The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-07-29
JOHN GILPIN ON 4 WHEEL.
What Would Cowper Have Thought oi This Recension Up to Date?
 fErnm thn CInraland IondorA

y John Gilpin was citizen
 Of more or less renown, Whose wife was visiting her folks
 Some twenty miles from town. John Gilpin took three lessons on
 The bike, and then said he:- T wonder if my dear would like
 To get look at me? ITO morrow is our wedding day,
 And I will then repair Upon my wheel to where she is
 And take my dinner there" So when the time to start had come,
 John got upon the thing; The neighbors cheered him and he felt
 AS lordly as king. Now see him moving through the streets.
 Upon his silent steed, Avoiding cars and carriages,
 With caution and good heed. But getting on the country road,
 Where there was room to spare, John pressed his lips together, and
 went dipping through the air. He bent down OCT his handle bar
 He scorned to sit upright And farmers held their hoes aloft
 And gazed upon the sight He wore his Sunday cutaway,
 Which stood straight out behind; He frightened ducks and geese and pigs,
 But Gilpln didn't mind. At last he came unto a hill, Twas smooth and steep and long, The wind blew hard upon his back, He hummed a merry song. Ere long he lifted up his feet Content to 'let her whiz;'' No mind, 1 ween, was more serene, No breast more gay than his. Down, down, he. went, as some gray streak Twas wonderful to see; yun | The children whooped with glee What shall dol" he thought; | Yet on he sped as if he'd been From some great cannon shot l The dogs ran out to bark at him, A boy sat on fence,
 And yelled as !Gilpin passed: Hang on, | Your riding is immense!
 A teamster driving up the hill, | Turned out to let him pass And bawled, as Gilpin coasted by: | "There goes a reckless asst" Stop! Stopy' a frightened farmer cried, l You donkey, don't you know | That there's creek, and that the bridge l Is washed away, below?"
 ''Help! Hep!" cried Gilpln; "someone com And stop this darn machine!' 1 The frightened kine stuck mp their tails. 1 And galloped from the scene. 'Help! Help!' John Gilpin yelled again; Somebody throw q rope'' I The people only cried: Hang on, And grit your teeth, and hope.' The sweat stood out on Gilpin's brow, l His coat-tails snapped behind, l And bugs and dust got in his eyes, 1 And made him nearly blind.
 70. now I lay me down to sleep" | He then began to say; | s'J nray the Lord my soul to keep,' | And still he sped away. i of should die before I wake" | He murmured as he flew,
 q pray the Lord my soul to take 1 Good goshl What shall l do?''
 Again he howled with all his night | "Come out, somebody. quick. l Will no one come and head me off ?-" | Just then he struck a brick. John Gilpin rose into the air, And scared a rod or two, Not that he liked to soar, but there | Was nothing else to do.
 And then he stuck his nose into | The landscape, and began To try and rip It even from | Beersheba unto Dan. And then he settled in heap.
 And when the populace
 Got there John Gilpin was asleep
 And minus half his face.
 Therefore his wife dined all alone.
 Upon their wedding day,
 And said it was a shame that John
 Had basely stayed away
 Poor Gilpin, he was taken home.
 And put into his bed.
 And doctors set his broken bones.
 And plastered up his head
 Now let us shout hurrah for what
 Is left of John, and so
 when next he goes to coast may we Be there to see the show. al X