The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1890-08-09
"ATTgMpTEp SUICIDE"


Your Honor, ha'nt got word to say in my de-
fense;
You've listened to the painful faclss, but of it's
I'll tell you in simple way-I amt great on
the talk
whyfore q gray old chap like me wanted to
''cut the stalk"
It's forty year since me and Ruth wuz tied as
man and wife,
And nary mortal ever had truer mate for life.
In oil them We hrs we never had word as you'd
cull cross
(Barrin' the Christmas Day she bruk the knees
of Jeff, the hoss).
We growed up like a elm that runs two stems
from the samo bole
Sometimes thought that over yond' we'd only
have one souli
Inever done q thing I didn't ask her 'pinion
fust,
And of'ner than you'd think I found my own
way wuz the wust.
When nabers asked me how's my farm I'd
erect 'em-say twas her'n,
That Ruth done all the thinlsin' work and wuz
thar to learn
She saved and saved and paid and paid until
the place wuz 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 of I'm hum and went to N'York ter larn to
write and add
Said me and mother hedn't sense ter come in
out the rain
I'spect he's dead, or docterin' p'r'aps fer gram
mar 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
'Ud 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;
offen 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 a'bed, and sat by
her side;
CThe rain come down like Nigra). just sat
thar and cried,
Fer she talked of sunny meadows seemed ter
hear sweet songs afar;
And lsnowed the Lord had sent down word He
wanted her up thar.
pnen Wnen Sne IctCneu urOuuu u Sue suyS
ter me, says she:
'Don't be too crosst with Zach-and practice
on that capital d.
I'll tell the Lord how good you wuz; although
He hears and sees,
And knows we never had no words 'cept bout
that hoss's knees"
1t ketched me in tender pint ter see her thar
so sick,
Troublen about my writin' and about my 'rith-
metic
She took my hand we kissed goodbye, and
ranged ter meet agen
Where tears is tears of gladness 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
hoss ter get shoe,
And woke up standin' by the stun readin' aged
sixty.two"
And so at last I selled the farm and went ter
find that lad,
Thinlsin' that p'raps he'd growed out of his
shame fer his old dad.
For twenty months I've s'arched and sarched
and end up now In N'York
All gone-too poor ter drive around and much
too tired to walk.
And then, oh. blessed Godi I'm glad We sped
that bullet wide,
There'd BEN q tear ia Heav'n IL had died q
suicide.
His Honor's faintedl Water herel Where is
my specksf Jeewack!
Ruth, Ruth look down from Paradise! I've
found him. Here's our Zach
Thomas Frost, in N. Y. Herald.