The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1879-02-04
OLD TETE-ROUSSE.
A Remarkable Specimen Of the Art
Preservatlve.
A WANDERING Genius who Revelo
on the Road.


1t was about four weeks ago.
The door Of the room opened slowly, unit
At length it disclosed the hsrculean proper
tions of man over six feet in height, pro
portionately built, and crowned with . lib
eral shock of iron-grsy hair. His eyes ver'
black and piercing, and after leisurely
survey of the rom they rested upon ths
occupant Of the writing table.
Slowly sauntering into the room. he tool
three or four tacks, and finally rounded
10 and dropped into chair near the table
A vacant. meaningless smile played upor
his features, while his eyes burned With the
intense fires of insanity or mental stimu-
liant.
Looking up from work We nodded care
lessly, and said "howdy!"
He spoke not word. but bowed his head
and went to reading exchanges. Half "A
hour passed in silence, when We looked VI
at this Ancient Mariner on the typogra-
phical sea, and fired:
"Printer!"
The smile deepened, his head bobbed Wig
orously, his lips opened. and from soms
mysterious cavity came a piaintive bu
sspulchral,
"Y-a-a-s."
Delighted beyond measure At our success
We returned to the charge with:
7 "Where are you fronv
He steadied himself moment, made thu
entire sweep of . circle with his righ'
hand, and gasped:
"All-all over"
Laying down the pencil, We hitched ~
our chair little closer for fraternsl con
fab. But it was no use-his eyes wer'
upon an exchange, but his thoughts wer'
far, far away. In vain ws told him We wer'
q printer, and erst in the happy days agon'
had wandered from one end of the land L
the othsr-one night taking streak Of lesr
on the cherries prairie, and the next sirik
ing fat take ct . palatial hotel, wherea
there are still memories of departed-worth
| In vain We told him of once sffiuent lunch
routes, of the comforts of that Christian in
stitution kept BY the Immaculate Rev
Farmer. in St. Loun, and other caravan
sar,es of that ilk in various places. Not I
word could Ne get from our singular visitor
After about half an hour, he suddenly
sprang up and said:
II claim kinship with you"
THE dew" had just slipped from us il
establishment, but before We could get bach
to the family Bible and youthful memorie'
he placed four pages Of note paper on thu
| table and asked us to read it. 1t was I
poem entitled. "Deliria," and certainly
never before has such thoughts, such beau
tiful pictures Of imagery, been expressed il
such purity Of diction and musical Gov o
rhyme. II seemed some wild, beautiful
supernatural inspiration, that had beer
WINGED to some excited human brain, revei
ling in illusions and fsncies too fair fol
earth, We read it and re read il several
times. and asked him in astonishment
did you write this"
"Y-a-a-s," he drawled in reply.
"Let me have IT and We will publish il
with your name."
"Nosp" he answered decisively get
ten dollars for it East"
And he arose and waddled out OF the
room. A he got to the door he stopped
and said:
"Going to work in the job room. See
yer agin."
Well, We did see hin again, but We covld
never get that poetry or q copy OF IT. He
worked in the job room about two weeks
He was good printer, but as taciturn ~
an Indian, and as solemn n the most puri-
tanical bible-banger could desire. In fact
his visage wore look as If the burning
lake was only half q mile ahead. And
since that re have come to the conclusion
that that was about the exact distance.
He was regarded as rara aris, and his
solemn and digni6ed demeanor drew the
attention of al. 1t was thought he was
concealing his identity and that some day
q revelation would come that would As
tonish us.
II csmo
1t did astonish us.
One day the people in the front room
heard noise O. If herd Of Texas cattle
were coming up, that forty Comanches
we're twisting their tails to make 'em go.
The door few open with . bang. and in
rolled that Pious Pilgrim Printer, drunk
clear through down to the peg in bis shoes !
Well, he ripped around just like the rest Of
them for about half an hour, when, getting
dry, he toddled of to find "the boys" 1t
Is unnecessary to state that that night was
,pent in the moot delightful state Of exhli-
lration and several saloons.
Next morning, weak and detected, he
made his appearance in the Office and want
ID to cell the following poem for half .
lollar to brace up on. He got his money
md departed, and here. reader, is the
,oem:
TETE-ROCssE.
You may talk of your angels and hours,
Your fairies and beautiful sprites,
Whose grace supernatural sure Is
To thrill with ecstatic delights.
You may pirate Of your Fsphisn goddess.
Aphrodte, lovely and-loose;
There's fxirer form under the bodice
OF my cwn little darling, Tete-Rouses.
You may tell me Of naiads and dryads
And nereids fair to behold;
OF the seven sweet sisters, the Pleads,
With long, flowing tresses OF gold;
They may serve for poets ideal, 4
I'm sure they have no other use;)
For myself shall cling to the real
Plump charms Of my little Tete-Rousse.
Yes, speak well OF the beautiful women
Made famous in classical lore:
OF the dusky. 1.-the dsmsels that swim 10