The Irish standard., 1888-06-23
My Old Friend, "'lde Major Green

In the sunny land Of Texas. where Tom Cchil-
trees at home,
Where the CO1Vnan swings the lassO and the
wild jack rabbits ro;-.n.
Where the hearts eff gallant gentlemen are full of
sand and glow,
And the prairies laugh to plenty With the tickle
Of the home,
Where the vote is always solid on the Democrat
ic side.
And the Tariff Mills are grinding grist and
though: from far and wide,
Where tho hooking birds are singing On the
featllery mesquite trees
And the zephyrs soft are hinging sweetest fra
GRANGE to ths breeze,
Where the rustlers from the ranches chase the
wild-eyed maverick steer,
And the pitching pony Frances DER the dogs
towns far and near.
Where the Antelope is grazing, thirty miles from
Abilene,
There it vas met the Major, my old friend
1.-The Majah Green
He had led the Southern armies, when their ban
nars t1oatea free,
From the winding Rappahannock to the tropic
Mexi4ue Sea:
Aye, he told me the wontlrous stories OF the days
''befo tina wah.''
When he t'owned the pertest darkies,' "that was
raised in Geoja, sah;'
And he spoke about his boyhood in 81 "rah ole
Southern town.
brown,
Where they grew big sweet potaties,'' aud ''the
little brown goober vines,''
An tho roan. h1,aho1 f,-rova- ,,,aotl 20 ooft
wooing pines;
dell's'' frontier,
Where he founded Arson City" in the spring
time of the year;
Then he built his little homestead, garlanded
with eglantine,
grant jassau1ine;
lie was bluff and stout and hearty, rather courtly
in his nien.
Perhaps he was not educated as some tenderfoot
conceiyes,
But he scanned the books Of Nature while the
seasons turned the leaves;
He was very fond of hunting, that's tho reason
he liked me.
:" ~ time we roamed together O or the prairiee
VA broad and free,
There the Double Mountain standeth and will
stand for many day,
IT'LL the Seven trumpet scundeth'' and the earth
shall pass away.
Oft we watched the gilded banners of the golden
hours depart,
When the twilights richest beauty sheds it's
shadows Ger the heart.
Soon the evening fire was kindled and Wa rested
on the ground
While the breathing star shed Silence DER the
wilderness profound.
Then the Major told his stories. sang some deep
bass roundeiay,
To his Lilly Of the Valley or 'Old Dixie far
away.
Yes, his heart beat high. but kindly, square and
honest nothing neal,
Bout that ''Vetran. sab, ''the Majah,'' my old
friend the Major Green.
Hark the lenely doves are cooling In the weep
ing mesquite vale,
And the south winds sad are signing DER the
old Mckenzie trail.
For they miss that sturdy figure whose honest
feet have trod
Far beyond the sunset mountains where mis-
spirit went to God.
The prairie flowers are waving DER lonely lit
tie mound,
While the Major roans the borders of the happy
limiting ground.
Hehas crossed the Royal River that rolls on to
crystal seas,
Where he's found his old commander, Stonewall
Jackson, meath the trees.
They are resting from their labors; oh, know
that smile serene,
That in olden days nlumined our old friend,
the Major Green.
LARRY CH1TTENDEN.
CmTTENDEN's RANCH. May, 1888.
Major Rowan Green, q man universally liked
and widely known. found Arson City and the
Jones county Democracy; was County Judge,
stump speaker, antelope hunter, and rare old
Southern gentleman, sab Il. &. .
Il .4I3 Texas Western.