The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1879-06-12
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THE LIGHTNING ROD DIsPENsRR.
Farm Ballad. gas
BYwILL oARLEroN.

| A'AA'N AsVD OAoA hNSHhs
Farm ballad. es Y
BYwILL oARLEToN.
II the weary world Is willing, rye little word 70
say ..
OF lightning rod dispenser that dropped on me
one day, t
with poem in his motions, with sermon IN hIs
men, NJ
with hands as white as Ics with face uncommon
clean b,
No wrinkle had his vestmenh and his linen elist-
ened white,
And his new constructed necktle waa an Intsyss,n,,
sight;
Which almost wished ha razor had made red that
whltesklnned throat,
And the new constructed neck.tle had composed
hangmans knot,
Ere he brought his sleek trimmed carcas for my
women ioiks 70 see,
And HIS rlp-saw tongue buzzn for To gouge cash
In me.
But couldn't help but like him-as always think
must,
The gold of my own doctrines In a fellow heap Of
dust
When fired my own opinions at this person round
They drew an answering volley Of very similar
sound
touched him on religion, and the hopes my heart
had known; .
He said he had experience quite similar TO my own
told him OF the dOubtlus that made dark my early
years;
He had lain awake till morning with that same old
breed + fears.
told him Of the rough path hoped to heaven to
go;
He was on that very ladder, only Just round below
| tol him Of my visions OF the sInhiness OF gain
He had seen the selfsame picture, though not quite
clear and plain. .IlIIf lIglI
Our politics was different, and at first he CALLED and
f WINGED; r .H. ri
But arged him so able, he was very soon convinced
And twas getting toward the middle ofA hungry
summer day; ''H
There was dinner on the table, and I asked him
would he stay9
And he sat right down among us, everlasting trim
and neat,
And asked q short, crisp blessing, almost good
enough to eati
Then he fired up on the mercIes Of our Great Eter
nal Friend, si.II ul..
And gave the Lord Almighty good, hrstClasS re-
commend; NM
And for full an hour we listened to the sugarcoate
Talking Ike blessed ange-eatlng like a-basted
tramp
My wife, she liked the stranger, smiling on him
warm and sweet;
ut always fattes women when their guests are on
the eat0
And he limited that some ladies never lose their
early charms ".H
And kissed her latest baby, and received It In his
My sons and daughters liked him, for he had pro-
gressive Views,
And chewed the quid Of fancy, and gave down the
latest news;
And couldn't help but like him, as fear always
must
The gold of my own doctrines in a fellow heap of
dust
He was spreading desOlatlOn through a piece Of
appe-ple
When he paused, and looked upon us with a tear In
And said. 20, happy famlly'-yOur blessings make
You call to mind the dear ones that In happier days
had
A wife as sweet as this one; a babe as bright and
fair; '...
A little girl with rnglets like that one over there
IwOrshiped them too ,bllndy l-my eyes with love
were diml
God took them to his own heart, and now worship
Him,
But had not neglected the means within my way,
Then they might still be living, and loving me to-
day.
zone night there came tempesti the thunderpeals
were dire;
The clouds that tramped above us, were shooting
bolts of fire;
In my own house /, lying. was thinking, to my
blame.
How little had guarded against those shafts of
flame, a riI .I.. 'I
When, crash I-through roof and ceiling the deadly
lightning cleft. 'aog
And killed my wife and childrenland only was left.
''slnce that dread time I've wandered and nought
for life have cared
Save to save others loved ones, whose lives have
yet been spared; Il
Since them 1t Is my mission, where'er by sorrow
tossed,
To sell to virtuous people good lightning rods-at
cost
With and strong protection I'll clothe your build.
ings DER.
Twill cost you Afty dollars (perhaps trlhe more)
What little else 1t comes to at lowest price I'll put
(You signing this agreement to pay so much per
foOt)
L signed 1t, while my family all approving stood
about, l.
And dropped tear upon it, (bnt It didn't blot out)
That very day with wagons came some men, both
great and small,
They climbed upon my buildings Just as If they
owned 'em ALI rrpr.,
They hacked enl, and they hewed em, much against
myloud deslresi
They trimmed em up with gewgaws, and they
bound em down with wires;
They trimmed EN- and they wired 'em, and they
trlmmedan' wired em STILL
And every precious minute kept a running up the
bill.
My soft spoke guest a-seeklng, did rave and rush
and run;
He was supplng with nelghbOr, Just three-mile
further on.
"Do you think" aercely shouted, that want
mile o. wire -
To save each separate hay-cOck out O. heavens con.
sumin' hreP
Do you think to keep my buildin's safe from some
uncertain hsrm2
I'm goin to deed you over all the balance Of my
farm"
He looked up quite astOnlshed with face devoid of
guile,
And pointed to the contract with reassurlng smile
It was the first occasion tn t he disagreed with met
But he held me to that paper with Armness sad to
see;
And for that thunderstorm, ere the rascal finally
went. 4.y,.- /
pad two hundred dollars, If paid single cent.
And If any lightnn- -rOdder wants dinner dialogue
With the restaurant department Of an enterprsing |
dog,
Let him set his mill arunnin Just inside my outside
gate,
And I'll bet two hundred dollars that he won't have
long to walt
q1artetY. |