The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1882-09-15
William Brown, of Oregon.
BY JOAQUIN MILLER.

They called him Rill, the hired man, -
hut she, her name was Mary Jane, ::
The sQlIirc's daughter: and To reign
The belle from Ber~shC-bc tn Dan.
Her little game. How lovers rash
Got mittcns At the spcllins-<chool!
How many mute. inylorious fool!
Wrote rhymes and sighed and dyed -mustachc
The hired man had loved her long,
Had loved her best and first and last;
Her very garments as she passed -
FOR MIN, had symphony anu song.
So when one day with brow afrown =
She called him "Ril' he raised his head,
He caught hcr eye and faltering said,
III love You; and my name IL Brown"
You would have Thought the house on firt
She told her sire, the poTtly squire,
Then smclt her sincilina-SaltS AMI slept.
Poor william did what could Ia done;
lie swung pistol on each hip.
lie gathered up great oN whip
And drove toward tho setting sim.
lie 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 upon the piain.
Aud every night would William Brown
Eat pork and beans, and then lie 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 iorky sign Of turkey tracks.
The teter-iONrtt OF life goes up
The tcter-bOard Of life goes down.
The sweetest face must learn To frown,
The biggest dog has been pup.
O. mai,icns! pluck not at the air;
The sweetest flowers have found
Grow rather close unto the ground,
And highest places are most bare.
Why you had better win the grace
of one poor cusscd African, II
Than wi the eyes OF every man e..
In love alone with his own face. No
At last she nurscd new DESIRE
She sighed, she wept for William Brown,
She watched the splendid sun 20 down
Like some great sailing ship nn tire.
Then rose and checked her trunk right on;
And in the cars she mnched and mnched,
And had her ticket punched and punched,
Until she came to Oregon.
She reached the limit of the lines,
She wore blue specks upon her nose,
And so set out TO reach the mines.
Her right hand held Testament,
Her pocket held parasOl,
Aud thus equipped right on she went,
Went waterproof and waterfall.
She met a miner gazing down.,
Slow stirring something with a spoon;
40, tell me true and tell me soon,
What has become of William Brown?'
He looked askance beneath her specs,
Then stirred his cocktail round and round,
Then raised his head and sighed profound,
And said, Hes handed I'm his checks"
Then care fed on her damaged check,
And she grew faint did galius Jane.
And smelt her smelling salts in vain.
She wandered on weary, worn aud weak,
At last upon u hill alone
She came. and there she sat her down;
And, 10! that stone read, william Brown"
40, William Brown! o. William Brown!
And here You rest at last" she said,
with this lone stone above your head,
And forty miles from any town!
i will plant cypress trees, will,
And will build fence around,
And will fertiize the ground
With tears enough TO turn mill"
She went and got hired man.
She brought him forty miles from town,
And In the tall grass squattcd down
And babe him build IA she should plan.
But savage cowboys with their bands
They saw, and hurriedly they ran
And told a bearded cattle man
Somebody buildcd on his lands.
He took his rifle from the rack,
He girt himself in battle pct,
He stuck two pistols I'm his belt
And, mounting on his horses back,
He plunged ahead. But when they showed
\ wUiIan fair, about his eyes
lie pulled his hat, and he likewise
Pulled Ht his beard and chewcd and chewed.
At last he pat him down and spake:
~. lndy dear. what do you hereI'
- build u tomb unto my dear,
i plant rweet flowers for his sake."
The bearded man threw his two hands
Above his head, then brought them down
And cried, "Oh, nm William Brown.
And this Is the cornerstone of my landsH'
Her specs fell of, her head fell back,
Just like some lifted teapot lid;
She screamed, this ancient maiden did,
And, fainting, split herself, in fact.
Right In the beard of William Brown,
Then all the Indians were amazed;
They thought this gentle maiden crazcd,
And circling round they squatted down.
But William was gentle man:
He babe two Indians call the priest,
He bale Two more prepare Il feast.