Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-11-25
Written for the SUNDAY Rsg.stsr.
THE POET.
BY WILL 8. RICHARDSON.

By WILL Q. RICHARDSON.
with Permission OF the late Mr.. Peel
Once upon q warm night foggy,
While felt most awful grvggy
From the mixing OF my sherry
With perplexing Tom and jerry
owe. proof sheet | sat SnooZlng,
In preten thereof PERI sing,
Till heard mufiled rapping,
RSpping al my sanctum door.
IT'S toe foreman, then grumbled,
After COPY al my door
Only that, and nothing more.
How wildly | remember.
Ii was in the wet November,
And the gas light seemed TO render
Snaky shadows on The iiOor
While ! felt to chill with hor or,
As within me froZe the marrow;
Then quickly sought TO borrow,
Botro then as oft be ore,
Froiu the Jug OF quickwilIkillyou
in the corner by Tie door.
Qmckwillki!lyou. nothing more.
Through my sanctum door, then open,
Murmurs hJated, scarcely spoken
In a whisper strangely tragic,
And my soul IL thrilled ike magic,
AsaNake then from ny dreaming,
With grim thoughts OF crlmc enacted
There within my sanctum door;
Through my desk quickly lumbled
Till found in secret drawer
Ny derringsr, nothing more.
With my courage fast returning.
bestirreJ myself TO learning.
Say" said /. NOW Miss or Mister,
10 not coming u The door;
am busy now peruStng
The nsglec ed proof while snooZing:
Now you i kin iiy ease your cfuIslng.
Cruising out my sluctum door,
An repeat the words Just uttered,
L tered as I ceas d 10 snore.
Repeat them TO me, implore."
Back within the shadows lurking
Stood a figure. how NJ, Sinking;
Then toward me softly stealing,
While 1 shuddersd with the feeling
or assaSsins pist'l cleaning.
When upon me proudly b. ming,
stood Il Poet, tall, uugainly,
Z here within nv sanctum door,
With n manuscript unrOtling
From the ceiling to tn floor.
Quoth the Poet, Gone Before
Long he stood la fancy smiling,
While sat with temper riing
As gaz > Poet str ranger,
Then sought nv oil d-rringer
With mad purpose full intending
His career there quickly ending.
Theu | heard laugh dem 'nic,
Horrid, fen dish laugh. or roar.
And nv heart then G 'ased IT'S boating
At the thought Of fate in store
Should he read me Gone Before.
Nv intention then divIning,
With lanS arms around me twininy,
In a nan ler queer, excited,
Gone Before" he then recited.
Liz. e demon pee;ing. icering
And disdainly trOwning, Sneering,
And his eyes hot, feverc |, soaring
To my very bosom core,
A he Kissed and screamed and shouted
Forty stanzas maybe more
or the poem Gone lie ore"
Then my soul within me burning,
Into fiery hatTe turning.
Turning into wrath AMI boiling
With the demon Poet coiling
His long arms around IN tighter,
While his CHASTITY face grew winter.
White, than the ghost OF fabieI spo)k,
or poet from other shore;
And his smile Oh how reVengeiul
While reclling Gone Before
Only that and nothing m Jre.
Then one moment oppsd and staid he,
A. question TO me laid he:
If will cease herewith in choking.
Ere you're in the act OF croak!ng,
If you take my small effusion
and with thanks. not a. intrusion,
Give il space 7nd call attention,
Mention 1t week before
In column double loaded,
Tel the public there's In store
Ny beat effort, Gone Before"
in my fury then uprising,
And the Poet much surprising,
in voice like thunder pealin1
And q beastly demon fe ling.
"Fiend incarnat.," cried !, reeling,
As tossed him IN the ceiling,
With the sound OF something crashing,
SplEshiug on my sauctum floor.
ar have published now one thousand
Aud I'll publish never more
Poems titled Gone Be.o ore
Then the air seemed dense and colder,
As hand lay on my shoulder
Then again awake from dreaming,
With he for man on me beaming,
Smiling, grlnning, laughing, roaring,
Roaring III as cannon roar.
Then sought again TO Dor ow,
Borrow then a. CIT before,
But the jug OF quick -will-sill-you
There lay shattered on the iioor,
With its contents Zone before