The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1886-03-10
'OSTLER JOE.
The Poem Which Shocked Washington So
ciety.
Washington Capitnl.l

Washington Capitsll
Mrs. James Brown Potter read beautiful |
and striking poem by George r. Sims, an /
English writer, at the charitable entertain |
ment at Secretary Whitney's residence on |
the 18th inst. We publish this poem in full |
to-day in order that certain prudish people !
who have fancied that they were shocked on |,
hearing the poem read may peruse it and he |
assured that there was nothing improper |
either in the words or the tone of it. We
have heard '"Ostler joe, called "Swinburn-
lam in character, but such reference to it
would be made only by persons who either
never read this poem, or else never read
Swinburne. IL the object of public read
ing be not to put a lot of stupid people to
sleep, but to produce dramatic effect, then
Mrs. Potter exercised correct and praise
worthy Judgment in her selection of this
poem:
stood at eve, as the sun went down, by grave
Who lured mems souls to the shores of sin with the
light of her Wanton eyes,
Who sang the song that the siren sang on the
treaeherous Lurley height,
Whose face fair as a summer day and whose
heartswas as black as night,
Yet blossom fain would pluck to-day from the
garden above her dust
Not the dangerous lily of soulless sin nor the
bloOd-red rose OF lust
But a sweet white blossom of holy love that grew
in the one green spot,
In the arid desert of Phrynes life, where all was
parehed and hot,
In the summer, when the meadows were agIow
with the blue and red,
Joe, the 'oster OF the Maybe, and fair Anna Smith
Plump was Annie, plump and pretty. with a cheek
as white as snow:
He was anything but handsome, was the Magpie's
'ostler, Joe.
But he won the winsome lassie. They'd cottage
And hermatronhocd sat lightly on the village
beauty's brow
Sped the months and came baby-such a blue
Joe was working IN the stables when they told him
of his JOY.
He was rubbing down the horses, and he gave
them then and there
All special feed OF clover, just in honor of the
heir,
1t had been his great ambition, and he told the
horses so,
That the Fates would send baby who might bear
the name of Joe.
Little Joe, the child was ehrisened, and like ba-
He'd his mothers eyes OF azure and his fathers
honest face
Swift the happy years went over, years of blueand
Love was lord OF that small cottage, and the tenn
pests passed them by.
Passed them by for years, then swiftly burst in
fury DER their home.
Down the lane by Annie's cottage CHANGED gen.
tleman TO roam;
Thrice he came and saw her sitting by the win
And he nodded to the baby, and the baby laughed
and smiled.
So at last it grew to know him-little Joe was
He would call the pretty gemplin" as he passed
the open door;
And one day he ran and caught him, and in
child's play pulled him in:
And the baby Joe had prayed for brought about
the mothers sin.
Twas the same old wretched story that for ages
birds have sung,
Twas woman weak and wantOn and villains
tempting tongue;
Twas picture deity painted Tor silly creatures
ewes
OF the Babylonian wonders and the Joy that in
them lies.
Annie listened and was tempted; shewas tempted
As the angels fall from heaven, to the blacklist
depths of hell
She was promised wealth and splendor and a life
of guilty slOth,
Yellow gold for child and husband, and the wo-
man left them both.
Home one eve came Joe the 'ostler with CHEEKY
cry of 'Wifep'
Finding that which blurred forever all the story
of his life;
She had lefta silly letterthrough the cruel scawl
he spelt;
Then he sought the lonely bedroom, Joined his
horny hands and knelt
'Now 0 Lord, @ God, forgive her, for she amt to
blamel'' he cried;
For owt ia seen her trouble and 'agone away
and died.
Why, a wench like her-God bless her! 'twasnt
likely as herd rest
With that bonny head forever on a 'ostler's rag
ged vest.
at was kind o her to bear me all this long and
happy time,
So for my sake please to bless her, though you
count her deed crime
If so be don't pray proper, Lord. forgive me; for
can lax all right to Osses, but I'm nervous like
with Thee"
Meier line came TO the cottage from the woman
Joe the baby died that winter, and the man was
Ne'era bitter word he uttered, but in silence
kissed the rod,
Saving what he told the horses, saving what he
told his God.
Far away in mighty London rose the woman into
fame,
For her beauty won mems homage and she pros
pered in her shame;
Quick from lord to lord she fitted, higher still
And her rivals paled beside her the stars beside
the sun.
Next she made the stage her market and she
dragged Arts temple down
To the level OF show place for the outcasts OF the
town,
And the kisses she had given to poor 'ostler Joe
for nought
Win tnelr golu anu cosby jewels IlCn anu uueu
lovers bought.
Went the years with flying footsteps while the
star was at its height;
Then the darkness came on swiftly, and the
cleaning turned to night
Shattered strength and faded beauty tore the
laurels from her brow:
OF the thousands who had wOrShiped never one
came near her now.
Broken down in health and fortune men forgot
her very name,
Till the news that she was dying woke the echoes
Of her fame:
And the papers, in their gossip, mentioned how
actress lay
Sick to death in humble lodgings, growing weaker
every day.
One there who read the story in a far-of
country place,
And that night the dying woman woke and looked
upon his face.
Once again the strong arms clasped her that had
clasped her long ago.