Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-09-21
OLD ROBIN.
j. T. rRowBR1DeE,

]. T. TRoWBRIDGE.
Sell old Robin, do you say? Well, reckon
have let you have your way with the land
With the meadows and the fallows draining
swamps and filling hollows,
And you're mighty deep, Dan Alvord bu
the sea itself has shadows,
And there are things that you don't under
stand.
You are not so green, of course, as to feed {
wornout horse,
Out OF pity or remorse, very long
! But as sure as master of a shed and bit o
pasture,
Not for all the wealth, 1 warn you, of &
Vanderbilt or AStor,
| Will do old Robin there such wrong
He is old and lame, alas do not disturb him
as you pass
Let him lie there on the grass, while he may,
And enjoy the summer weather, free forever
from his tether.
Sober veteran as you see him, we were young
1t was who rode him first--ah, the day!
1 was just a little chap, in first pantaloons
and cap,
And left my mothers lap at the door;
And the reinS hung loose and idle as we let
him prance and sidle-
For my father walked beside me, with his
hand upon the bride;
Yearling colt and boy of five, hardly more.
knowingly he leerS
believe he overhearS every word
And once more, it may be, fancies that he
carries me and prances,
While my mother from the doorway follows
us with happy glances.
You may laugh, but-well of course it's
absurd !!
Poor old Robin does he know how used
to cling and crow,
As rode him to and fro and around ?
q
l grew bOlder,
Till hand upon the bride and touch
upon his shoulder,
/ could vault into my seat with bound.
All, the nag you so distain, with his scanty
tail and name,
And that ridge pole to shed rain, called q
back,
Then was taper-limbed and glossy-so superb
a creature was he!
And he arched his neck, so graceful, and he
tossed his tail SO saucy,
Like proudly waving plume, long and
black.
He was light of hoof, and fleet, was supple,
firm in seat,
And no sort of thing with feet, anywhere
In the county, could come nigh us; scarce
the swallows could outfit us,
But the planent spun beneath us, and the
sky went whizzing by us,
In hurricane we made of the air.
Then rode away to school in the morning
fresh and cool;
Till, one day, beside the pool where he
drank,
Leaning ON my handsome trotter, glancing
up across the water
To the Judges terranced orchard, there 1
saw the Judge daughter,
In frame of sunny bOugRs on the bank.
Looking down on horse and boy, smiling
down so sweet and coy,
That thrilled with bashful joy, when she
said
Voice as sweet as a canary's-"Would you
like to get some cherries?-
You are welcome as the birds are There are
nice ones on this terrace;
Those are white-hearts in the tree over
head"
Was it Robin more than 1, that had pleased
her girliSh eye
AS she saw us prancing by half, 1 fear!
Off she ran, but not a great way white
hearts, black hearts, sweet-hearts
straightway!
Boy and horse were soon familiar with the
hospitable gateway,
And happy fool was I-for year.
Lord forgive an only child All the blessings
Had but helped to make wild and preverse
What is there in honest horses that should
lead to vicious courses?
Racing, betting, tippling, wasted soon my
Small beginning led to more--and to worse.
Father? happy in his grave! Praying
mothers cannot save -
Mine? a fiatterer and slave to the son
often Mary urged and pleaded and the good
Judge interceded,
Counseied, blamed, insisted, threatened;
tears and threats were all unheeded,
And l answered him in wrath /; it was done
Vainly Mary sohbed and clung; in fury
out flung,
To old Robin s back sprung, and away
No repentance, no compassion; on plunged
in headlong fashion,
In night of rain and tempest, with fierce,
the blind and raving gusts, mad as
they.
Bad to worse was now my game; my poor
mother, still the same,
Tried to shield me to reclaim-dfd her best.
Creditors began to clamor; could only lie
and Stammer;
All we had was pledged for payment, all
was sold beneath the hammer,
My old Robin there, along with the rest.
teering, stood by, with pevil
those who came to buy, what was
done
1 had no power then to alter looked on
and would not falter,
TIL the last man had departed, leading
Robin by the halter;
Then flew into the loft for my gun.
1 would shoot him no, I said, would kill
myself instead
To lonely wood fed, on hill.
Hating heaven and all it mercies for my
follieS and reverSeS,
There plunged in self abasement, there L
burrOwed in self-curSeS;
But the dying put off-as men will.
AS I wandered back at night, something, far
off, caught my sight,
Dark against the western light in the lane |
Coming to the bars to meet me-Some illu" |
sion sent to cheat me-
No twas Robin, my own Robin dancing |
NUh n
With small white etseWed to his mane |
The small missive I unstrung-on old |
Robins neck hung,
There 1 cried and there clung while 1
read,
In a hand knew was Mary's-"One whose
kindness never varies
Sends this gift, n no name was written, bat |
bunch of painted cherries,
On dainty little note, smiled instead.
There he lies now! lank and lame, stiff of |
limb and gaunt of frame,
But 10 her and me the aame old boy
Never steed, 1 think, was fairert still see |
him the proud bearer
Of my pardon and salvation and he yet |
shall be O. Sharer--
AS dumb beast may share-in my joy.
It is strange that by the time, 1, a man, am
in my prime,
He is guilty of the crime of old age!
But no sort of circumventiOn can deprive |
him of his pension;
He shall have his rack and pasture, with a
little kind attention,
And some years of comfort yet, Illl engage.
By long service and goodwill has earned
them, and he still
Has humble place to fill, as you know.
Now my little shavefS ride him sometimes |
two or thee aStride him;
Mary watches from the doorway while ! |
lead or walk beside him -
But his dancing was done long ago,
See that merry, toddling lass tripping to and |
fro, to pass
Little handfuls of green grass, which he |
chewS,
And the two small unchins trying to climb |
up and him lying;
And, hard d-hearted as you are, Dan--eh you |
don't say you are cry ng?
Well, an old horse, after all, has his use!