Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-12-26
PATIENT MEFcCY JONES.
BY JAMES II. FTKLps.

Let US venerate the bones
OF patient Mercy Jones,
Who lies underneath these stones.
This is her story, as, once told to NE
BY him who still loved her. all men might see
Darius, her husband, his ago seventy Sears,
man Of few words, but, for her, many tears.
Darius and Mercy were born in Vermont;
Both children were christenedat baptisTnal font
In the very same place, on the very same day
(Not much acquainted Just then, dare saw.
The minister sprinkled the babies, and said,
''Who knows but this couple some time may be wed,
And be the parson to join them together,
For veal for woe, through all sorts OF weather!
Wei, they acre married, and happier folk
Never put their heads i'll the same loving YOKE
They poor they worked hard, but nothing could
The patience of Mercy, or cloud her bright eye.
She was clothed with content as beautiful robe;
She had griefs-who has not on this changeable
globe?
But at snch times she seemed like sister of Job.
dawns,
She was patient with people who trod ON her lawns;
She was patient with folks who said hne skies were
And dentists and oxen that pulled the wrong way;
She was patient with phrases 40 husband should
utter,
She patient with cream that declined to be but
ter;
She was patient with buyers with nothing to pay,
She was patient with takers with nothing to say;
She was patient with millers whose trade was to
coZen,
And grocers who counted out ten to the dozen;
She was patient with bunglers and fault-hnding
churls,
And tall awkward lads who came counting her girls
Size was patient with crockery no art could mend,
And ehimneys that smoked every day the wrong
end;
And long winded callers whosnever would go;
She was patiens with relatives when, unlimited,
They came, and deyoGred, then complained they
were sighted;
She was patient with crows that got into the corn
And other dark deeds out of wantonness born;
She was patient with lightning that burned up the
hay.
She was patient with poultry unwilling to lay;
She was patient with rogues that drank cider TOO
strong,
She was patient with sermons that lasted too long;
She patient with boots that tracked up her clean
floors,
She was patient with peddlers and other smooth
Dores;
She was patient with children who disobeyed rules
And, to all the rest, she patient with fools
The neighboring husbands ell envied the lot
OF Darius, and wickedly got up a plot
To bring DER his sunshine unpleasant spot.
" You think your wfes temper is proof against fate
But ace know of something her smiles viii abate.
When she gets outof wood, and for more is inclined
Just send home the crOoEedeSt lot you can find;
Let us pick it out, let as go and choose it,
And Wen bet you farm, when she comes for 10 it,
Her temper viii crack like Nathan Dow's cornet,
And she'll be as mad as an elderly hornet"
Darius was piqued, and he said, with purn,
"Ill pay for the wood, if yosE'H send it hum:
But depend on If, neighbors no danger will come
Home came the gnarled roots, and crookeder load
Never entered the gate of Christian abode.
A rams horn was straighter thau any stick in il;
1t seemed to be wriggEng about every minute;
1t would not stand up and it would not lie down
It twisted the vision of one-half the town.
To look at such fuel was really sin,
For the chance was strabisnus would surely setin
Darius said nothing to Mercy about it;
1t aDas crooked wood-even she could not doubt It:
But never harsh word escaped the sweet lips,
Any more than if the old snags were smooth chips
She boiled with Them baked with them, washed with
them through
The long winter months and none ever knew
But the wood was as straight as Mehitable Drew,
Who was straight as die, gun. arrow,
And who made it her business all male hearts to har-
row.
When the pie was burned up, and they needed more
wood,
Sure, now" unused. Darius Is shall catch it good;
She has kept her remarks all condensed for the
spring,
And my ears, for the trick now deserve well to sing
She never did scold me, but now she viii pout,
And cay with sich wood she is nearly worn out"
But Mercy, unrufied, calm, like the stream
That reflects back at evening the suns perfect beam
And she looked at Darius, and lovingly smiled,
AS she made this request with temper unriled:
eve are wanting more fuel, I'm sorry to say;
burn great deal too much every day,
And mean to use less than have in the past;
But get if you can, dear, load like the last
never had wood that liked half so we'll
Do see who has nice crooked fuel to sell;
There's nothing that's better than wood full of
knots,
It fays complete round the kettles and pots,
And washing and cooking are really Like play
When the sticks nestle close in SO charming g way"
L. IA