The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-04-25
DOWN 70 THE CAPITAL.

= -
ben down 70 the Capital At Washington,
p. C.,
Where Congress meets and passes on the pen.
Allowed 70 old one-legged chaps, like me, at
Don't wear their pants in pairs as all-and VII
how proud we arc:
Old F1ukens from our deestrick, jes turned in
and tuck and made
Ne stay with him while was there; and long.
er at 1 staid
The more KEEP a-wantin' jes to kind o. git
away
And Wit a-feelin' sociabler with Flukens ever
day.
You see. I'd got the idy-ana guess most
folks agrees
AT men as rich as him, you know, kin do jes'
what they please:
A man worth aaeks o. money, and Congress-
man and all,
And Twin in a buiidin' bigger an Masonic
Hall.
Now mind, I'm not a-faultin' Fluke-ne made
hts money square.
gittin' there;
weakened and onwindlessed, and he stuck
and staid and made
His millions: don't know what I'm worth un.
tel my PENSIONS paid.
But was goin' TO tell you-cr . ruther goin' to
To tell you how he's livin' now: gas burnin'
mighty nigh
In ever room about the house: and ali the
night about.
Some blame reception goin' on, and money go
in out.
They's people there from all the world-jcs
ever kind at lives,
injuns and all! and Senators, and REPRESENTA-
tives:
And girls you know. les dressed in gauze and
roses 1 declare.
And even old men shamblin' round and waltz
In with 'em there!
Aud bands a-iootin' circus-tunes way in some
Jes cnokin' full o. dollhouse plants and pinies
and perfume;
And fountains. squirtin' stiddy all the time:
and statutes, made
Out O. puore marble, 'pcared like, sneakin'
round there in the shade.
And Fluke he coaxed and begged and plead
with me TO take hand
And sashay in amongst 'em-crutch and all
you understand
But when SAID how tired was, and made fer
open air,
He folered, and tel five o'clock we set a-falkin'
there.
MY Godr' says he. Fluke says to me, I'm
tireder n you:
Don't put up yer tobacker tel you give man .
chew.
set back . leetie furder in the shadder; that'n
do:
I'm tireder n you, old man: I'm tireder your
.You see that-air old DOME" says he,
dumped up ag'inst the sky;
IT'S grand, first time you see il, but it changes,
by and by,
And then il stays jes thataway-jes anchored
high and dry
Betwixt the sky up yender and the achin' OF
yer eye.
"Nishts purity: not 50 purity. though, As what
1t ust to be
When my first wife was livin' You remember
herr says he.
nodded like and Fluke went on, II wonder
Knows where am-and what am and what
I lust to be!
.7hdt band in here!-I ust to think at music
couldn't wear
4 TELLER out the way it does; but that ANT
music there
That's jes q mutation, and like ever thing,
swear,
lhear. er see, er fetch, er taste. er tackle any
where.
ITS all ies artificial this ere hgh.priced life
OF ours.
The theory, it's sweet enough tel it saps down
and sours.
rhey's no home left, ner ties o. home about It.
By the powers,
The whole things artfcialer N artificial
fowersi
And all want, and could lay down and sob
Ter, is TO know
The homely things Of homely life: fer instance.
jes to g
And get down by the kitchen stove Lord.
that nd rest me So
joke, you know.
"Jes set there. like ust to do" says Fluke,
startin' in,
Feared like, TO say the whole thing over to
h!ssef agia:
Then stopped and turned, and kind O coughed,
and stopped and fumbled fer
Somepin er mother IN the grss s-I guess his
handkerchief.
Well, sence I'm back from Washington. where
LETT FIuke a-still
Aleggin' fer me, heart and SOUL on that air
Pension bill,
I've halfway struck the notion. when think
O. wealth and SIGH,
There's nothin much patheticker an jes
a-hein rich.
james whttcomo ley. in Century