Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1884-01-03


lie met the skeeter and the alligator
With these ne held "a solitary stray
Communion sweet. then tore himself away,
And yielding % inevitable scenes
lie turn'd him round and faced the PhiliS,ineS
With native zeal these Johnnie Rehs proceeded
To act n tho they never had sccedcd
They dineG and wined him more than can tcll,
They taught him now to give the Rebel yell,
They put him thro' the PAGES of the show
lie saw the elephant score OF times or 50
And must tell il ipelid, very limp,
They made him sick a-eatin' picked shrimp
- When lol along the throbbing wires lying
Was sent the news: THE President is dying !!
Lifcs whirring wheel in stanteT
s,lrd It's din
And Doctor Bliss prepared blllc,in.
Now later on where Western wilds invite
And Specklcd trout are nothing 10th to bite
Where canyoned pictures teach TO rany man
The scope stupcndOus Of daring Nature ri''h'
Our ApTUUg found quite prolonged retreat
From ycXlrg cares and vulgar Eastern heat
With saddle fcats. with sun dance and parade
The Indian sum of reverence was paid.
And when this Father turned him home again
\ host OF trophies follow'd in histrain.
These Yankee States have earn Il reputation
TO OSCAR WILDE and England scribe ol war
The massive FoRpEs we open'd wide the door;
Anon, with smile insinuatiYe. bland,
CApEL. the pric.tly, FASTENED tc oSr l9nd-
Then lordlv CoLrnipeg, with calm jaliciai eye
Surrounded by suite Of smaller Try,
OstenSibly to merely study vch
our institutions Caesar Whata selii)
They size him up, they calculate h's treasure,
And, lynx-eycl, take the staring Yankees
measure,
Then nimbly dropping TO The lecture game
They coin that whcrciOr, alone, they came.
And yet while snobs with Yankee wealth
combine
Where caa lvformers draw the neediul line?
If some had said few brief years ago
That Georgia would her STEPHENS honor so,
And that the BUTLER also would lc.omc,
4 governor, democratic, dumb
The country would have stood agsi'e
And duly doubted the impending scrarc
With all his wisdom Alecl was not wise,
4 peoples clamor gave him 10 the skies
While yet the other; Massachusetts, Ben
so differ the tcRperpmcnts OF mem
Still found in all the elements ofsiriic
The very essence of a lusty life,
With Southern spoons he s,irrd poor-housc
stcy
To find therein pointee sil 4 clue
To future honors. Nay The enc eyed bear
Has fx'd his ycarnings on the President chair.
Ancpt The Stay Route yerdict-cre | stray
Much farther onVard-lc' NE simply say
"Chet ARTHUR knew a little bit too much
Then let the Law those big Defendants touch.
Yet was il politir-moTeqver, something wise
To throw some dust into the peoples eyes
---Tha lcgal farce was acted with q VII,
The public pocket paid the heavy bill.
Behold Where long its stuntcd growth eon-
Contempt. and grim satire tiaycly held--
Anew il rises cleaning WondrOus Nkite,
\ soarihg shaft whose final crowning height
Shall dwarf aspiring effort, render small
The loiticst creation OF them all.
In close reunions all the summer thrc
The boys in grey have met them to ycuew
The stOred memories of fclicn CSusc,
Whese banners fell in blOoGie,t of wars.
The sovereign rights Of each proud Southern
state
They fought at desperate odds to ,indicatc-
While later on, TO palliatc his blame,
4 irauding President yields in part the claim.
OF in the i2-month, garbcd in soldier guisc,
Did cx-Confcds with Nankccs fratcrnizo.
The brave Fitz Lee and staff hobnobb d together
With York's superb 18Th, ia summer weather.
Anon. the Stoncwalls-brayest Of brigades,
The memory OF whose yalor never indcs-
The 25ih New York is hlg restored
And ioined hands across a shcathed sword
While Chrriestons Infantry aad crack Palmetto
Guards
Have so inspired Hartford lyric barls
They say tie shaking Palmetto tree in town
VIII ever bring throng Of nutmess down
Where Oak Hill muses. over ghostly dreams
And pendant foliage kiss the gurgling streams,
Was laid to rest, with tardy, loving care,
An cxiic's ashcs-a poet unaware
Uewrote 10 win an Authors latrcl crown
His country gave him only sparse renOwn,
But from. lis pen : simple lyric came
And 10 hc stumbled CT . Poets fame.
Let Civil Service tcin2t nay humble rhymes
And prove a worthy topic of the times
Whose hath taxes. great or small, 10 pay
Must toe the mark IN iinancnl way
lie may be dunccy-capnSt read atdll.
To write would floor him far beyond recall.
To him j. ciphering utterly unknown
lie sands perhaps, unle,tcrcd and alone.
And yet, u dcnf in faywise 2pPc;u
That dccpcxamins uIgc his fitness here
Orprying qlcr.cs dc.,c into his lie
To Gather points ancnt himself and wife.
The ycriest clod may. undisiurbcd and tsif'.
GO pay MS taxes 90 his Unce safn.
Nav. II he cdal.ics-hcsitant and Shy
4 legal process hits him in the eve
Bat let tAe man whose tithes are liquidatcL-
Whose hoard is thus materially ahatea,
With honcst purpose seek an Office tritlc
To clothc his baiFts--Ae.r' hungry panss Il
stihc
Yea. tho it were the mcrcst menial boon
To swab "a kali 10 clean a Zig spitt0on;
Hedgd in with queries, iinpudcn., profound,
10. Civil Service holds the vantage ground.
Clothed with authority. insOleut and big
Sweet samples OF the small oiiicia. prig--
( Examiners sit and. looking very wise.
/ Their own deficiencies striving 90 disguise,
! The mental probe which other minds prepare
Apply unto the stupid standing there
/ WHO wavers not. Each question finds reply
/ Tho twisted turned. his powers 10 defy;
/ And home Affairs minutely sired ihrJ,
/ TnbOsOmd arc in language good ana tflc.
lie thus doth gain the wonderful advance
Of stepping down and-waiting ga bis chance
What care officials. tho in deep distress
This honest man can scarcely tears reprcs'
Tfcg have the record vigiant ana clem
Ifcall'd confession il were more sinccEcj
The man l. gru;liy told 10 stand aside
To sec. anon, the doors thrown open wide
And Influence . scryllc homage win
While passing pEotegces unchahcnsed IN.
Whatm more inspiring ti.at Tie Oriole?-
Whose living tints we're sifted with q soul.
4 feast of color resplenSent in the sun
And swiftly deepening ss day was done
As summer sunset goLes the quiyering west
Z And gold and Opal fieck is crimson breast.
The g0reeoCs pieturcs. wrapped in mellow haz