The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-09-01
farmer sTEBBINs AT o0EAY
GROVE.
prxn BRorurR JoUS:-

FARMER STFBBINS At OCEAl
GROVE.
DEAR BRorHER JoHN;-
We get here safe-my worthy wife an me-
An pFsched our tents within a grove contig' VI
We've harvested such means of grace a
growed Within our reach;
We've tended ali tho mornin' talks, we've
heard the Bishoppreach;
An everything went pleasantly, until we has
Ny wife and lone breezy day, to take ar
ocean SWIM
We wouldn't ha' vsntrcd ont, I think. II
Sister Sunnyhopes
An told how safe an sweet it was s'in ocean
rills To lave
An -sport within the foaming surf = and .'rids
the crested wave:
An so we went along with her-my timid wife
Two inland noodles, for our first acquaintance
with the sea.
They put me in a work-day rig, as us'ally i:
A.wnInpus AN short overhauls all sewed up
h.t-5o pun an fuss an Jerk TO make. the
40: :: = <sss ss'a9f ~ ss.essl isas wll crowd
safe they said-
An strapped straw-sack of hat on my de-
voted head
They put my wife into dresstoo short by fun
Twas some'at in the ..Bloomer'' style. an
looked a bit absurd.
You know she's rather tall an slim-somewhat
an clothes that are not cut for her are likely
not to lit:
But as We. was we vent'red in-my faithful
An formed our first acquaintance with the
inconsistent sea-
Miss Suunvhopes she went ahead, a-lookin'
trim an sweet;
she'd had asr bathin' suit all fixed an trimmed
from head TO feet.
An went out an grabbed the rope, just as
she tod me to:
An wife come next. a-lookin' scared, scarce
KNOWN what to do.
but Sister Sunnyhopes to me a smile o sweet
ness gave,
An said: Now watch your chance, an jump
here comes a iorelv wave'
must ha' jumped. I ruther think, the wrong
time q the moon:
At any rate, the lovely wave occurred TO me
1t took me solid, with rude an unexpected
shock:
1t bat the stoutest pair o horns there is in all
An then, TO top the circus out, an make the
tried to kick the lovely wave, reIinauisin'
the line.
On county fair an lection days, in wall1in'
I'm rather firm iostle 'gaiust-perhaps it
makes me proud
But IL 1t docs that wave discoursed how sure
ness never pays.
An seemed to shout: "How small is man. no
odds how much ne weighs"
IL sat on me, 1t jumped on me, In spite of right
law.
An whiskcd an whiried me all about as II I'd
been straw.
An then it laid me on the beach, right thank
An scrambIin' up, 1 gave a gaze to find my
faithful wife;
edge she had,
moist aud sad;
While Sister Sunnyhopes, with smiles, was
lookiu' proud an gay,
A-fiOatin' on her dainty back. some several
rods away.
She looked so newish-pretty there (an' kuowed
IL too, the elf.
The crowd was all admirln' her, an so was
An while again. 1 srasped the line bside my
My eyes iootld rove TO Sister s., her beauty an
her youth:
When all at once another wave, tremendous
broad and deep.
Come snashn' down on wife an me, an tossed
us In a heap
Heels over head, alIin bunch, my wife across
O me.
An ON some unlucky folks who happened
My bat united an foated OF, an left my bald
When we got out. If I'd ha' spoke, it would ha
warmed the air.
We drank good part of the sea-my gaspin
While Sister s still fioated soft, again at the
sky.
We voted that we'd got enough, an crawled
out the way
Before another wave arrived, an bid the sea
goOd-day.
weIooked as like two drowned rats as ever
such was called.
With one of 'em mighty fool. particularly
bald.
wife-to me:
~We will not mind; there's others here that
looks as bad as we.
Now Sister sunnyhopes, by-'nby, came back
into our tent.
As sleek or sleeker than before, an asked us
when we went.
Says 1: my dear good Sister s., please do not
now pretend
You did not see our v'yage through, an mark
its doleful end.
IL you would play the mermaid fair, why, such
I'd have you be;
But we're too old to take that part-my faith
full wife an me-"
-WW Carleton. In Hdrper's Weekly.