Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-10-04
"ArrEMp FED SUI .IDE..

Your Honor, han got a word to say in my de.
feuse;
You've listened TO the painful Jacks, bu. eff it's
no offenSe
| FL tell you in simple way-I amt great on the
talk
whyfore a gray old chap like me wanted to
'eut the stalk"
Us forty year since me and Ruth wuz tied es
wife,
And nary mortal ever had truer mate for life.
In all them years We never had word as
you'd all cross
tBarrin' the Christmas Day she bruk the knees
OF JEFF, the hoSs).
We growed up like elm that runs two stems
from the same hole;
, Sometimes thought that over yond' WEI only
have one soul
1 never done thing l didn't ask her 'pinion
fust,
And Of ner than you'd think 1 found my own
way wuz the wust.
When nabevs asked me how's my farm I'd
erect 'em-say twas hern.
That Ruth done all the thinkin' work and
wuZ thar TO learn.
She saved and saved and paid and paid until
the place WIZ clear
Poor gal, she didn't 'spect twould go so soon ter
tn auctioneerl
We never had no chillen, barrin' Zach, and he
wer bad;
Cut off I'm hum and went to NYork ter larn to
write and add
SAID me ana mother Meant SeEse ter come IN
out the rain
'spect he's dead, or docterin' p'raps fer gram
mer on the brain.
That's years and years and years ago; but
Ruth she never blamed
The lad as gave US up 'acos of home he wuz
ashamed.
She larnt me how ter write quite good, a-sayin'
as our Zach
I'd be so proud his father knowed so much
when he got back.
But Zach he'd throwed US up fer good; and so
fer many years
His mothers heart wuz wearin' down with
floods of secret tears;
often catched her weepin when come in fer
my tea,
And thinks, Poor lass, you're breakin' fast
with too much constancy."
One stormy day she stayed abed, and 1 sat by her
side;
(The rain come down like Nrgra). just sat
thar and cried,
For she talked of sunny meadows, seemed ter
hear sweet songs afar;
And knowed the Lord had sent down word he
wanted her up thar
Then when she fetched around bit she says
ter me, says she.
Don't be too cross with Zach-and practice on
that capital D.
I'll tell the Lord how good you waz; although
He hears and sees,
And knows we never had no words 'cept bout
that hoss's knees"
It ketched me in tender p int ter see her thar
so sick,
Troublin' about my writin' and about my rith-
metic.
She took my hand, we kissed goodby, and
ranged ter meet agen
Where tears is tears of giadness and death can't
enter in.
Your Honor, when I'd buried her my life wuz
struck with blight:
There weren't blame thing round the farm
that could tend to right.
My thoughts weren't thar. One day took the
boss ter get shoe,
And woke up standin' by the stun readin' "aged
sixty.two"
And so at last 1 selled the farm and went ter
find that lad,
Thinkin p'raps he'd growed out of his shame
fer his old dad.
For twenty months I've sarched and s'arehed
and end up now in NYork.
All gone-too poor ter drive around and much
too tired to walk.
And then oh. blessed God I'm glad ye sped
that bullet wide
There ben tear in heav'n if had died
suicide.
His Honor's tainted Water here Where is
my specks? Jeewack
Ruth Ruth look down from paradise I've
found him. Here's our Zach !
Thomas Frost.