Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1890-10-21
NEW SERIES, VOL. XIV, no. 42.
PoETIcAL.
MeckIenburg.

2
a Cat Tale and a Rat Tale Of th
Olden Time.
NJ ". D. BRGscoE.
On the Potomac's Southern side,
Where the sunlight loved to culver
Through gnarled oaks, the burgneF's pride,
Stands Mecklenburg above the liver.
Over the ridge 'twi1t houses brown
And the aspens' ceaseIess shIver
The narrow street came struggling down
In silence to the river.
Far distant through the oak and pine,
The travellers eye was able
To sec the tavern's swinging sign,
The spire and ehurch's gable.
About the old abutment wall
The idle angler tarried;
The boatman from his cobbler's stall;
Some Lorsemen ever ferried.
Anon the sounding smithy beat
The plow share worn from tillage;
Or dusty stage coach through the street
Woke up the gaping village,
I place for rest a plaee for dreams-
So quaint, so old, the hamlet seems
a kind of sleepy hollow.
And there the native dreamer ciings
To customs swaying DER him,
Wise in the same dull round. of thinEs
His father prized before him.
swearingehs of Batayian build,
Blaok-iettered Herr Bcdinger, .ii.
Hans Croft and Wessong of the guild,
The brawny anvil syingeri
Testy burghers with hats atilt,
And hardy sons of tillage, I.
Came from DER the seas and built
This quaint old German village.
Honest toll the gods invoked,
Content and thrift were neighbors;i
The plethOric German sat and smoked
And rested from his labors.
Shadows slept upon the stream
Below the mountaiu crested;
Ahd Indian summers placid dream
The town and vale invested.
Naught disturbed the towns rcpose
Or broke the tranquil slumber,
Save rats, and they at time arose
In vast and countless numbers.
Norway rats, old rats, young rats,
They infested house and stable; ,,.,
They ate the cheese and stole the eprats-
The dinner off the table.
They gnawed the bins and ate the corn;
They drank from pot and ladle;
They bit the men and maids forelorn,
The infant in the cradle;
Cut Dame swearingor's silken vest,
The Town Recorders dockets,
And even built their filthy nests
In the Burgomaster's pockets.
To rid then Of tho carsed rats
A'Couucil called determine .....-
To import at once three hundred cats
And extripate the vermin.
Whether Whittington's famous breed,
Or Ptolemy's race adored
cannot say; but In good need
They were at last secured.
From motley Tab and spotted pard
The increase was supernal;
and Thomas cats in every yard
Made Luna's reign Internal.
The vermin squeaked and scanpered,
AS pussy darted from her place
Upon the lean and pampered.
Philip left, but Claudius stayed;
Chung closer than a brother
Unfolding, like the Roman aid,
One evil for another
One stormy night of hail and snow
And wild winds weird laughter,
The hostel's frea genial glow
Lit tap-room, roof and rafterl
Herr Croft sippcp his mug of ale
(His thoughts with memory freighted),
Now saw again the Mossellc vale
The river castelsted;
The purple hills where sunlight clung
And breath of vineyard ladens-
The joyous song of vintage sung
BY the merry grape-stained maidens!
What happy visions of the past
VIII thought from memory borrow,
And as our eyes we backward cast
In bliss, forgot the sorrow!
Faded the 7ine-cIad hills Of tore!-
Herr Croft at last was mapping,
When, at the studded oaken door
Was heard a gentle tapping.
He started from his chair as would
One whose dreams u rude blow scatteres;-
Before him in the doorway stood
a storm-blown waif in tatters!
From whence he came. no one could tell
Not even Herr Yanmeter,
Tnarnad IN oroa,5 .F
and mysteries of st. Peter.
Herr Croft took in the storm-blown waif,.
Though his good frau fumed and grunbled
And limited, when she saught to chafe,
From virtues path he'd stumbled.
The lad n size (but not in grace)
land mischief grew capricious;
The glamour Of his willy face
Deceived. the most suspicioue.
The rustic lore of wood and wave
The STRIPPING mastered early;
The partridge with a simple staYe
He'd cal from ont the barley.
And the weird music of his flute
Seemed the me:lin of his wishes; ...,.--
It wrought charm DER bird and brute
To his net it called the hshes.
The hills grew green, the hills grew brown
The boy more wild and elhsh, ..
The pranks he played throughout the town
The good folks said we're deviliahi
at last. tie imp naught could escape,
By crime akin to arson
Blew up before the town agape
The parish gig and parson!
This proved, alasl the single straw