The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-12-04

|
and telling of Marathon and Leuctra
and how small band of Spartans at a
narrow pass on the Pennsylvania road
| had withstood whole army.
l listened till at last my mother kiss
| ed my throbbing temples and babe me
no more of those old tales and savage
| wars.
That very night the Norwegians land
ed on cur coast. / saw the bread that
! should have nourished me fed to a hol
! low Norseman with a red cowlick on his
brisket and nine pairs of pantses on at
one and the same time.
Q Christiania, thou hast been a tender
nurse to me. Thou hast given to that
tender shepherd lad ideas on politics of
which he had not dreamed. Thou hast
taught him to ask Norwegian bless
ing at his table during the campaign
and to swap his vulcanized conscience
for the Scandinavian vote.
Thou hast taught him to love the rich
nut brown favor of a Morse conven-
! ton and to look into the glaring eye
balls of Pop Svenske men even as a
smooth checked boy might look upon a
laughing girl.
Recently 1 have been raking autumn
leaves off the lawn.
Dear sedentary reader with the lack
ulster eye, didst ever rake the autumn
leaf in order to promote a healthful
| glow? 1t is about the most attractive
| task for one who looks ON and about as
joyless for the one who is doing it as
anything of which 1 know.
You begin with bounding heart and
sharp toothed iron rake, and the sun
comes down warm and welcome on your
| corrugated back, but ere long you find
that most Of the time you are pulling
autumn leaves off the sharp teeth of the
rake, and the wind is blowing them
back over the little patch which you
have raked.
One can rake autumn leaves off the
lawn until the 1st of April in some eli
mates, and then some more leaves will
grow and get ready for him to rake by
September.
A hidebound Republican here who
d L
majority said that with little more
combined Manchester and West Virgin
IL tariff legislation he allowed that by
year from next fall raking autumn
leaves would be the principal industry.
Politics here is carried 70 excess, |
think. / am able, though, TO take poll
tics or let it alone.
Last week poet sent me long poem
for publication and criticism, and had
written the critique already for this let
ter. but casually looking down the left
hand side Of the thing l discovered that
it was an acrostic reading bill Nye is
plain man. mostly spectacles and
throat. and I'd rather have his money
than his promissory note. " Therefore l
have suppressed the poem and will boil
down my criticism TO few terse, keen
and searching sentences.
Mr.. Balzaac Peterson, the author Of
the poem. Is rising young poet Of South
Saltwater, MINI. He writes broad verse
on the lumber piles and unprotected
buildings of BaytOwn and hauls saw
dust over to the penitentiary by means
OF blue dray and white mule which
needs 20 be rinsed off in the lake.
Far be it from me 10 criticise or speak
lightly of the humble employment Of
any poet or his scanty equilibrium at
the bank, but l do decry and deplore
the sad environments which seem to
force Mr.. Peterson 20 contribute his
verse 20 the shingle pile and the desert
ed building instead Of the leading mag
azines and periodicals.
NJ Peterson Is a native Of Norway
and wears a heavy yarn afghan around
his throat winter and summer 70 protect
his voice, which Is a rich single mill
baritone. and chords well on a summer
evening with the South Saltwater troll
ley car
HIS verse need hardly be referred 70
here. a. there Is nothing in It especial
" for nlel. II is feeble imitation OF
Thorn i Brewer Peacock Of Kansas. with
a sort Of cod liver oil favor and the IN
graceful meter OF & raZOrback hog pass
Ing hurlIec!y over Al s.cTe OF glass COW
cred ho;beds on the Harlem on 8 spring
evening.
To MI Balzaac Peterson / would say
a. a friend: Do not sacrifice 80 much CT
your motif n the building OF your acros-
tics IN the future, and DO not allow the
Saltwater police u catch you writing
any = YOUR sounets on dead walls anc
things. for there i a. ordinance against
IL
YOU viii please also consider our cor
reSpordence AZ an end ss / shall not
pour out my soul 70 a great ooarr- U'a3