The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1882-10-14
AFTER THE SALE,

AFTER THE SALE.
The wagon, with high fantastic load
Ut household goods, is at the gate;
The shadows darken down the road;
Why does the old man wait?
Bureau, bedsteed, rocking chair,
Upturned table with heels in air
, Whatever the grudglng fates would spare
Lies huddled and heaped and tumbled there,
melancholy freight!
"Of al his riches.'' the teamster said,
Now only this precious pile remains!
| blanket and bed for his old gray head,
: For all his lifelong pains.
Hard case, own! hut they say that Pride
Must have fall" His ropes he tied
In the chill March wind, Hurry up!' he cried
And gathered in the reins.
The old wife bows her stricken face
On the doorstone, weary and worn and gray
The old man fingers about the place,
Taking last survey;
on the the empty NOW and the vacant floor;
All the gains OF his life have gone before
| And why should he care to stay:
Only stool with broken leg
The harness ls gone from hook and peg
Even the whip from its nail;
Dreary shadows hang from the wall,
70 friendly whnny from shed or stall,
| Nor unmilked heifers welcoming call;
The poultry and pigs have vanished, all
Swept out by the Sheriff sale.
/ Back to the door-yard we'll he goes
! For a parting look, a farewell drink.
How dripplingly that bucket rose
| And poised for hiff OF the brink
II the summers gone, and FLASHED his feet
When the men came in from the harvest heat!
How blessedly cool the draught, how sweet,
! I1s misery now to think.
What scenes Of peaceful, prosperous life
Once filled the yard. SO desolate now!
when he often would say to his pleased, proud
wife,
That the farm appeared. somehow
MOE More thrifty and CHEEKY than other mems
With Its cattle in pasture and swine in pens,
Beating of lambs and cackle2of hens,
And well-stored crib and NOV.
The early years of their proud success.
The years of failure and mutual blame,
Are past. with the toll of happiness.
And the strife that was sorrow and shame.
she came'to him hopeful and strong and fair
@ Now who is the sad wrath sitting there,
"lth nl her burden Of grief and her old thin hair
: Do you remember? This well,' he said,
Has sunk that summer when Jane was
She used to stand in the old house-shed
And blow the dinner-horn
IN after years-or climb q rail
Then run to the curb for a brimming pail.
When came up from the corn.'
His lips and heart long since were sealed:
whose memory IN their lives became
- sorrow that never has healed.
Her step is on the creaking stair,
Her girlish image is everywhere!
he hears her laughter. he sees her hair
Blow back in the wind as she comes to bear
Ills luncheon to the field.
Twas terrible wrong!' The old wife spoke
Swaying her gaunt frame to and fro.
III say it. now !" Her strained voice broke
Into n wall of woe.
1T hannts me awake it haunts me asleep!
And silence has been SO hard to keep
80 long-But there is q grief too deep
For ever man to know!"
A qnaver Of anguish shook his tone,
:. ~, His look was pierced with keen remorse;
Ihe blame. suppose, was all my own;
And have no heart, of course!
Great Heaven! nor any grief to hide.'
Lifting his gloomy hat aside
He looked up haggard and hollow-eyed,
Like one Uhnse burning soul had dried
his tears ut their very source.
?" No, no! don't mean that" she wept,
I've felt you suffering many day.
And often at night when yoI thought slept,
And when have heard you pray,
Until it seemed that my heart wonld burst.
1 claimed you were right and did my worst
10 force her to obey.
" For the dream of our lives had been to make
Our Jane lady fit for lord;
Our schemes were all for our children's sake.
And it seemed q cruel reward
To see her with careless scorn refuse
For all the arguments we could use
The man you most approved, aud choose
The one you most abhorred.
- But whea she had chosen and all was done,
You needn't have been SO hard and stern; !
We might have forgiven the poor dear one,
And welcomed her return. |
You never could know what she was to me,
You never will know how yearn to see
My child again-.how homesickly
yearn, and yearn, and yearn!
- She chose for herself, and who can tell?
She braved your will, it's true, and yet
She may; for all that; have have chosen we'll.
We chose for Alice, and unawares
Rushed with her into rich mans snares,
Who tangled us up in his loose affairs,
And dragged us down with debt"
= Well, well!"-with heavy sigh" Let's go!
Haven't been always wise. All, Jane!
something's might not be done Just SO,
If they were to do again.
But Alice is dead and the farm is gone;
Dur hopes, and all that we built them on,
Friends, wealth, are scattered hlther and yon,
And only ourselves remain.
These boughs will blossom and fruits will fall
The same! When changed the orchard lot
Ind fenced it all with good stone wall,
And planned the garden plot,
md built the arbor and planted trees, |
md made home for our pride and ease,
We little thought these were all to please
Strangers who knew us not!
o theirs will reap where we have sown;
But others never can, understand
What watchful caro- these fields have known,
Or how loved the land.
Iere maids will marry and babes be born.
he sun will shine on the wheat and corn,
,rops be gathered antLsheep be shorn.
But by strangers hand"
{
UNNATURAL Observation-Disclosures funda-
lental laws of nature are demanded by the
uman organism. As life requires constant and
egular action, there is necessarily continual