Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1890-08-28
Over the Hill from the Poor House

|. " no was ALWAYS counted, thew saw
Rather bad stick any way
Spniered all over with lodges aud tricks.
Known as 1.-THE worst OF the Deacon's six
|. the truant, Saucy and bold,
The one black sheep in my fathers fold,
"Onee on Time" as the stories say.
Went over the hill on winters day
Over the hill 10 the poor house.
Tom could save what twenty could earn;
But giNIn' was something he ne'er could learn;
Isaac could half o. the scriptures speak
Committed hundred verses a week:
Never forgot, an never slipped
But Honor thy father and mother" he
skipped,
So over the hill to the poor-house.
A. FOR Susan, her heart was Kind
An good-w bat there was of IL, mind
Nothin' too big. and nothin' too nice,
Nothin' she wouldn't sacrifice
For one she loved; an that ere one
Was herself, when all WIS said an done,
An Charley, an Becca meant well, no doubt,
But any one could pull en- about;
An sl O. our folks ranked we'll, YOU sec,
Save one poor fellow, and that was me;
An when one dark an rainy night
A neighbor's horse went out Of sight,
/ They hiched on me a. the guilty chap
/ That carried Que end o the hater-strap,
An | think. myself, thai view OF the case
Wasn't altogether out Of place;
My mother denied 1t, a. mother, do,
| Bat am inclined TO believe twas true.
I Though for me one thing might be said
| That |. ss well as the horse. WAS lead;
| And The worst Of whskey spurred me on.
! pr else the deed would have never been done.
I But the keenesi grief ever fel,
| Was vi hen my mother beside me knelt.
! An cried an PRAYED till melted down,
| A. wouldn't for half the horses Ia town.
I | kissed her fOnIly then an there.
| An -wore henceforth To he honest aud square.
| | served my sentence "A bitter pill
| Some fellows should take " no never VIII;
! Aud then decided to 20 -'out West
| toncludn' 'twoud suit my health The best;
| here, how ! prospcred. ! never could tell,
| But fortune seemed Ia like me well.
| An somehow every vein | struck
W a. always bubbu' over with luck.
An better than that. was steady an true,
An put my good resolutions through
hut | wrote 10 iru>iI old neighbor, an said,
You ten EN-. old fellow that am dead.
An died 4 christian; 'tw i'll please 'em more.
Than i | had lived The same a, before"
But " hen ihi- neicbbor he wrote to me.
y our neither, in the poor-hou-c.' -aN> he.
| tad i resurrection straiEhtWay.
An started for her that yer, d4v.
Aud " ben | arrived where WAS grown.
| TOOK gouL care that / shouldn't be- known;
through
~ some ono Charley had sold Il 10;
And held back neither work nor s0id
To fix IL up a. 1t WIS., al old.
The ZANE biz Fireplace wide and high.
/ lung IL cinders tow ard the sky:
The ola clock licked on the corner shelf
wound Il au' -e' It aGoin' myself;
IN u everything wa>n't Just the sane,
Neither nor the money was to blame;
Then-oNer the bill 10 the poor-hous
one BLOWN bl1.,crin' winters day,
With team an cutter started away
NJ, fiery naG- We're tiack a. coal:
They som. Al rc>smh.d The horse -iocl
! htchcd and entered the }oor-hru>o dior
4 poor OLD woman Wa >crubhin' the auor;
She arose to her feet 10 great surprise.
And looked quite STARTLED into nay rye~,
| >A~ the whole OF her troubles irscc
In the lines iha, marr,I her dear old face;
Mother" | shouted, your sorrows src
done
You're adopted along O YOUR hor.e-ihirf on,
Come oNer The aIH from ibc p,or.Aou-c."
She didn't faint she knciI hy m, side.
An thanked the Lord, tai fairly cried.
An may IL our ride wasn't pleasant and say.
An maybe She want wrapped up that daY
! An maNte our cottage wa>u't warm ali bright,
An maSb, It wasn't pleasant sight
| 10 see her a-:etiu The t,enln'- tea.
An frequently stopplu' an kt->iu' me;
An MAYBE We didu't i've happy FOR years
In spite Of my brothers and >i.ter-' sneer..
Who often said, s. | have heart.
Tt AZ they wouldn't own prison bird:
Though thoS r, Seitn' over thAi. | guess
For all .. en- ON mr more or lrs>
hut I've learned one thing an j, cheers man
IN AWAY. s-jo,ng he b,.t b. can.
That " neither. On thu hs book 4 blot
/ trrts over 4 fellows name or not,
han Mr. ~, 81 Is q s,t