The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-02-05
Our Young Folks.
a TALE, OF A COMET.

wv had seen the streaming mctcOrs' light,
With their trails of fire, the autumn night,
Aud talked Cf falling sky-rocks hurled
From some long.slnce exploded world:
~ comets friskiny among the stars
With tails likc fiery trains of cars;
And asked. "Shoud the reckless engineer
Of some rakish come, steer
Crashing into our a, atmosphere.
How would the planets shell resist him?'
Then We cOnverSed Of the solar system,
And lunar men;
Amt Doctor Zen
brought out his globe ut hllf.past ten,
ANA tecturcd. giving conclusive reasons
FOR tides. cclipses, cIimcs AMI seasons;
l!!l, weary at last went to bed
SMo moons ana comets and mctcorites,
Globes and circles ana p0it" nights:
And there lay thinking,
And drowsi.y winkiny
Az something's ray-,Aro' my bed-curtains
Too S br;::h,o for star, and growing Still
Making tho moon lighted chamber yet lighter,
Which very much astonishcd the writer!
gazed from the easement.
AND wondered, with eVer-increa,ing amaze
mcnt,
What the look of alarm on the Moons frown-
ing face meant.
For there was the Moon, and, strange to say,
Inere. ton. was the Earth, just over the way,
Like the Doctors globe. or huge balloon,
Forty times larger, perhaps, than the Moon,
AL covered with circles, ana looming in
space:
Jherc We're groups upon it, and every face
Was turned one way; and very long jOintel
Telescopes at the sky We're pointed:
And there, with u terrible rushing and hum.
ming
And Kissing of breath, was Comet a-coming!
So long and so queer, and as 1t came nearer
It grew every moment longer AMI vuecrer.
Until made out such Il cOulica chap,
IN Il red-innncl coat with Il very long Hap,
HIS nose peering out from very close cap,
Ills fingers i'll mittens, his chin in wrap.
Like tourist prepared for very cold snap.
On on he sped, through the regions of space,
Win very snort legs ut Il very long pace.
His well-illeil knapsack dashed on his back,
Extra shoes ana cantcen strapped under his
pack,
His cOat-tail flying away on his track
EntAngied far OF in the Plciades,
On the horns Of the Bull and OriOns knees.
On. on he came,
With nose like a flame,
So red WAS sure the fellOwd been drinking
lHls cantccn was empty, knew BY the clink-
land what can sober Comet be thinking"
cried, mot to see there, plain rs the day,
The Earth, like target, hung right in his
Tho groups were beginning to hurry about.
And hustle and hustle ana signal and shout.
And the Moon looked scared. while shrieked
out,
dear sir, beg pardon, don't know your
name
7
TO you, here's planet! don't think you
knew it;
But, sir, it will be
great favor to me
And very large circle of friends as YOU see.
fyoii t viii drive round it instead of right thro'
He put up bis head with stupetled stare. q .
And says he, ~ declare! b.
No, wasn't aware!
AND ] m going NJ such deuce of rate
"a stop If could. but fear it's too late!
Bless my stars! here ann He had Just time
When through it. hcad-foremost, he went at
As a circus rider dives through hoop!
With crash,
And smash,
And roar as Of thunder,
And shivered,
And flew asunder;
The Noon. looking down. shed tragical tears:
While winking hard and holding bis cars,
The Comet came out on the other side.
Wheeled round, swore loud. and ruefuily eyed
The ruin; sneezed two or three times; then
His long tail after him down the blue.
"Hcavens and earth! what have donel
This does beat everything under the sun!
don't care the wink of STAR" said he,
For all the damage done to me"
(Fecllng his nose. and then with fiirt
Carefully brushing away the dirt
From his coat und its stained and drag1lod
skirt
"But look at this dear little, queer little
planet!
I've done tho business for her. and van, it
Is quite too bad! Tue fairest Of creatures
How we'll remember her pleasant features,
The smile on her face and the light in her eye.
When I've touched my hat to her, hurrying
BY,
Many time, on my way through the skyi
tryy' -