The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-01-12
AN. EVERYDAY REALIsT.

No doubt I'm one Of the big coarse crowd that
men Of learning oft rate as fools,
That work for bread when they've snatched
their chance Of few feet years at the
common schools
I'm only carpenter that lives In cheap New
York Eighth avenue fat,
With plain but tender and trus ting wife and
ore boy-baby, funny and fat
Ye. It cheers II read, for an hour or more
Cvhen Tn not too tired TO keep from bed),
Ard choose past all what the poets wrlte,
with their rhymes that haunt me in heart
and head;
For the trip and the tinkle. the swing and ring
have way Of setting ny blood agloE,
Ike the gurgIes from cold noss-bordered
brooks, when vtIlcv-stems feather and
souts winds blow.
Una city-bred fellow, and yet I've gained some
few glad gIimpses Of stream. and trees;
fnstfs why nearly all OF my favorite verse is
SO flied with the echoes Of birds and bees
Yet can't help wishing some poet would dress
his relodious language In spells that deal
With the tunes and tfnts Of such days IS mine,
their cares and comforts, their woe and
veal
rshould love some poem that deigned TO tell Of
my toll with chisel and adze and saw,
OF nv resolute hammer, my vhistling plane
my tawry shavings, my plauk's tough
rshould love the laugh Of the lines TO trill with
nv Mary's voice and my babes gay coo:
should love the light Of the lines 70 beam with
their four sweet eyes OF SO bland blue
zshould love 10 read Of the Iovlier lot which is
mine and peoples OF my degree
The neat, prim parior. the stubborn stove, the
company coming for Sunday tea;
The vide-open windows while sumner oroods'
the jingle Of ears in hot streets unclean'
TIE holiday spent az west Brighton beach and
the planning Of !sst what It's cost may
The griry italian, whose FULFILLED stall
brings blaze from the TROPICS beneath
alien SKY;
The youngsters that pause at the candy-shop's
pane and babble OF what they would like
10 buy,
The sad child's funeral Just next door, with its
white glazed nearse and its mourners pale;
TIE wedding near by. at the church round the
block where the brides TOO poor for the
price OF a veil;
The butcher that cleaves his chops and steaks,
with breakdown visaCe as red as they;
TIE baker that clutches his copper coin foc
leaves that to many are LIES one stay;
The staggering topper that slips beneath some
pawnhroker's triple golden sign;
THE var-raced woman that watches late where
brighI-lit tavern fares uaalign'
The screech % the uilkua1 at early morn, the
clatter Of carts over s1llen stones;
The children that polka in mirthful pairs when
the strain Of hanG-organ clangs and
drCles,
The hre-engiue's rush, with its gauop Of steeds,
its helueted m5n- is quick-snokias
breath;
The bell OF the ambulance, bringing Us dreams
now q mercy and help. now Of pain and
death
Oh these are the sights and sounds I should
prize IN the pictures and music my poets
make,
Though pe-chance thus TO prize Is 70 prove my
tastes are but trivial and shallow beyond
mistake
Yet I feel these poets would pardon outright my
Impotence boldness. and faults ike that
Il they knew what a welcome their songs have
Won even here IN this humble Eighth ave
nue. fat
-Elgar Fawcett in Youths Companion