Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1889-11-22

won't 90 with the editor. Anyhow, I'll
| try few lines more"
The little clock licked monotonously
on the mantel. The fife burned low,
and Nellie put a shawl over her should
ers, for the room was growing cold. But
the chill air did not affect me. i was
stanZa came easier. What bothered me
most was the rhyme. I think, to the
best Of my recollection, that the second
instalment consumed half hour of in
tense thought I was better satisfied
than with the first stanza, because I knew
it was truer Here 1t is, just as read it
to Nellie:
His comb is as red as ruddy wine,
His breast is shining sheen:
But his carcass is safe from me and mine
We can't pick his wishbone clean.
The muse was rather skittish at the
third stanza. | coaxed her with pipe
of tobacco. the fumes of which made Nell
lie cough, and [ persuaded her to go to
bed. The clock struck II. The wind
ratified the window frame and [ began to
think that poets earned their money. [
almost fell asleep over this stanza.
While laboriously constructing it there
came a picture to me of the old farm
house in the Catskills, the table grOaning
with its weight of good things. It oc-
cured to me just here that [ was doing
the grooming now. When finished, after
many interliGeations and corrections, it
read as follows:
There was time long, long ago,
When deprived Of his featherY vest.
I seized his leg in my strong right hand,
And dissected his meaty breast.
By this time had got into the spirit
of my undertaking. The lines ran off
the end of my pen as smoothly as water
runs off ducks back. With conf
dent smile | finished the last verse.
The next morning had to fill up the
hole in ten-cen piece with soap and
ashes in order to deceive the tOll-taker at
the elevated railroad station All the
way down town | read and reread the
alleged poem, trying to perfect it. When
[ arrived in New York [ hesitated before
the big newspaper offices, afraid to go
in. At last [ managed to pluck up
courage enough to go up stairs where,
contrary to my expectations, L was kindly
received and was told that my poem
would be read, and if it possessed suffi
cient merit it would be printed. Twas
encouraging, to be sure, but what was |
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. 7 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 I started to walk
over the bridge just after sunset. The
wind blew cold from the northeast, and
buttoned my coat close to my chin. 1t
was starlit night. The great towers
doomed mp 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.
| could see the little waves capped with
foam 1t was fascinating sight, and L
felt strangely drawn toward the river
For a time | forgot the babies and Nellie.
| Behind me was the great, roaring city,
with its thousands of men and
women struggling for existence. i
had been trampled under foot in the
crush Why should | return and renew
the battle1 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; y
its shadowy, cleaning riffs, its miniature
malestroms seemed to my excited fancy
to saw: Heres rest for you. Wen
bear you away to dreamland, where hun