The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1884-01-19
THAT BOSTON MAN IN OREGON

Two brothers loved a lady fair;
Dark-eyed was she and good TO see;
And Oh her black, abundant hairl
And oh her wondrous witcheryl
Her father kept cattle farm;
These brothers kept her safe from harm:
From harm of cattle on the hill;
The thick-necked bullocks believing D..
Above the morning loud and shrlll.
And lashing sides like anything,
And paving sand, 10 see the grand
Sun-burst along the valley land.
There was a third young man who came,
Twas said, from distant Boston town.
He was not handsome, was not game,
But he could cook goose as brown
As any man yet settled on
The ample shores of Oregon.
." Good brothers." meekly said this man,
As they, all jealous ragged one day,
d" have higher. gentler plan:
pray you heed what shall say:
Take up your guns, climb yonder hill;
While shall learn this maiden'S will.
e" 10 hunt with hound and gun all day
Then rest beneath the lordly firs
Forget your strife, forget the fray
About the lily hand of hers.
Yea, be good brothers. Sol Shake handsl
And now haste, climb yon lofty lands"
Two brothers sat the windy hill
Their rifles crossed their laps. and stili
They sat and sighed and shook with cold.
Their hearts lay bleeding far below;
Above them cleaned white peaks OF snow.
If could die" the elder sighed,
My dear young brother here might we'd"
Oh would to Heaven had diedp
The younger sighed, with Bonded head.
Then each looked each full in the face,
And each sprang up and stood in place.
Their hounds lay crouching slim and neat,
A spotted circle in the grass.
The valley lay beneath their feet;
They heard wi1a-Winnpd pnUlng
From peak to peak in clouds above;
Yet what could they but sigh and lover
% If could die"--the elder spake,
!" Die by your hand, the world would say
Twas accident; and for her sake,
Dear brother be 1t so, pray"
q" Not that!" the younger, signing, said;
Then tossed his gun and turned his head.
And fifty PAGES back he paced
And as he paced he drew the ball;
Then sudden stopped and wheeled and faced
His brother to the death and fall!
Two shots rang wild upon the airl
Two brothers still stood harmless therel
Two eagles poised high in the air;
Far. far below the believing
or bulioeks ceased, and everywhere
Vast silence sat oil questioning.
Ten spotted hounds ran circling round
With red, wet noses to the ground!
And now each brother came to know
That each had drawn the deadly ball;
And for that fair girl far below
Had sought in vain to silent fall.
Then each the other loved so well
Each spake. clasped hands, and broke the
spell.
" Now let us run right hastily
And tell the maiden truly air.
" Yea, yea. And if she choose not me,
But all on you her favors fall,
This fearful scene till all life ends,
Dear brother, binds us best of friendsl'
The hounds sped down a spotted line;
The bulls in tall abundant grass
Shook back their horns from bloom and
vine,
And trumpeted to see them pass.
They sought her GREATNESS, babe her choose
Which she would wed and which refuse.
Twas then this Boston man did speak:
Her father has n thousand cows,
An hundred bulls as fat and sleek;
He also has an ample house;
And SO I spoke to her." he said,
" And hastily we two were wed"
-Jodgnin Miller, in Terds S0tings.