The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1882-09-21
FARMER SIEBBINS AT OCEAN
GROVE. -
DEAR BROTHER JOHN

DEAR BROTHER john
We got here safc-my worthy wife an me-
An pitched our tents within grove confirms
TO the sea:
We've harvested such means of grace as
growed within our reach:
We've tended all the mornin talks, we've
heard the Bishop preach;sss s
An everything went pleasantly. until we had
awhin-
Ny wife and lone breezy day, to take an
ocean swim.
We wouldn't ha' vent'red ont T tbinl, if
Sister SunnyhopeS
Hadn't urged us over an ag'in, an said she
knew the ropes =.
An told how safe an sweet it was .tin ocean
rills to lave,'
An sport within the foaming surf" and ride
the crested waVe:" u.5.ss
An so we went along with her--my timid wife
an me
Two inland noodles, for our first acquaintance
with the sea-.
They put me in work-day rig, as s'ally is
A wampus an short oyerhaulS all seyed I'M
into one.
I had to pull an fuss an jerk to make the
things go round
aYou are aware my peaceful weight will crowd
three hundred pound. y
They took my wig an laid it up-to keep it
safe they said
An strapped a straw-sack of hat on my de-
"a kVoea mead q 80
They put wife into dress too short by full
third f'"4 -
Twas some'at in the 'Bloomer' style am
looked bit absurd.
You know she's rather tallan' slim-somewhat
my opposite
AN clothes that are not cut for her areei;l,o,,y
not to tit;
But as we was we vcntred ip-my faithful
An formed our first acuuaintance with tb q
inconsistent sea.
Miss Sunnyhopes she went ahead, a-lookin'
She had her bathin suit all fixed an trimmed
from bead to feet:
An Nv wen en- tout an grabbed the rope just as
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 iump
here comes loceiy wave!'
time o the moon; .r=.e1-
AT any rate, the lovely wave occurred to me
too soon, ~
1t look me solid with a ru1e an uneynaotoa
IT beat the stoutest pair O. horns there is in all
my flock. 80 wa
An then, to top the circus out an make tho
act more fine,
tried to kick the lovely wave, reIinquisin
the line
On county fair an lection days in yyalkip,
through n crowd, Ni
I'm rather firm to iostle 'gainst-perhaps it
makes me proud;
But il it does, that wave discoursed how s,ro
ness meyer pays;
An seemed to shout: "How small is man, no
odds how much he weighsi"
1t sat on me- it jumped on me, in spite of right
or law,
An ,whisked an whirled me all about as if I'd
beena straw. sEs$aass xRkE
An then it laid me on the beach, right thank
fu for my life;
An ser serambin' up, I gave gaze to find my
But she had sort o cut the wave, with all the
An. eage sioo5 she slho1a had, -. =. a.,
moist and sad:
While Sister Sunnyhopes, with smiles, was
iookn proud an gay, *
A-floatin on her dainty back, some several
rods away. u
She looked so newsh-pretty there (an' knowed
1t too, the elf.
The crowd was all admirin' her, an so was
myself
An while again L grasped the line bside my
MY eyes lo1.id rove to Sister s., her beauty an
her youth; = NA
When all at once another wave, tremendous
, broad and deep,
Come sn;sshn' down on wife an me, an tossed
US IN a heap.
heeis overhead, allin bunch, my wife across
AN ! on some unlucky folks who happened
. thereto be;
MY bat united an foated Off. an left my bald
- head bare.
When we got out, if I'd ha' spoke, it would ha
49, warmed the air.
"earank good part of the sea-my gaspin'
sky. E~T s'ii ''' 'Ao
We voted that we'd got enough, an crawled
. out or the way ~"
- good-day N -A' sea
"elooked as like two drowned rats as ever
such was called, =
WIN no one of 'em mighty fool, particularly
put, IKE woman true, she said-my watchful
49, @lfe-to me: ss'-scT =
e VIII not mind; there's others here that
LOOKS as bad as we.''
NOW sister Sunnyhopes, by-'n'by, came back
as seek or sleeker than before. an asked us
when we went 10
says MY dear good Sister S., please do not /
y, now pretend ~
to9 aid not see our wage through, an mark
,. It's daeful end ' '-'',N
III You would play the mermaid fa;r 1vhy s,,o,
d have you be;
Dut fSt we re too old to take that part-my faith
ful wife an me'' -''A
~ ~ Carleton, in Harper's Weekly.