The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1889-11-29

ers, for the room was growing cold. n,
the chill air did not affect me. ",
giving birth to a poem. The secon
stanza came easier. What bothered m
most was the rhyme. | think, to I'll
pest OF my recollection, that the secop
lnstaimcnt consumed half hour of ir
tense thought. | was better Statistic
than with the first stanza, because kne,
IL was truer. Here 1t is, just as read
to Nellie:
ms COMB is as rel as ruddy wine,
his breast is q shining sheen:
but his carcass is safe from me md nina
we can't pick his wishbons clean.
Tie muse was rather skittisb n. N,
third stanza. I.coaxcd her with - MIN
OF tooacco, the fumes of which made Mel
,ie cough, and l persuaded her to 90 {,
ped: The clock struck II. The winc
.a..ieo the window frame and 1 began t.
almost fell asleep over this otanza
While laborioasly constructing it there
came picture to me of the old farm
house in the Catskills, the table groanino
with its weight Of good things. 1t oc.
Cured to me just here that was doing
the groaning now. When finished, after
many interlincations and corrections. il
read as follows:
There was time long long ago.
when deprived of his feathery vest
seized his leg in my strong right hand
And dissected his mesty nreast.
By this time had got into the spirit
OF my undertaking. The lines ran of
the end of my pen as smoothly as water
runs OH ducks back. With a conf
dent smile finished the last verse.
The next morning | had to fill up the
hole in n tcn-ccnt piece with soap and
ashes IN order to deceive the toli-taker at
the elevated railroad station. All the
way down town read and reread the
alleged poem, trying to perfect it. When
arrived lii New York hcsitated before
tine big newspaper Offices, afraid to 20
In. At last l managed to pluck up
courage enough to go up stairs, where,
contrary to my expectations, Il was kindly
received and WAS told that my poem
would bs read, and if it possessed sutH.
cicnt merit it would be printed. Twas
encouraging, to be sure, but what was 7
going to do in the meantime for the
turkey
The day was spent in the usual way.
running around looking for Job and
finding none. managed however, to
earn fifty cents by carrying some coal
1t hurt my pride to do it, but the faces
OF the children rose before me, and I
would almost have committed murder
just then.
With heavy heart l started to walk
over the bridge just after sunset. The
wind blew cold from the northeast, and |
nuttoned my coat close To my chin. 1t
was starht night. The great towers
loomed up above me like entrances to
some gigantic temple. The river rushed
and swirled below, and reflected in silver
CLEANS the light from the electric lamps.
foam. II was Hhe ls Maxss taeAea- with.
felt strangely drawn toward the river.
For time forgot the babies and Nellie.
Behind me was the great, roaring city,
with its thousands of men and
women struggling for existence. 1
had been tramplcd under foot in the
crush. Why should return and renew
the battle? AS brooded over the river,
chilled to the marrow by the searching
wind, the water seemed to beckon me.
It's shifting currents whispered Come"
its shadowy, cleaning riffs, its miniature
ma alcstroms seemed to my excited fancy
to say: Here's rest for you. Well
bear you away to dreamland, where hun
ger and pain and sorrow are drowned il
the ncpenthc of eternal rest"
In this state of partial uncons"iousn.ss
l began to climb up the railing to reach
the roadway below, when policeman
touched me on the shoulder and told me
to 'move on" did move on, but in
dazcd, uncertain way, until reached
the Brooklyn entrance. Here the crowd
from the cars was pouring out in the
street like torrent, and in the crush
was hustled about and at last stumbled
into the arms OF n stout man mutiied in
an old army oyercoat. He held me away
from him by my arms. Then he shook
me and said:
"What's the matter with you, Tom2
Yc amt drunk, be yc?"
There was something familiar in the
voice, and looking up [ saw the homely
face of Sam Jones, OF Shandaken, before
me. Then came another shake, and this
time | came to myself again.
'.Bys George. Sam, Pm glad to sec
you,4 stammcred.
"Well, let's go an get somethin' to
warm you up. You're near froze, man. -
Thawed and melted by II steaming cup
of coffee, / told Sam all the sorrowful
story. How the children would be wait
ing at the station fo~ me expecting the
turkey had foolshly promised them and
my inability to procure it. I was inter
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