Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1878-08-17

nave l't you nave your way Win the ltnd,
With the meadows and the iallOws draining
swamps and filling hOllOws,
And you're mighty deep, Dan AlvOrd but the sea
itself has shadows,
And there are things that you don't understand.
You are not so green, Of course as to feed woru-
out holse
Out Of pity or remorse, very long
Bat as sure as l am master Of shed and bit OF
pasture,
Not for all the veal h, warn you, Of Vanderbilt
or AstOr,
viii do old Robin there such wrong,
He is old and lame, alas Don't 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 we're young and
gay together
II was l who rode him frst-ah the day
was just little chap in first pantaloons and c1p,
And / left my mothers lap, at the door
And the reins hung loose and idle, as we LEI hi
prance and side-
For my father walked beside me with his hand
upon the bride:
Yearling colt and boy Of FIVE hardly more
SEQ him start and prick his ears see how know
believe he overhears every word
and once more, it may be, fancies that he carries
me and pranees
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 iro and around?
Every day as we grew older, he grew gontler,
grew bolder,
Till, hand upon the bride and touch upon his
shoulder,
could vault into my seat with a bound,
All, the nag you 50 disdaln, with his scanty tai
and name,
And that ridge pole to shed rain, called back
Then WAS taper-limbed and gOssy-sO superb a
creature was he
And he archet his neck, graceful, and he tossed
Like proudly waving plume, long and black
He was light of hoof and feet, was supple, firm
in seat,
And no sort of thing with feet anywhere
In the country, could come nigh us; scarce the
swallows could outfit u.s.
But the planet spun beneath US, and the sky went
whi2zng by us,
In hurricane we made Of tho air.
Then rode away to school in the mornings fresh
and cool;
Till, one day, beside the pool where he drank,
Leaning on my handsome trotter, gancing up
To the Judges terracel orchard, there | saw The
Judges daughter.
In a frame OF sunny boughs on the bank,
sweet and coy,
That I thrilled with bashiul Joy, when she said
Voice as sweet as canary's-" Would you Ike to
get some cherries J.
You are welcome az the birds are there are nice
ones on this terrace;
These are white-he hearts in the tree overhead"
Was it Robin more than /, that had pleased her
girlish eve
Az she saw us prancng by half, iearl
OF she rau, but not great way: white-hearts,
blaCk.hearts, sweet hearts, straghtwayl
Boy aud horse were soon familiar with the hos
pitable gateway,
And a happy fool was / for year.
Lord forgive an only child All the blessings on
me piled
Had but helped to make me wild and perverse.
What is there in honest horses that should lcad to
vicious coHrses9
Racing, betting idling, tipping, wasted soon nay
best resources:
mall beginning led to more-and to worse.
Father happy in his grave Praying mothers
cannot save -
Mine latterer and slave to her son
often Mary urged and pleaded, and the good Judge
interceded,
Counseled blamed insisted, threatened tears and
threats were all unheeded
and / answered him in wrath; it was done
vanlv Mary sobtCd and chung ina fury out 1
flung,
Toold Robins back sprung, and away
No repentance, no compassioni on plunged in
In night Of rain and tempest, with ferce, de-
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 Ieclaim-did her best.
Creditors began 10 clamor l could only lie and
stanmer
All we had was pledged for payment, all was sold
beneath the hammer,
My old Robin there, along with the rest,
Laughing, jeeriug, l stood by, with devil in ny
eye
Watching those who came to buy, what was done
mad then no power to alter looked on and would
not ialter,
Till the last man had departed, leading Robin by
the halter;
Then flew into the loft for my gun.
l would shoot him no, said, would kill myself
To lonely wood fled, on hill.
Hating heaven and all its mercies Tor my fOlies and
TeveIses,
There l plunged in establishment, there bur
rOwed in selt-cIrses
As I wandered back at Aight, something, far of,
caught my sight,
Dark against the western light in the lane
to cheat me
No, twas Robin my own Robin, dancing, whinuy-
lag, to greet me
VITA small white billet sewed to his name,
The small missive unstrung- -on old Robins neck
hung,
In hand knew was Mary's-" One whose kind
ness never varies
Sends this gift: :" no name was written, bat
painted bunch of cherries
On dainty little note, smiled instead.
There he lies now lank and lame, stiff Of limb
and gaunt OF frame,
But to her and me Inc same dear old hoy I
Never steed think, was iaiter still see him the
OF ny pardon and salvation; and he yet shall be a
sharer--
As a dumb beast may share-in my Joy.
It is strange that by the time, l, man, am in my
prime,
He Is guilty Of the crime Of old age'
But no sort of CircumvGntion can deprive him oil
his pension
He shali have his rack and pasture, with little
And some years of comfort yet, I'll engage
By long service and good will he has earned them,
and he still
Has humble place to fill as you know.
Now my little shavers ride him sometimes two or
three astIide him;
Mary watches from the doorway while 1 lead or
walk be ide him -
But his dancing all was done long ago.
See that merry, tOddlng lass tripping to and fro,
to pass
Little nRndfuls OF green grass, which he chews,
And the two small urchns trying to climb up and
ride him lying;
| And, hard-hearted as you arc, DANIEL you don't
say ! you are crying2
IIr.lI =. 4 49,. ~. Ill l..