Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-09-03
OLD NlCK'S RACE

Old Nick strolled down the city pave
In search OF some lost souls TO slaVo'
For Pluto IN the furnace nav.
On on he strolled but none he saw.
ss'Tis queer" unused he, 'some months ago
took from here u score below,
MY luck, Ills bad but might be worse,
All! methinks see Chinese hearse'
"Behind III step as they go long,
Why, bless me, lis my friend Lee hong'
I'll disturb him not while on the Wayi
III ride behind the Chinese Jay.
As thus old Nick made up his mind
TO perch himself on the hearse benlndi
He heard dZZ, he saw some smoke,
strange time, thought he, for such JoAe'
Down stoney street, up alley dark,
Through Market square, then past the pafAi
Old Nick at tirst was much amused
But later thought himself abused
More dense the smoke, more bang, more nzz'
Fire balls round OLD Nick md wnlz'
With frowninZ brow anu livld face,
He gave Lee Hong lively chase
Kissing serpeuts with fiery tongues
AT Nick beIched smoke from out their iunRSi
The Chinese god with delight did erin'
And thought what u fool we've made OF him.
Through cleaning fangs dragon heAo'
At NICK spit IRE, as O. they speo
And names OF green aud blue and req
Ger choking Nick now quickly spread
Old Nick now rsved, lie fumed, he swofe'
His horns were slnged, he maily toIe
Al his kinking locks, and thought OF now
He'd look with lasnes on his orOW.
More powder fumes from fleeing hearse
Made old Nick stop TO breath ana curse,
Another turn quicker pace
Old Nick bewildered gave up the race
Though Nick no more was in the race,
For home he left in rapid haste,
"For Lee" he said, an come this night"
Then soon Old Mex was gone from siga''
Through trumpet rOared Nick, In tones Aiouu'
His imps came running IN crowd;
TO serve OLD Nick WAS their desire, -,
said Nick, ." 'Iis cool, how burns the nreF'
..In truth we LACED while you were gone,
We bathed quite much in the sulphur poho,
So refreshing cool the bath did seem,
In fact, Your Grace, twas four ninteen'
well. we'll " said Nick "enough Of this.
Now flee We SlI 10 tho dark abyss,
Uubgnk the fires and WORK ye we'll ,
Make seething flames burst DER ali hell.
The fires uubanked, they loud did roar
An imp worked at each furnace door,
The flames burst forth in mighty roar,
The impS perspireo at every pore.
,.Male haste " cried Nick, "aud cease ye not
mi We have the sulphur buDbhng not,
Blue flames shot forth aud carried round,
With a h0rrld Kissing serpent sound.
The irps danced round the seething pit
They grined, they yelled, the furnace spit
Hot sc0rching fumes right IN each TACO
But still not one gave up his place.
Now, fare the we'll, cried Nick I'm gone.
IN fetch to thee my friend Lee Hong;
No sooner had old Nick thus said,
Than from Hales he quickly he'd,
Now Nick soon found the Chinese route,
Ry brands Of fire, not yet quite out
on he strolled IN lelsurely way,
To where he knew Lee Hong now lay.
when at the tomb, he looked around,
Then glided through the new made mound,
TO Lee he stole, but not SQUAD
Smote the ear OF Lee within the ground
Awake; come Lee with me you go,
For your reception now b-low
My home Is warming, all agiow'
Arise, make haste, QUICK, not so SOW
Now gone, twas but the shortest space
TIL within the sulphurous place
Lee Hong now stood, with queue upright
He shrank in te,ror from the sight
A trumpet blast both shrill and loud
Brought the gruning lmps n crowd.
They eered ut Lee, they pinched his form, .,
"How cold, " said they, well make thee warm U"
They cast him in the molten lake,
"Ha! hal" laughed they, "now watch him
bake"
Me thinks. unused Nick, 'twould hayo wiser
been,
II Lee had lived more free from sin.
w S. Richardson.