Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-07-15
THE BITTER TASTE.
Drinking the Dregs OF Remorse on
the Bridge at Midntght---A Daven-
porter Who saw Two Moons and
Felt HAD About it.

Felt Bau Ab0ut ~.
Every little while some of the Daven-
port ''bhoys" get tired of the monotoHous
hum drum of every day life over in
the quiet city across the river. and par
ty of four or more is arranged to come to
Rock Island and take in the town.
The other evening a small party of ;ovial
Davenport spirits came over in car
riage in the early twilight. and in street
psrlance had a bang up" time. BY and
by an overdose of Rock Island sel,zer be
came apparent in each member of the
Davenport coterie, aud il was suggested
that they start homeward. But dis
covery was then made-one of the party
mad become lost in the shuttle. Unfor>
tlnstely it was the married man of the
crowd. and the rest shuddered at the
thought of the warm reception he would
receive when he arrived home. Finally
rest the drove home without him. Shortly
s.terworls, q man might have been
seen taking a zigzsg course for the
bridge. There was certain unstesdness
in his gait which would have been rather
embarrassing in the full light of day
He managed to get by the water works
building and as far as the main bridge,
when he sat down near the guard house
and scrubbed the following prose poem"
laf / ~ -.
1t read:
Il stood on the bridge at midnight AS
full as whiskered goat, and the night
owl booted at me with envious mournful
note. | could hear his broad wings
rustic as they pounded the summer air,
and TO me they seemed To murmur Il
wish that Id been there" But turned
my head in sadness as | thought what
had done. and | saw two moons in the
distance where there should have been
but one. could see their bright reflec-
ton in the water under me, and won
dered how the dickens such things could
ever be. II only one had been there |
wouldn't a felt so bad, but two on EN-
Knocked me silly. and | thought was
goin' mad. So leaned my head on the
railing and the tears commenced to flow,
as | thought of the two moons sailing
and their shadows thrown below. And
beneath with sullen fervor / could hear
the waters roll. but louder than this was
the challenge of the island night patrol
How often, OH how often, in the days
now long since dead. have tried to walk
on the sidewalk but took TO the road in
stead How often, OH how often, do we
meet the man who's tried, to open the
door of his mansion with kew a world
too wide For the earth has gone on ever
in this smooth and slipshod way and men
get full on Christmas and many another
day. But If they feel like do when |
see two moons so plain they'll swear by
all that's holy that they won't get drunk
again. For my heart is hot and restless
and my feet don't seem TO track and |
watch and wait in the cleaning for the
rumble of hack.
But there is none to pity, and so the
sad lip huns the mournful and pensive
ditty of "the hack that never comes. .
And l seem to see in the distance house
with homelike view and window i:
softly opened while female head comes
. through. And l wiggle the erring latch
hey Ut tue ToIIluS' TetilhS door, I'LL
washbowl hutters DER me and / really
know no more. Such horrible dreams
come to me as | stand on the bridge to-
night, and say to myself that never will
/ again tight. But alack and alas for the
promise time goes on nimble legs and
tomorrow we may get full again as sure
as eggs are eggs. And tomorrow, again
at midnight, | may stand with temple:
sore and gaze at the rushing river to loot
at two moons more"