The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-07-27
cRer GRAN'F'THeR.

What. take Gret Granr,her's muslset
Thet he kerried at Bunker Hill,
An 60 a-gunuin' for sparrers
With Solomon Judd and Biilf
You let that musket alone, Dan'li
An git down from tibet air stool.
You've Jest time enough to hold this yarn
A.ore ye go OF to school
Thar' don't ye wrirrle and twist. Sonny:
The yarns for yer own new socks.
It's safer to hold than muslets.
With their triggers and riggers and locks.
A musket to shoot at sparrers.
Well. boys is up to sech tricks'
And that old one. too, that amt been touches
Sence Seventeen Seventy-siy!
But set more store by its rusty stock
Than the fines: money can buy;
And if you'n stand Study. Danl,
III tell ye the reason why.
Ye never see Gret Grant ther.
But you've seed his pic.ur, boy,
With the siniiin' mouth, an the big brow
eyes.
Jes' brimu,in' with life an jog.
Well he warn't like that when seed him,
But his sparrit were lively s;:n,
For all his white hair an empty sleeve,
As il war at Bunker Hill.
An inany's the tire he told me,
Se.tin' here in this very cheer.
OF Tire fast time nc shouldered that musket
u the Continental Year.
Row gu: in the FIELD a-mowin',
He seed the bay'nets glance.
An ran for his gun with lighter heart
Than ever he went to a dance.
Jest as he warm his shirt sleeves.
For the weather war warm an bright
An no hat-but should'r rim his mrsllet,
Grct Granfther went to the fight
An thar on Bunker hillside
Whar the smoke hung thick an gray,
He went a-gunnin' fer r,edcoats.
AS you'd so for SPARE. to-day.
Hey' but the balls were whistlin'
An the flashes ken thick an fast. lz
But who's ever musket had fust word,
Gret nrther's had the last.
Then a gunner war shot beside him.
That handled six-pound gun;
An they called for nan to tend her,
An Gran'r ther SAID he war one.
81 aint never fired a gum" says he,
''Bus I'll do my proudful best.
An II all you want is a man. Colonel
I'm fnebDe as COED as the rest"
An reckon he war! for he s:oo. thar.
An fred that six-pouud gun,
Until every redccat within his range
Had either dropped or run.
Then. al of student, there came fash.
A crack. an a twinge, an a thrill.
An Cran'fther's right arm dropped by his
side,
An hung thar limp an still.
Jes' for a minute, I've heerd him say.
The hull world seemed to reel.
An hummin' sound war IN his ears,
Like Gran TIERS spinnin' wheel.
But he hadn't no time fer faintin',
Nor he hadn't no time fer pain.
s.It's well I'm left-handed-' says Grsa'fthcr;
An he Cred the gun again.
Bimeby, when the Colonel found him,
AFTER the fight war done.
He war tyin' all tlack like nigges
An senseless, along By the gun.
Then the boys made Kind O. stretcher:
An jest as they laid him atop.
He whispered: Thar warn't no balls. Colonel,
So was obleeged ter stop"
Yes. that war the way Gret Gran'fther ct,
An the way he lost his arm:
But he shot with his left till the land war
free,
An then he come back to the farm.
An he laid his musket acrost them hooks,
An thar it's laid TO this day.
An spite O you an the sparrcrs, Dan'L
Thar's Uhar its goin to stay.
The school bell! run now. Sonny boy?
An thank We fer staEdin' still.
What's that. ay! "Hurrah for Cret Gran
fther'
An "Hurrah fer Bunker HIM.
Hrs. Laura E. Richards, i've Iou,bs' Com
DdaiS.t.