The Cecil Whig., 1881-05-21
SELECT POETRY.
THE FIRST SETTLERS STORY.


.
EY WILL CARLTON.
Ii amt the funniest thing a man can do--
Existing in a country when its new;
Nature. who moved in lrst-a good long while
Has things already somewhat her own style.
AMI She don want her woodland >plcndors haI
tered.
Her rustic urniturc broke up and scattered.
Her paintings which lung years az" were done
by that old splendid artist king. the sun.
Tom down and dragged III Civilizations gutter.
Or sold to purchase settlers bread and butter
She don't want things exposed rom porch l.
closet.
And 80 She KIND - ua-> the inan who docs it.
She carries in her pockets bags of sccd>
AS general agent Of the thrlticst weeds:
She send. her blackbir,ls. in the earl! mora.
To sGpcrinteni his tiClds OF planted corn:
She gives him rain past any ducks DESIRE
Then maybe several weeks ui quiet fire:
Size sails nuSquto>-leechcS pcrchcd on wings
I" poison him with blood -dcNourin@ >tin%s:
Sh" loves her ague muscle to display.
And shake him up--Say every other day
With thoughtful. conscientious care she makes
Tnu>c traye!in' poison bottles. rattleSnakes
She finds time, 'mungs her other family cares
To kccpin stock good wildcats wolves. and bears
She Spurus his offered hand with silent gibcs.
And compromises " tth the Indian tribes
(tor they whovc wrestlcd with his bloody art
Say Nature always takes an Indians part
IN short hcl toll is every day increased
70 scare him ont. and hustle him back East:
Till i'm lily ii appears to her some day
hat he li ma de - 1-r.It tp
Then she turns round. as sweet as anything.
And changes from Il snarl into Il purr-
From mCther-in-law to mother H. it were
Well. when first infested this retreat.
Things to my view looked irightul incomplete:
But Nature seemed quite cheerful all about me,
A-carryin% on her different trades without me.
These words the forest seemed at me to throw
Sit down and rest awhile before you "o:'
From bees to trees the whole woods seemed to say
= y on re welcome here till You get away
But not for time OF any large amount:
SO don't be hanging round on our account.
But had come with heart thrift in my song,
Aud brought Iay wife and plundcr right along
| l hadn't round-trip ticket to go back.
And If had. there wasn't no railroad track:
And dri, in East was what couldn't endure:
l hadM't started on circular tour.
Ny girl-wile rs brave as she rood.
And helped me every blessed way she could:
She seemed to take TO every rough old tree.
As sing lar when first she took to me.
She keep our little log house neat us way
And once caught her iooling with my axe.
She learned hundred masculine things to do:
She aimed shot gun pretty midlfn true.
Although in spite OF my express desire.
She always shut her eyes before she'd fire.
She hadn't the muscle Though she hCG the heart
In ont door work to take an active part:
Though il our firm OF Duty and Endcavur
She wasn't silent partner whatsoever.
When was logging burning. chopin wood.
She'd lnger round and help me all she could.
And kept me freSh-ambitous all the while,
And lifted tons inst with her voice and smile
With no desire my glory for to rob,
She used to stan around and boss the Job:
And when llrst-clas> success my hands beieil.
Would proudly say u did that pretty well -
She delicious. both to hear and SEE
That pretty wie-girl that KEEP house for me.
Sundays. we didn't propose, for lack o church,
To have our souls left wholly in the lurch
And so l shaved and dressed up. wells l could
And did days work trying TO b" good.
My wife was always hanlhoX- sleek: and when
i OIu tat old hull's-eyc watch said halipast ten
| CTwas always varyn" from the narrow way
| And lied ON Sundays same as any day.
| The family Bible from its high perch started
| (The one her mother gave her when they parted
The hymn book. full ol mu>ichalm and frc
| (The one she used to sing i'll in the choir
| One sang with her from ave got it yet.
| The very urSt time that we really met
| Il rccoliect, when first our voices %ibCd
| a feeling that declines 10 he described;
| And when our eyes mct-ucar the second verse
| \ KIND ot "l&-acquaintancc look in hers.
! And something went from mine. which, | declare
| never even knew before wa> there:
| And when our hands t"uch"d-sii"ht as Sligi
| could be
! \ streak {" rwccteDcd tghtnin thrilled throu%
| me
| But that's enough Of that : perhaps even now.
| You'll think I'm softer than the law II allow:
| But you'll protect an old man with his age
! For yesterday turned my ci"hticth page:
| Besides. thrre'd be less couples falling out
| II such things were more freely talked about.
| Well, We would take these books sit down alon,
| And have Il two-horsc meeting, all our own.
| And read our verses. sing our sacred rhymes.
| And make it seem Il good deal like old times
| But finally across her face thcre'd glide
| \ sort Of sorry shadow from inside;
! And once she dropped her head. like tire
| flower
! UEun my arm. ana cried half an hour.
| l hnnorcd her until she had 1t out.
| And didn't ak her what il was about
| l knew right well our reading. song and prayc
! Had ne old times hack tup trup an
! square.
| The largely attended meetings morn and night
| The spiritual and mental warmth and light
| Her father in his pew. next TO the aisle:
! Her mother with the mother o! her smile
| Her brothers sly forbidden Sunday "cc:
| Her sisters ecn-a most a. sweet as she;
| Her girl and boy friends not too warm or cool
| Her little scrub class in the SUNDAY school:
| The social, and the singings. and the ball
| And happy home cheer waiting for them all
/! These marched in close procession through h,
| inind
| And didn't forget To leave their tracks behind
| Iuu married ,nen-therr'S many in my view
| Don't think your wife all wrap VI, in you:
| Don't deem though close her Lie TO yours ma
grow.
| That you are all the folks she wants to know:
| Or think your stitches form the only part
| OF the crochet work of Il womans heart.
| Though married souls each others lives may bu
nish
Each needs some help the other can not furnish
Well nei.hhorhoods meant counties in tho
days:
| The roads didn't have accommodating ways:
And maybe weeks would pass before she'd see
| y,Jl- F,,t
! The indians sometimes showed their sun-haiSt
| faces.
But they teen with cunN crsational gra"es:
| Some ideas from the birds and trees she stole.
But 'twaSmt like talking with 4 human soul:
| And finally l thought that l could trace
\ half heart hunger peering from her face.
| Then she would drive it back and shut the door
! OF course that only made me it more.
| 'Twis hard to see her give her life to mine,
| Makin" steady effort not to pine
| Twas hard to hear that laugh bloom out eac
! minute.
And recognize the seeds of sorrow In It,
| No misery makes IL close observer mourn
Like hopeless grief with hopeful courage borne
There's nothing sets the sympathies to paniu:s
| Like Il complaining woman accomplishing.
1t always draws my breath out into siyhs
To So" u brave look in a wumau's eyes.
Well she went on. pucl,y as could lie.
| Fightin. the foe she thought l did not see,
| And using heart horticultural powers
To turn that forest to Il bed of flowers.
| You can not check an unadmittcd sigh.
! And 80 had to suuthc her on the sly.
| And secretly to help her draw her load
And soon it came to be an uphill road.
Hard work bears upon the average pulse.
Even with satisfactory results:
| Bat when effects are scarce the heavy strain
| Fails dead and solid on the heart and brain.
And when were bothered. il will oft occur