with Il violin
accompaniment by the village landlord,
it was sung evening alter evening, not
only TO a crowded bar.room OF jolly fel-
lows. but to scores of other citizens, en-
bracing doctors, lawyers and judges,
within hearing. out Of doors. | wish l
had a copy OF this popular ballad, that l
might reproduce it here. / can remem-
ber only the first and last four stanzas.
1t commenced:
Awake, ye muses., and attend
While 1 q tale narrate;
Poetic gods, assistance lend,
To make the whole sedate.
Then, If my memory serves me, after
brief mention of local events and bio
graphical sketch of "Aunt Kelly" the
song ended as follows:
At church. one night, some hours she spent
so much revived was she,
She thought when to her house she went,
\ hddler she must be.
So TO her neighbor's room she dew,
As II on unknown wings,
A hddle from the table drew,
And creased the bow and strings.
Bat, nnding 7 would not go at that,
And being hard 10 learn,
She piled her foot 10 grcasy.gut
And make its bowels yearn.
Thus she her plety did show
To all within the place,
By trying with the nddle-bow,
To aid the cause Of grace.
of course, AUNT Kelly" was not lit
tie annoyed; and "brother Walton
sober, sedate and kind old gentleman,
who wore deep green spectacles, finally
came to her aid in long poem, in which
he resolutely took up the cudgels tor her.
We got the job of printing this poem, he
then not suspectng even that the verses
TO which his was an answer originated
in our office. This was rich fun for as
boyS. and we at once went in for re-
sponse, consisting, | recollect, OF an end
less number of stanzas, all OF which, as
we'll as a portion oil the ballad and the
whole of brother Walton's effusion, are
unfortunately lost to the literature OF the
AGE. Some of the sold folks" in some
way 90. wind of the contemplated re-
ioinder, and, on :heir earnest appeal and
protest that tie thing had gone Tar
enough. the rejoinder was suppressed
and never adorned type.-1he O'phenS.