The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1878-10-03
From .he co..on Flela.
Man FIsKyuLE. Semi % -

NhAh CiahNllaLk, sept. 10, lSsS
Editors Democratic Statesman:
This letter is written by the parosys.
NAL light emanating from the latter.
end of e.fly, reinforced by the
htfu. flashes of an outdoor fire, With 4
spanking breeze tanning the flames ana
hlling my eyes with ashes and smoke
That is why l am weeping; the ashes
and smoke are the cause; / have no
grief potent enough to tap nv opt,oal
brine-kegs; but beside me. ON The
ground, sits little black ssNiobe. an
tears, like a miniature female Alexan-
der the Great done in ebony, weepina
because there is not another frying psn
TO lick.
The long days toll Of sheatine the
backs OF the cotton plants of their
soft white wool is ended, supper
IS over and the night wind is dan
ping our dew-stained tent threaten
ing to lift it away from its pegs
and poles, and send il sailing. like
goblin in mouldy shroud, to flight the
larks softly nestled in the bosom 81
the darkened land.
There be some of all sorts that tread
tn" primrose path TO the everlasting
bonfire; there be all sorts and condi.
tions OF men, who walk the gentle way
OF dalllance, who look upon wine when
II IS red and listen. TO the syren,s song.
Thus it is that many men of liberal
sttainments, wnh more brains than
cash, have gathered into the cotton
heids, where situations" are open to
the multitude. Editors, lawyers, doc
tors and preachers-ed.tors without
presses, lawyers without clients, doctors
without patients and preachers without
nocks--haye stopped to the doom of
Adam, and are plucking the staple from
the plants. Many odd characters are
oil our force in this field, and the
nightly bivouac Is often enlivened by
which would add to the IA.
cetious regulations Of Twain or
Billings, Last night, as we sat around
our campfire, a wanderer approached
from the highway, whose Rarb be-
tlayed him gentleman in embar-
rassed circumstances" Having given
his occupation as an inproDisatore, he
was offered his supper and permission !,
to sleep in a pen of cotton, il he would 4
exercise his gift. This the bard con
sented to do, requesting that theme
be named. Some one pointed TO
lady's cost-off shoe lying in the sedge,
within the fires light, and, without
further delay, the poet-for he was
poet-repeated the following verses IN
A cultivated voice:
~ TO A CAST OFF SHOE.
There was an old woman who lived In a aloe,
Is line OF a song have heard;
n childhood deemed every word OF n frue
With its rhythm and story absurd.
The years that haVe flown since the song died
Have impressed me with furrows ofHcarc
lave mixed In my whiskers the strands that are
And have robbed me of half of my hair.
he sight of shoe cast aside and clone,
Far away from the foot IL car esFed
nougn oI Iaded and broken and tattered aud
las implanted a sigh in my breast
The foot that once wore the old shoe has now
:, On the sand Of the shore cover There;p
'he vines dyed In scarlet have mnnrnfaly crept
fair.
here's Rdf sa1 many thorn that she trod upon heres
ler spirit may smile at the poets sad tear
That he drops on the thoe that she cast,
o rot all alone, in the wild praIrle grass.
,A mere Inc glow o m ereeps shining al night
II ssEfppn' 44iiafp pitt uoSgr out of EigiSf.
IL is needless, perhaps, to add that
he gifted tramp was afforded the best
n the camp and q breakfast added 10
he compensation offered at first.
We enjoy reading your excellent pa
(.
( Fiskville. Fiskville is great city
Is population numbers three voters,
nd the Greenbaekers only lack ono OF
aving two-thirds majority. They
xpect to gain rapidly If reports o
ssrshal Rnsselfs speech Satufdz5
an be kept away from the people.
Messrs. Editors, please excuse this
etter with its errors and absurditief,
8 it is my second attempt at writing
or newspaper. ] hope you viii
publish 1T just to encourage me. /
lon't make any charge for it. BY
rst attempt, which ! addressed to an
Austin paper, was rejected by the edI-
or, tossed scornfully into an alley and
aten by William goat, the property
4 Sheriff Corwin, used by him 70
tand two hours each day in
he jail in the place Of car
'olIc jug, to disinfeci, you know.
1t first ] got pretty mad, because my
irstborn literary child was doomed TO
urnish a goat meal without ever
ceiling the puncture Of copy hook
'ut called and was gently informed
hat the fate of my hapleas MS was
'ccasioned by my using this language
My back is sdn-scalded by picking
otton in SHIRT that opens behind.
made shift TO correct the difficulty By
'utting on my shirt back beforewards.
3f course such coarse language could
Tot find typographical co1ntenance in
he orthodox journal OF the capital.
NJ. 3. ID.