The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1879-12-04
FOR TIE n. P. FAR1En.
INe Bachelors Dream.

To old and young the law was read,
And in plain English tongue it said
That every bachelor in the town
Should we'd wife and settle down;
And with this law they must comply
Before single year went by,
Or de ath tie punishment would be
By hanging to the nearest tree.
The weeks vert past-full fifty-two
And poor bachelor case looked blue.
His time up his year Of grace
and death now stared him in the face
He had no frau" and SO, of course,
The Compton law was still in force
Foo, hopeless case! lie had 10 wife
He nov !ca:e or lose his life
Whc! woa'd he do? Flee from his claim,
Or stay ard die t'.a tn of Shame
On this grave thought he pondered Deep
Uny at length he frii s:eep,
Ecciiung in his OH chair
a rtEi:tt p;'ture of 'ies)iir
But an he in the char ciincu
Unto his agltated miEd
vision c,ine that much did cheer
His lonely heart and Danish lear.
I:e seemed to BE- with five or six
CT .om t,lons righteous bene.lictso
He dreamed 't"as III lonely wood
in Compton peaceful (?J neeh"orhood.
h:uce i'';ig from !; l.4 ge OAK limb
Ana 1'e he knew twas me ant for him.
his hands we're t;e.1ehn., his back
Then DER Biz eyes the ''cap Of black"
His executoncrs drew;
Then Ill darkness and he knew
Ills muneGts on this earth We're few. :
And all the mist}se'ts the past
Into his mind crwG,iug faot
And i'll his dream lie seemed to dwell
In some dark dungeon down i'll well
The name Just here vii: not tell.
Ee s:umo"rs on and seems to hear
His Prosecutors !aug and jcer,
And Hitng him i,snpHie for death,
Eet're tic rope should stop his breath.
I"t " he they were oer him ex,ilng
Ana making speeches most insulting,
He ut!e!s i'll his Wild despair
nlicf ont very sincere prayer.
o lend assistance, Gracious Lord
And send some friend to cut this cord
That holds my hands, ana let me- fight;
Ana each and every Comptonite
Here this ground, alone Iii face,
And WHY! by thine assisting grace
His prayer is answered, for he hears
A rush of feet, loud shouts anu cheers
Some heavy blows and then some curses
Two wicked to repeat in verses.
His hands and feet soon unt:cl
The hergnlans cap is hurled aside
And to his JOY and great surprise
Before the bachelors wondering eyea
A score Vt bachelor friends he sees
There with him meath the forest trees
The bene'icts lie on the ground
With hhands aud feet securely bound
These prosecuting benedicts
Are placed precisely in the FIX,
From which his friends had rescued him,
Their hopes for life seem very siin.l
Six ropes are now upon the limb.
The bachelors are holding court
Twas in " dead earnest, not in sport
And on this verdict soon .grre
That all m;1st haug upon the tree"
The bcnedicts plead for their lives
And snid their children and their wives
Would DER their txte weep and lament,
And humbly as1ed them to rclept
Too late. Too :ae,' the bachelor said
swell take your wives when You are dead
You made the law for us tis true
But We will use it now On youu
Prepare for death; the sentence passed,
Thi, very hour shall be your last
There's no appeal. You have no hone
AM, all must feel the fatal rope
Now in a Inc they al were STOOD
There i'll thesark aud lonely wool
Every benedict WAS hung,
And side by side their bodies swung
Til suidcnly the limb it broke
Aud then the bachelor awokc
moral from this dream we draw
Concerning Compton's marriage law
lis this Let bachelors take their pleasure
To woe anu we'd their wives at leisure
and do not drive them to extremes
Lest something worse result than tlreamS