The Baltimore County union., 1881-01-29
PATIENT MERCY JONES.
Let US vcnerate the bones
OF patient Mercy Jones,
Who lies underneath these Il

Who lies underneath these ste NJ.
This is her story rs once told to me
by him who still loved her, as all men might Sec
Darius, her husband, his age seventy years,
A man Of few words, but for her, many ;caTs.
Darius and Mercy were born in Vermont;
Both ehildrea were ehris,ened at baptismal font
In the very same place, on the very same day
mot much acquainted just then, dare say.)
The minister sprinklcd the babies, and said,
"who knows but this couple some time may be wed,
And ! be the parson 20 Join them together,
For veal or for woe, through oil sorts Of weather "
Well, they rere married. and happier folk
Never put both their heads in the loy ing yoke
They were poor, they worked hard, but nothing
Tho 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 such times she seemed like the sister Of job
She was patient with dogmas, where light never
dawns,
She was patient with people who troi on her lawns
She was patient with folks who said blue skies
were gray.
Aud dentists aud oAcn that pulled the wrong way
She was patient with phrases no husband should
utter.
She wa. patient with cream ,ha, declined to be
butter;
She was patient with buyers with nothing to pay,
She was patient with takers with nothing TO say
She was patient with inilicrs whose trade was to
cozcn,
And groccrs whr counted out ten To the dozen:
She was paticn, with bunglcrs and fanlt-dnding &
churis.
And tall, awkward lads who came courting her
girls:
She was patient with crockcry no art could mend,
AID chimneys that smoked every da- the wrong
end:
She was patient with rcapcrs sho never would SOW,
Aud long .winded callers who never would go;
She was patient with relatives when, unlimited,
They came. aud devoured. then complained they
were sighted;
She patient with crows that got intD the corn,
And other dark deeds out Of wantonncss born;
She was patient with lightning that burned up the
hay,
She was patient with poultry unwilling TO lay;
She was patient With rogues who drank cider too
strong,
She was patient with sermons that last ei ,oc long
She was patient with boots that traezei up her
clean floors.
She was paticni with pcddlcrs and other smooth
bores;
She was patient with children who disobeysd rules
And. to crown all the rest, she was patient with
fools.
The neighboring husbands all envicd :se lot
OF Darius, and wickedly got q, plot
'lou think your wifc's temper Is proof against
But know Of something her smiles will abatc.
When she gets out Of wood, and for more i in.
elined,
Just send home the erooksdea lot you can find;
Let pick Il out, let us 60 and choose u,
Aud we'll be, you farm, when she comes for tC
use u,
Her temper vii, crack like Nathan Dow's eorne,,
And she'll be as mad rs an elderly hornet"
Darius was piquci, aud he said, with n rmm,
"I'il pay for the wood, IL you'll send IL hum;
But depend on Il, neighbor', no danger will come.
Home came the gnarlei roots. and q crookeder load
Never entered the gate Of Christian abode.
A rams horn was straighter than any stick in Il
IL seemed to be wriggiing about every minute;
II would not stand up. and il would not lie down
II twisted the vision Of one half the town;
To look at such fuel was really sin,
For the chance was strabismus would surely set in
Darius said nothing TO Mercy about i;:
IL ,ras crooked wood-eyen he could not doub, IL
But never harsh word escaped Ter swest lips,
Any more than IL 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 Mehitabie Drew.
Who was straight as die, or q gun, or nm arrow,
And who made IL her business all tnale hearts 70
harrow.
When the pile was burned up, and they needed
more wood,
"sure now unused Darius, al .iaL catch ii 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 scoid me. but now she will pout.
Aud say with sack wood she Is nearly worn out"
But Mercy. unrutHed. was calm, like the stream
That reflects back at evening the suns pcrfec,
beam;
Aud she looked at Darius, and lovingly smiled,
As she made this request with temper unriled:
1--WE are wanting more fuel, fm sorry 10 say;
I burn n great deal too much every day.
And l mean 20 use less than have in the past;
But get, II you can, dear, a load like the last;
never had wood that liked half so we'll
Do see who has nicc crooked fuel TO sell:
There. nothing that's better than wood full Of
knots,
II fays complete round the kettles and pots,
Aud washing and cooking really like play
When the sticks nestle close in charming way