The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1882-08-31
William Brown, of Oregon.
BY JOAQUIN MILLER.

They called him BILL the hired man,
But she, her name was Mary Jane,
The aQuires daughter; and to reign
The belle from Bcr-she-be to Dan.
Her little game. How lovers rash
Got mittens at the speliing-schOOl!
How many mute, inglorious fool
Wrote rhymes and sighed and ddyed-mustache
The hired man had loved her long,
Had loved her best and first and last;
Her very garments as she passeo
For him. had symphony and song.
So when one day with brow afrOwn
She called him "BIll," he raised his heau,
He caught her eyo and fnlterinS said,
II love you; and my name is Brown
She fairly waltzed with rage; she wept;
You would have thought the house on nre
She told her sire, the poftly squire
Then smelt her smellng-sats and slept.
Poor William did what ceuld be done:
He swung pistol on each hip,
He gathered up great OK whip
And drove toward the setting sun.
He crossed the great back bone OF earth,
He saw the snowy mountains rolled
Like mighty pillows; saw the gold
OF awful sunsets; saw the birth
or sudden dawn upoE the plain,
And every night would William Brown
Eat pork and beans, and thon lfo down
And dream sweet dreams of gentle Jane.
Her lovers passed. Wolves hunt in packs.
They sought for bigger game; somehow
They seemed to see above her brow
The forky sign OF turkey tracks.
The teter-board of life goes up
The teter-board Of life goes down,
The sweetest face must learn to frOWn,
The biggest dog has been pup.
o, maidensI pluck not at the air;
Tho sweetest flowers have fOun
Grow rather close unto the ground,
And highest places are most bare.
Why you had better win the grace
OF one poor cuBsed African,
Than win the eyes OF every man
In love alone with his own face.
. At last she nursed new desire,
She sighed, she wept for William Brown,
She watched the splendid sun 90 down
Like some great sailing ship on hro.
Then rose and checked her trunk M right ] on;
And had her ticket punched and punched,
Until she came to Oregon.
She reached the Limit Of the lines,
She wore blue speeks upon her nose.
Wore rather short and manly clothes
And SO set out to reach the mines. !.
Her right hand held Testament,
Her pocket held q parasol,
And thus equipped right on she went,
Went waterproof and waterfall.
She met a miner gazing down.,
Slow stirring something with spoon;
What has become of William BrOwnT'
He looked askance beneath her specs,
Then stirred his cocktail round and round,
Then raised his head and sighed pr"~ound,
And said, "He's handed in his check
Then care fed on her damaged cheek,
And she grew faint did gsllus Jane,
And smolt her smelling salts In vain.
She wandered on weary, worn aud weak,
At last upon q hill alone
She came. and thcre she sat her down;
For on that hill there stood stene,
And, lol that stoHe read, "WilliaA Brown"
40, William Brown! o. William Browni
And here you rest at last" sho said,
with this lone stone above yeur heaS
And forty miles from any towH!
will plant cypress troes, l WILL
And will build a fence around,
And will fertilize the ground
With tears enough 10 turn mill
She went and got hired man.
She brought him forty miles from town,
And in the tail grass squatted down
And bade him build us she should plan.
But savage cowboys with their bands
They saw, and hurricdly they ran
And told a boarded cattle man
Somebody bulded on his lands.
He took his rifle from tho rack,
He girt himself ia battle pclt,
He stuck two pistols In his belt
And, mounting on his horses back,
He plunged ahead. But when they Showed
A woman fair, about his eyes
He pulled his hat, and he likewise
Pulled at his beard and chcwed and cheweu.
At last he gat him down and spnke:
30, lady dear, what do you herer'
II build tomb unto my dear,
plant sweet flowers for his sake"
The bearded man threw his two hands
Above his head, then brought thom down
And criod, "Oh, am William Brown,
And this Is the corner-stOnc OF my lands!
Her specs fell off, her head fell back,
just like some lifted teapot lid;
She screamed, this ancient maiden did,
And, fainting split herself, i'll fact,
Right in the beard of William Brown,
Then all the Indians were amazed;
They thought this gentle maiden craZed
And circling round they squatted down.
But William was gentle man;
He bade two Indians call the priest
He bade two more prepare feast,
Then led her, blushing, by the hand.
Like some sweet maiden in sweet May.
He was 80 good, no was 80 true,
He did not know what else to do,
But led her round and round all day.
At last the priest, on spotted mare
Who gallOped forty miles or more,
He found them in the grasses sore
And married them right then and there.
Then oil the cowboys they came down
And feasted as the night advanced,
And all the diggers drank and danced,
And cried, "Big Injin, William Brown"