The Osceola times., 1878-08-17
OLD ROBIN.
]. 7. TRowBRIDoK.


Sell old fobin, do you sayf Well, reckon not
l have l. / you have your way with the land,
With the meadows and the fallows draining
swamps and filling hollows,
And you'ie mighty deep, Dan Alvord but the sea
itself mas shadows,
And there are things that you don't understand.
You are not so green, Of course, to feed wOru-
Out Of pity or remorse, very long
Bat as sure as 1 am master Of shed and bit Of
Not Tor ali the veal h, warn you, of Vanderbilt
wili do old Robin there such wrong.
He is old and lame, alas Don't disturb him as you
lie, 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 we're young ard
gay together:
It was who rode him hrst-ah. the dsyi
was Just little chap, in first pantsloons and cap
And | left my mothers lap. at the door
And the reins hung loose and Idle, rs we let him
For my father walked beside me with his hand
upon the bride:
Ysarling colt and boy Of Ave. hardly more.
See him start and prick his ears see how know
ingly he leers
believe he overhears every word
md once more, II may be- fancies that he carries
While my mother from the doorway follows u,
with happy glances
You may laugh, but-well, Of cours. it's absurd
Poor old Robin does he know how used 10 cling
As rode him to and fro and srcund2
Every day as we grew Older, he grew gentler, |
giew bolder,
Till, hand upon the bride and touch upon his
shoulder,
could vault into my seat with bound
All, the nag you SO disdsin, with his scanty tai
and Dane,
And that ridge pole to shed rain, called a back,
Then was tsper-iimbed and glossy-so superb q
And he arched his neck, SO graceful. and he tossed
his tail, so saacy,
Like proudly waving plume, long and black
He was light Of hoof and feet, was supple, firm
in seat
Aad no sort Of thing With feet, anywhere
In the country, could come nigh us; scarce the
swallows could outfit US,
But the planet spun beneath u.s. aud the sky went
whizzing by us.
In hurricane made OF the air.
Then rode away to school fn the mornings fresh
aud cool:
'rill, one day, beside the pool where he drank,
Leaning on my handsome trotter, gancing up
To the Judges terraced orchard, there saw the
Judges daughter.
In frame Of sunny boughs on the bank.
Looking down on hose and boy, smiling down 10
sweet and COY.
That thrilled With bashful joy, when she said
Voice as sweet as q canary's-" Would you like to
You are welcome as the birds are there are nice
ones on this terrace;
These are white hearts In the tree overhead
Was Il Robin more than l. that had pleased her
girlsh eve
Az she saw us pranciug by hall, I Ifeari
black.hearts, sweet hearts, stra,ghtwayi
Boy and horse were soon familiar with the hos
pitabIe gateway,
And happy fool was l-for year,
Lord forgive an only child All the blessings on
Had but helped to make me wild and perverse.
What is there in honest horses that should lead to
vicious cosrses7
Racing betting, idling, tippling, wasted soon nay
best resources:
mall beginning led to more-and to worse.
Fatherr happy in his grave Paying mothers
Mine aatterer and a slave to her SON
Often Mary. urged and pleaded, and the good Judge
interceded,
CounseIed blamed, insisted, threatened tears and
threats were all unheeded,
And answered him In wrath; 1t was done
vainly Mary sobbed and chung; in fury out
flung,
To Old Robins back sprung. and awsyi
No repentance, no compassion; on plunged In
hesdlong fashion,
Through 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 reclaimed did her best.
Creditors began TO ciamor; / could only lie and
ktanmer
All we bad was pledged for pa, nent all was sold
beneath the hammer,
MY old Robin there, along with the rest
Laughing, jeering, stood by, with devil ia my
eye
Watching those who came to buy, what was done
l had then power to alter, looked on and would
not fslter,
Til the last man had departed, leading Robin BY
Then aov into the loft for my gun.
would shoot him no, said, would kill myself
instead
To lonely wood fed, on a hill.
Ieverses.
There / plunged in establishment, there 1 bur-
rowed In self-clrses;
But the dying put off-a men will.
As wandered back at night, something, far of,
caught my sight,
Dark against toe western light in the lane
Coming to the bars to meet me-some illusion sent
No, twas Robin my own Robin. dancing, whinny-
iRg, to greet me
with small white billet sewed to his name.
The small missive unstrung on old Robins neck
hung.
There cried and there clungi while real,
In hand knew was Msrys-" ODe whose kind
ness never varies
Sends this gift:" no name was written, but a
psinted bunch Of cherries
On q dainty little note, smiled instead
There he lies now, Iank and lame, stiff Of limb
and gaunt OF Frame
But TO her and me I he same dear old boy
Never steed. think, was fsfrer still zee him the
proud bearer
OF ny pardon and salvation and he yet shall be a
sharer-
As dumb beast may share-in my 10y.
It is strange that by the time, 1, man, am in my
prime
He Is guilty Of the crime Of old agei
But no tort Of circumvention can depr.ve him Of
his pension:
He shall have his rack and p's,ure. with little
kind attention,
And some years OF comior, yet, I'll engage.
By long service and good will he has earned them,
and he still
Has humble place to flI, as you know.
Now my little shavers ride him. sometimes two or
three astIide him;
Mary watches from the doorway while I lead or
walk be ide him -
But his dancing all was done LONG ago.
See that merry toddling lass tripping to and fro,
Little hsndfuls Of green grass, which he chews.
And the two small urchins trying 10 climb up and
ride him lying;
And, hsrd- hearted as you are. Dan Ell you don't
ssy you are cryinRf
Well. an old horse, after all, has his use