Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-04-05
LINES TO FATHER TIME.

Oh, Father Time, thou autocrat of earth
Thou tender parent and thou stern old sirel
Thou ruler OF kings-thou beggars fr1endI
Thou prim infiexible, unyielding soul
Thou generous impartial, kindly one
In short, thou paradox-give me thine ear
I have no choice-the right or left will do
For I've goodly crow to pick with thee!
When first met thee in the long ago
Thou didst deceive me with thy tagging gait;
Didst bring me hours OF summer SO long ana
sweet,
When twilight seemed an age OF pearly gray,
And night itself star-emblazoned year!
When dawn was one long golden waiting time
OF longing for the matutinal meal!
Then winter SHOWS were full OF chilly joys
And spring and autumn fingered late and long.
I say thou didst deceive me, Father Time,
With thy slow motions in my careless youth.
For now that am old and full OF years,
And not one half so fit to cope with thee,
AS when my muscles were in plant state
And regularly exercised, thou com'st
And hurI lest me along at breakneck speed,
And driv me tandem with carlSing care.
Nor car st a bauble if 1 live or die.
I wear thy livery upon my brow
Thy snow-white livery thou lov'st to fit
On those thou put'st in harness.
Father Time.
TITS well for thee thou speedest on thy way,
For all mankind is trying with its might
To catch thee by thy forelock! Canst thou not
Consent to run along and leave me here?
I'd rather rest heap sight, by the way
Fen tho lose goodly deal or two
OF fortunes cutting of my own life cards.
VIVA: do owe thee, didst thou ask OF met
An introduction to q host OF years.
Who came as babes and left as aged men;
A little fame-a thing coveted
That men have sold their souls to thee for that;
A mate, whose sweetness, youth and loneliness
Thou tOOk's too soon away; little child
That thou didst lend me for so short awhile;
An ample store of worldly wealth, for which
l shaved for thee for many a weary year.
The while was in bondage every day
Thou stoodst some gruesome trouble in my
path,
And didst whip up the hours till each one few
To meet me- freighted with its load of grief.
Or did they promise gadness my poor eyes
Scanned LIES long highroad with eager
look,
Whilst thou, old man, didst check their feeting
Till futile longing murdered all my joy!
Thou brought'st dark hours for villains crafty
work,
When sleep sat my eyelids-placed by thee
In that position-and woke to find
The spoons and silver gone to foreign shores!
Thou CAV st wings to my creditors swift feet
And tied'st weight on debtors falt' ring limbs;
Thou bringst cold weather that doth eat up
coal
And sultry days that gladden. ice mems hearts
When wilt thou cease thy pickings at me, Ell?
When stop thy urging of my wearied form?
When use thy scythe and bind tired soul
Within thy sheaf of liberated slaves?
But shouldst thou do SO soon want TO know
If what have been taught is very truth
DoSt thy reign end with mortal life, oh, sire?
Will be rid of thee in the beyond,
And never have to hurry my way,
But sit beside the living stream and Joy
In all the great unendingness of life?
Come. Father Time now, honor bright, will
Be rid OF thee in that fair life to conner
hope SO.
Now, my wonder is that thou
Hast let E1e take up pen and ink and write
So long q space cen tho' write to thee
But wilt thou be so kind to other folks.
And let them read what have written here.
In anxious haste lest thou shouldst catch me
thus,
And shake thine hour glass in my very face
doubt it very much, oh, Father Time!
-Eca Best, in Detroit Free Press.