West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1881-06-01
Poor House Nan.
BY MRS. LUCY NJ. Blum.

r,,e been here long? Oh yes, sir tits thir-
ty winters gone
.,,.e moor Jim took to crooked ways and
left me all alone!
,,-, WAS my, son; and likeHer lad you'd
never wish to see,
.1 evil counsels won his heart and led him
away from me!
lis winding stair,
and men going down-and down-and down
to blackness and despair;
rossing about like wrecks at sea, with helm
and anchor lost,
I'M and on, through the surging waves, nor
caring to count the cost;
rdoubt sometimes If the SAVIOUR sees-He
seems so far away ....
Vow the souls He loved and died for, are
drifting-drifting astray!
Indeed It's little wonder, sir, if woman
shrinks and cries,
When the life-blood on RUNS altar spilled Is
calling to the skies!
small wonder if her own heart feels each
sacriicial blow,
gor isn't each life part of hersI each pain
her hurt and woe?
BEAD all the records of crime and shame-'tis
bitterly, sadly true;
Where manliness and honor die, there some
woman's heart dies too!
often think, when hear folks talk so pref
tily and so fine,
AlcnbnI n n n aad f1l fond IF AL n ,,,n<y
crate use of wine"
How "the world couldn't do without it, there
was clearly no other way,
But for man to drink, or let it alone, as his
own strong will might say"
That "to use it but not abuse it was the prop
thing to do,''
How wish they'd let old Poor House Nan
preach her little sermon too!
would give them scenes in a woman's life
that would make their pulses stir,
For was Il drunkard's child and wife-aye a
drunkard's mother, sirl
would tell of childish terrors, of childish
tears and pain;
Hcruel blows from a fathers hand, when
rum had crazed his brain;
he sways said he could drink his fll, or let
II alone, as we'll;
Perhaps he might: he was killed one night In
brawl-in u grog-shop HE'LL
would tell of years of ioveless toll the
drunkard's child had passed,
With Just one CLEAN of sunshine, too beautiful
to last!
| M cd TorS T ~I,A %@
had nothing more to fear;
mat life would come all right at last, the
world seemed full of cheer;
But he took to moderate drinking; he allowed
twas harmless thing, ..4
~Fhearrow sped, and my bird of Hope came
down with a broken wing.
ION was only a moderate drinker; all, sir, do
you bear in mind,
now The plodding tortoise In the race left the
leaping hare behind7
twas because he held right on and ON, steady
and true, If slow;
ana that's the way Pm thinking, that the
moderate drinkers go!
'~p over step-day after day-with sleepless,
treless pace,
while the topper sometimes looks behind and
tarries in the race!
all heaVilyin the well-worn path poor Tom
walked day by day,
'of my heart string chung about his feet and
tanglednp his ,oay;
'"e uass were dark, and friends were gone,
ana life dragged on full slow;
'"u cilloren came, like reapers sad to har-
=, vest OF want and woe! ..1-
ooi Them died, and was glad when they
,, lay before NE dead;
""a grown so weary of their cries-their pit
1ul cries for bread.
1''e came q time when my heart was stone /;
D.. could neither hope nor pray,
LON lay out in the potter's field and
!, my boy had gone astray.
wy VINO had been my idol; while like
D. mounds athirst for blood,
wen my breaking heart and him the
hquor-seller stood
ieu MIN on with his poisoned words,
H. MS pleasures and his wine;
'oD nave pity on other hearts, as bruised
anu hurt as mine.
were whispers of evil-doing, of dishon-
H.. OFT and of shame,
could not bear to think of now, and
n. would not dare to name!
""s hiding away from the light of day,
HIT ere was creeping about at night,
leu work of parting-then criminals
u. stealthy flight ...
ps were white with remorse and fright
Ana ~ nien he gave me goodbye kiss!
I've never seen my poor, lost boy from
'nat black day to this!
no put mother can tell you, sir, how
WIFI mothers heart will ache,
we sorrow that comes Of q SHINING