The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-12-05
R1LEY.s NEW POEMS.

Somebody recently declared that there
are but two English poets who can claim
4 ready and instant audience OF wide pro-
portions whenever they set pen to paper
Kipling and James Whitcomb Riley. The
coupling of Kipling aud Riley In any
other connection would seem incongruous.
perhaps. 1t Is probably tue. however.
that. as for circulation" they are Of a
kind. Mr. Riley's popularity" which is
a thing even Kipling wouldn't sneeze at.
will be considerably enhanced by his
new book of verse which bears title. His
Pas Romance" His Pas Romance" Is
the main riece. To say that 1t Is in rs
best or most characteristic" roin is
trite, but this is what ought to r. said
OF it. A little boy relates the s:o.y of his
parents love affair told him BY an
uncle and i: was strenuous love affair
between a country maiden of sweet l6 and
a supposedly impecunious farm hand The
maids parents object. and the lover saves
his money.
Pa list went back TO work. an she
Ist waited. An. m. purity soon
Her folks the thought he's turned his eye
Some other way-'cause by-an-by
They heerd he'd rented the old place
neighbor that had bust a trace.
He tell the old man they WIZ dgns
Around the old place that the young
Man wus a-fixin' up the old
Log cabin some. an he had bring
New furnichur from town
Ma" goes to town with her father to
the show. whence she slips or and dis
appears As the old man. frantic. drives
home at night he passes Pas place,
never dreaming that the lights and music
there proclaim the wedding Of his daush-
ter. Mas" parents do not come near
her. but Ma" persuades her young hus-
band to go with her to visit them. The
young couple set out for her home. some
five or six days after their marriage. The
girl is received with open arms. and PA"
is driven away by his Infatuated father
in-law. armed with i shotgun. Pa goes
homo and meditates for many days. Then
he sends word to her parents that he is
reconciled-he will call the marriage
of" and he invites the ''old woman" to
come out to the place and get her daugh-
ter's things. When mother-in-law arrives
PA" imprisons her in the cellar. which Is
full OF rats. ard keeps here there. under
paddock and key. over night. This quite
naturally brings VISIT from olu Ialue1'
in-law. PA" meets him with shotgun.
You bring me my wife. and you can
take your'n,' or words to that effect,
emanate from Pa" Mother-in-law's
screams in the meantime are issuing from
the cellar. Thus tho tables are turned.
The climax is humorously dramatic. II 1t
might be SO called.
You hold my wife prisoner
An your wife. drat ye! I've got herl
An now sir .
You ist turn round and climb wife in
That wagon. an drive home ag'in
An bring my wife back wife away.
An we'll trade then-and not before
VIII I unlock my cellar door
The tables are turned pretty neatly on
the ''old folks A happiest Of happy
follows.
In the volume are almost fifty poems,
many of them in the Hoosier. humorous.
"human-nature" strain. "A Local Poll
tician From Away Back Is Of the best |
Of these. Included also are several serious |
verses. quantity sentimental. To the |
lovers of Riley verse the volume will be
counted a genuine treat. It Is published |
by the Bobbs-Merrill Company.