The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-01-29
MISCELLANY.
Out of the Alexandr' Bay.
A JANUARY FISH STORY.

n
Poke the fire litle yonkers, till the log begins to
blaze
For the January bzzards hev lot of chilly ways;
Bring the apples an the doughuuts, an-the cider,
understan',
An be mighty sure to place 'em some'at handy to
the ham;
An I'll string you up story illustrative Of the way
That nsed to go fishin' out Of Alexand1' Bay.
First asked the wind an current fur to furnish
lift
skift;
An TUX 1t when DESTROYS of a half day alone
Fur the biggest of the fishes doesn't like human
An recollect anchored on mornin bright an
clear.
Where the BASES used to gather in that season of
the year.
When found 'em, they hudded near little
islan'.beacb
An they measured-O. my gracious, twice as much
as ken reach
Can don't believe there's any hev their arms in
posish
Fur to stretch 'em more than KEN in descrbin' of
fshD
An the mornin' was so gentle, an the water was
clear,
cud see 'em smell my minny jus as If they all was
here.
But lot O. rich New Workers he'd their summer
housen nigh,
An my gracious, them er fishes was a-eatin cake
an piel
Cooks he'd throwed it in the river when 1t cuttered
upa dish,
An s'pose it tasted better to the fishes than fish
An whispered to my conscience, q" You very
near fool,
Eff you waste your time adangn' overneath a
boardin. SCHOOL,"
Then my conscience answered, Stiddy keep
a.givn' 'em the bait
There ia alays blessin's comm to Teller that
wait"
An KEEP peekin' downward so s to see how mat
ters stood.
An held lively ninny JUS as 'em as could;
An meant 1t as prmium fer the scholars; but
alas
Not single one would offer fur to Jine my cookin'
classi
Then they sort o. laid an rested in the water still
an deep,
An they dropped their noses downward an appeared
to go to sleep;
An they nestled an to the rivers sandy
floor,
An listened till reckoned could hear the fellers
snorei
An says, Lie still and slumber; I'm a-watchin'
Ger your bed;
II you'n only wake up hungry, here is blessns on
your headi"
Bye an bye leader started, scratched his foresd
with fin,
An he stretched an yawned little, an my minny
wiggled in;
CTwas KNOWN breed o. minnys we was rearin' al
the Bay
An the bass he shut his mouth up. an the hook got
( in the way;
An before he he'd the privilege fur to yell single
note,
He had left his loved companions, an had started
for the boat.
Then winked unto the mnny, an thought se'
him grin.
An imagine he enjoyed it, so sent him down
ag'iD;
An he run among 'em lively like wigger in cup
An KEEP hnockin' at their doorways. till he wok
another up;
An the fi-h embraced his caller, more in passion
than in love;
An Immediately started for the happy land above.
One by one the others wakened; an the word wa
passed aroun'
There was somethin' there fur nothin that he'd JUS
come into town;
An they soon was crazy fur tan the smartest o
'em led
Cur fsh ia partly human, as think alays said)
An may Ananas' spirit come and visit me to might
Them everlastn fishes didn't stan in line to bite
An my boat was overloaded till it sort o. sagged
stuck
An sold em out In messes to some fellers scant
luck;
An some fifty regulations as fisherman, no doubt
Was established the fishes I'm a-tellin' ye about
Anyhow. the rich New Workers, they was buyin a
the way
From the islam of the BASES into Alexandr' Bay.