The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1885-10-17
Ro""'s. 1"''aot'. j fiction.
PHINEAS OWENS.
COMMON CLERK AND POETASTER
y MEMOIR.
BY FOLGER NckINSEY.
~ NJ
BY FOLGER NckINSEG
CHAPTER III.

Phineas was, and Benny and l still
are ardent devotees at the shrine of
the month of October. Phineas loved
1t for its ''Arcadian simplicity" as he
glowingly termed it Benny adores its
harmonious influence" as he fondly
phrases it; and l like it very much in
deed for the blessed relief it brings after
the sweltering days of its predecessors
and for the temporary cloud Of rosy at
mosphere with which it obscures the
less agreeable breezes of the big city.
1t is a very pleasant month | think all
will concede, and | was not surprised
one morning when Benny came into
my office saying, "Phineas has had a
poem printed, Dan, and, just what we
might have expected from such hedg-
ling, its on our glorious month-Octo-
ber.'
October, bosh," | said, "why didn't
he make his first appearance something
on the heroic style, an Ode To Duty,
or one commemorative of Newton's
exploits, something solid and practical
not"
"Oh, stop, Dan wait till you read it
before sou criticise or make sugges-
tons. The young nestlings experience
many failure before they can brave
the stormy currents of the air like the
fearless eagle, and first chirpings are
always pitched in a low and initiative
key"
thought Benny very wise at that
moment and laid my pen down to take
the modest little rural journal he held
forth to lie and proceeded to read
Phineas Ovens first printed poem.
In the pile of remains" l find it as
he wrote it, on bit Of fancy French
paper, neatly folded and clean, and
previously confined IN the several folds
of the usual blue ribbon:
OCTOBER FIRST.
| All night from Southern skies of warmth
September breezes blew,
And morn looked o 'er the gold leaved hills
Through curtain clouds of blue
| Before, the architects of frost
Had built among the trees
Their mellowt tinted palaces
But now the warmer breeze
Swung meath the waNen, glowing leaves,
Enrolled III festal sheen,
And with its gentle breathing turned
Again their gold to green
Der hills and meadows stretching far
| New sunshine of the Spring,
Woke slumbering beauties of the woods
| Where shallow waters sing.
Far out Ger leagues of restless sea,
The gentle, holy day,
From wave to wave fast following
| Danced Winter into May.
And all the gladness in the air,
The spendor wonderful,
Lay DER the ocean and the land
Still. calm, and beautiful.
"Pretty, isn't it, Damp said Benny
when l finished. Gust the way h,
talks, heart and soul in the thing be
fore him, with eternal references tc
something beyond and above, some
thing unreachable, but with a subtle in
auence, felt by him yet never explained
because too mysterious, suppose
"Too ideal, rather, Benny. There are
other moods III which | like Phinea:
better than the one in which this poem
is written, sweet and peaceful as it is
but not human enough for him, Benny
Here are several little rhymed addresse.
of his that strike the human keynote
of fellowship and faith very closely,
think :"
LINES, tOR y FESTIVAL.
Through all life's aisles of joy and grief,
With sun-lit skies that FER them bend,
The gladdest moment, passing brief,
Is that when warm friend mneeth friend